{"id":1868,"date":"2025-05-31T15:19:49","date_gmt":"2025-05-31T15:19:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yoganandafortheworld.com\/story\/?p=1868"},"modified":"2025-05-31T15:19:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-31T15:19:49","slug":"swami-kriyananda-stories-ch-38-receptivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yoganandafortheworld.com\/story\/swami-kriyananda-stories-ch-38-receptivity\/","title":{"rendered":"Swami Kriyananda Stories — Ch. 38: Receptivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I\u2019ve mentioned ad infinitum<\/em> in these pages, before I came to Ananda I worked for a small sports publishing company in the San Francisco Bay Area.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I moved to the community, I was concerned about the fitness of the members. The monks and nuns walked to work from the convent, a strenuous hike. But I knew that there was a level of fitness that would give the rest of us greater energy.<\/p>\n

Several members were runners already. Vidura competed at a high level in the marathon, with a best time of 2:37.<\/p>\n

Years after I came to the community, I met a man in Grass Valley who had raced at Vidura\u2019s level. In tones of wonder, he said, \u201cI could never figure out how Vidura could run a sub-2:45 marathon on so little training!\u201d<\/p>\n

I suspect that Vidura had developed a high level of energy, concentration, will power, and positive attitude by serving Master\u2019s work in many lives.<\/p>\n

At any rate, I started an Ananda runners\u2019 club, feeling that it would give us a chance to have fun together in a healthy way.<\/p>\n

I ordered t-shirts that said \u201cAnanda Runners\u201d \u2013 some old Ananda photos show people wearing them \u2013 and we began going to local races.<\/p>\n

Soon after the t-shirts arrived, someone mentioned them to Swamiji. He asked to see one and examined it closely. I was struck by the care he took. He never did anything by half measures. I think he wanted me to know that what we did at Ananda should be in tune with Master\u2019s vibration, especially if it bore our name.<\/p>\n

I remember a small scene that spoke volumes. I wandered into Earth Song, the restaurant that Ananda formerly owned in Nevada City, where I saw Jyotish and Swamiji having lunch together. As I passed their table, I noticed that Swamiji was speaking in conversational tones, and I was struck by Jyotish\u2019s demeanor. He was wholly focused on what Swami was saying, with an air of humble receptivity. I realized that Swamiji was imparting his wisdom, and that Jyotish was receiving it with complete, absorbed attention.<\/p>\n

After service one Sunday, Jyotish and I arranged to go for a run together. When we stopped by his house so that he could change, Devi said, \u201cSwami would like us to come over to his place to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jyotish turned and said, \u201cSorry, Rambhakta, maybe another time.\u201d<\/p>\n

If it happened today, I would understand, of course, but I was young and full of a runner\u2019s oats, and I found it hard to let go of the prospect of a pleasant run together.<\/p>\n

Paramhansa Yogananda\u2019s chief disciple, Rajarsi Janakananda, said, \u201cI have come to understand that one hundred percent of the spiritual path is receptivity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the people I\u2019ve known at Ananda, not a few of them for more than forty years, I find that the happiest and spiritually most deep are those who\u2019ve given their lives most fully to God. I hope that, in time, I can become more like them.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I\u2019ve mentioned ad infinitum in these pages, before I came to Ananda I worked for a small sports publishing company in the San Francisco Bay Area. When I moved to the community, I was concerned about the fitness of the members. The monks and nuns walked to work from the convent, a strenuous hike. … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nSwami Kriyananda Stories — Ch. 38: Receptivity - Swami Kriyananda: Lightbearer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda for 59 years reflects on a quality of spiritually successful people.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yoganandafortheworld.com\/story\/swami-kriyananda-stories-ch-38-receptivity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Swami Kriyananda Stories — Ch. 38: Receptivity - 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