On the centennial of Swami Kriyananda’s birth, I find myself reflecting on his life and legacy. If you are reading this article, I assume you already know that Swami Kriyananda (Swamiji) was a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda (Master). Swamiji founded Ananda Sangha, a global spiritual movement based on
When I was a little boy, a pandit (Hindu priest) told my mother that I was a mongoose in my previous life. I didn’t take it too seriously. But every time I saw a mongoose, I would feel like a puppet in the hands of a Cosmic Dictator, assuming
Most of my friends and family members thought I was crazy when I decided to serve Ananda full-time. For them, the spiritual path meant, at most, praying and chanting for a few minutes and then going on with their daily tasks. “Why do you have to be so serious about
It’s that time of year again, when we make New Year’s resolutions—often knowing, deep down, that they won’t last. Studies show that over 80 percent of resolutions fail, mainly because they remain wishful thinking. Without deep self-awareness and an honest understanding of the habits that bind
In his groundbreaking general theory of relativity, Albert Einstein describes gravity as the curvature of spacetime (a fusion of three spatial dimensions and one temporal dimension) caused by mass and energy. Everything in the universe, including light, he posited, travels through spacetime. Massive objects can warp spacetime through their gravitational
There are two kinds of people one often comes across. The first kind are those who believe they can shape their destiny and achieve anything they set their minds to. Then there’s the second kind – those who believe life is predestined and no matter how hard they try, they
In today’s chaotic world, it’s easy to get swept up in an emotional roller coaster. Just a few minutes of watching the news can leave us feeling overwhelmed with sadness, anxiety, and confusion. These emotions make it hard to concentrate on our work or stay connected with those
As a young accounting student in college who saw classes as a total waste of time, I used my time and energy to start a software business. Perhaps I was one of thousands who, after reading the stories of Bill Gates & Mark Zuckerberg, dreamt of building a software empire
Spirituality in the 21st century vastly differs from what we saw even 100 years ago. Back then, those with a spiritual calling had limited options: One could join a monastery or go to the Himalayas in search of a guru or an ashram. Today, spirituality has permeated daily life. Practices
Spirituality kills ambition to work for your ego. It kills the ambition to work for “I, me, and myself.”
Rajarsi Janakananda (James J. Lynn) was the foremost male disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. He also happened to be a self-made millionaire (by today’s standards, a billionaire), owning multiple corporations. However, he wasn’t born into that wealth. Quite the opposite. He came from a very humble background. As a
The world is anxious, nervous and stressed. It's easy to feel overwhelmed. But it is possible, through simple yogic practices, to find peace amidst all the chaos.