{"id":2019,"date":"2026-02-21T15:30:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T15:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yoganandafortheworld.com\/story\/?p=2019"},"modified":"2026-02-21T15:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T15:30:11","slug":"swami-kriyananda-as-we-have-known-him-private-misery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yoganandafortheworld.com\/story\/swami-kriyananda-as-we-have-known-him-private-misery\/","title":{"rendered":"Swami Kriyananda \u2014 As We Have Known Him: Private Misery"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Told by an Ananda devotee)<\/em><\/p>\n

I was on pilgrimage with a group from Ananda.<\/strong> The inspiration of the event was marred for me by grief over personal difficulties I was facing at the time. During a bus ride, I was sitting alone, staring sadly out the window. I tried not to be conspicuous, but others must have sensed the cloud of misery around me. Perhaps not knowing how to console me or thinking I wanted to be left alone, no one sat next to me.<\/p>\n

No one, that is, except Swamiji. He took the seat next to mine, pulled out a harmonium, and began to show me some new chords he had worked out for one of Master\u2019s chants. I could barely speak, but I knew that on a subtle level he was helping me redirect my energy upward rather than let it sink into a quagmire of pain. Just being in his presence lifted the energy in my spine.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the purposes of Ananda,\u201d Swamiji has said, \u201cis to show the world examples of true friendship. Cooperation doesn\u2019t have to be coerced. It is the natural result of that friendship.\u201d<\/p>\n

A woman in the community sent Swamiji a note that could have been written by any of us.<\/p>\n

\u201cA friend came to me for spiritual counsel,\u201d she wrote to Swamiji. \u201cHe was tormented by a fear that God does not love him. I did what I could to reassure him, and in the process I came to an important realization of my own. I never doubt that God loves me, for one simple reason: I have experienced unconditional love from you, Swamiji, as God\u2019s instrument. That has given me unshakeable faith in Him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe relationship with God as Friend is in some ways the sweetest,\u201d Swamiji writes in his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita.<\/em> \u201cWhen one \u2026 thinks of God as Friend, there steals into the heart that sweet confidence by which one feels, \u2018But of course<\/em> You love me! I am Yours; You are mine. How could either of us ever turn away from the other? We are one!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Told by an Ananda devotee) I was on pilgrimage with a group from Ananda. The inspiration of the event was marred for me by grief over personal difficulties I was facing at the time. During a bus ride, I was sitting alone, staring sadly out the window. I tried not to be conspicuous, but others … 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-2019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nSwami Kriyananda \u2014 As We Have Known Him: Private Misery - Swami Kriyananda: Lightbearer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda helps a friend who was plunged in grief over difficulties in her life.\" \/>\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-as-we-have-known-him-private-misery\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Swami Kriyananda \u2014 As We Have Known Him: Private Misery - 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