Kriyananda

Avoid Hallelu-hypocricy

This Yogananda disciple now dresses in blue, has decided to call himself 'Nayaswami', and since late 2009 has organised his own Nayaswami Order for those who back up that renouncing their egos is strongly needed.

Is getting destroyed really and truly a blessing? . . . Here is a quote by swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Yogananda. He claims it is so, in an American newspaper, the Palo Alto Weekly Online Edition, 28 February 1996:

"If (God) wants to destroy me, it is not destruction. It is a blessing." [◦Link]

Is that so? A blessing for whom - abused women? For the world? Do not think or talk like that for self-defence or otherwise. Also consider what a lousy life you must have to think it is a blessing to be destroyed.

Yoga goes for unifications. Sex unions form parts of unifications at large.

One of Yogananda's teachings is "God is the Sole Doer," and yet his fellowship has found it fit to blame Kriyananda and sue him and his society too!

Four Are Not Two

Kriyananda also tells,

Master [Yogananda] himself said that he did not touch the feet of saints except his own master and his father. He was trying to make the point that devotion should be one-pointed.

I believe that the time is coming soon when we, as disciples of Master, will need that strength of devotion." [Kriyananda in "The Avatar, part 2" [◦Link]

This is not correct, for Yogananda writes he bowed down and touched the feet of Ram Gopal too - one more than Kriyananda mentions:

At dawn Ram Gopal gave me rock candies . . . After touching the saint's feet . . . I reached Tarakeswar . . . I made a . . . pilgrimage to the famous shrine, and prostrated myself fully before the altar. The round stone" - [Autobiography ch 13.]

He touched the feet of Mahandranath Gupta (master Mahasaya) as well:

I fell moaning to the floor . . . I clutched his feet . . . "Holy sir, your intercession! Ask divine Mother if I find any favour in her sight!" [Autobiography, ch 9]

Yogananda was more of a prostrator and clutcher than Kriyananda tells. "Four are not two", and nobody should be trusted for untrue statements. Discard them well somehow. Look with suspicion of those who cannot be telling the truth.

Divine Conduct?

Some say "God" and mean "Divine Mother and Kali" by it. Yogananda often did. [Psy 21, 26]. "Mother . . . leave me in ignorance no longer," he said too [Ak 260].

A Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, once said: "Heaven is not partial, it sides only with the good man". Impartiality helps against gross bias, such ignorance. Now for some more interesting material about Kriyananda.

Kriyananda once served as the vice-president of SRF, till he was expelled by a unanimous vote of the SRF board of Directors. [◦Link].

"Man is supposed to get something out of this life. (. . .) Make [some] effort beyond obvious necessity," said Yogananda [Ak 257, 255].

Back in the U.S.A, and expelled from SRF, Kriyananda started and headed the alternative community Ananda Sangha in Nevada City, California, claiming he was unjustly railroaded out of SRF because of an internal power struggle based on pettiness and jealousy. He also sees his expulsion from SRF as divinely ordained -

You can learn to maximise boons and minimise lossed through filtering and bulwarking activities, and spending concerns and efforts according to plans in decent, fit directions. Bulwarking well is fit too, and good performance. Still, individual success is not guaranteed, and you have to consider things on your own. Sound education helps.

Verdicts against Ananda Sangha and Kriyananda:

"Evidence . . . (and) documents . . . place Kriyananda clearly within the profile of clergy sex offenders (and) of the multiple repeat offender who deliberately seeks vulnerable women to exploit for his own sexual gratification." - The Reverend Pamela Cooper-White [◦Link]

After a 3 month trial, the jury awarded the plaintiff 1.6 million dollars in compensatory and punitive damages and found Kriyananda guilty of despicable and reprehensible conduct and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and of fraudulently representing himself as a swami, a celibate monk, to gain women's trust in order to seduce and sexually use them.

After the trial, Kriyananda fled to Italy, writes anandainfo, and worked and planned for good things to happen again. Along such a road it may be very hard to sum up hard-won lessons alone, hoping that interesting life lessons may come to light thereby. It is most often better to get an idea of such lessons by learning from others. Schooling is for that, among other things, and proverbs. and much else. It does not ruin you, and may be entertaining too.

In the case referred to, the judge uttered such as:

This minister misrepresented himself as celibate, holy, and having only her best interests at heart, and thus betrayed her trust as an initiate in his religious organization."

The Reverend Pamela Cooper-White did not like sexually tinged "mismanagement" either. Now for details about:

"Cult-like demands for community conformity, loyalty and devotion to the leader, justified by references to the obedience to the Swami in Hindu tradition together with veiled threats of retaliation, abandonment or ostracism if followers questioned questioned Kriyananda's authority. By taking the title "Swami, and by linking himself as the spiritual successor to the famous Hindu, Yogananda and claiming to be Yogananda's psychic "channel" from beyond the grave, Walters/Kriyananda elevated himself to the position of ultimate spiritual authority very close to being an incarnation of God Himself. Additional layers of authority were added".

"The ministers (1) created a bogus climate of safety, trust, and promises of spiritual and personal growth and enhancement of well-being; (2) singled out women to perform perform sexual services for them, in a pattern of sexually predatory behavior; (3) when confronted, threatened the victim with exposure and shaming in the community, and (4) consistently used the rationale of 'blaming the victim" turning the responsibility for the sexual behavior back on her and confusing her with their insistence that she was at least consenting, and . . . herself."

"Blaming the victim . . . is a very common pattern in cases of pastoral sexual misconduct, reinforced by myths and stereotypes portraying all male pastors as innocent sitting ducks".

It frequently happens that amorous feelings arise between counsellors and counselled persons.

The star status of Kriyananda, and linking him to a highly respected avatar as a spiritual heir, eased exploitations from narcissistic cravings and she surely saw a drive towards more than reasonable control and power over others. (section 20).

Alleged victims found themselves exhausted, at least emotionally, tipped off balance into despair and feelings of futility into habituated compliance. (from section 21)

She speaks of violated trust and lost attachment to the church in question. (sections 25 and 26) [◦Link]

Cooper-White signed such statements under the penalty of perjury. Well, well. Appointed experts tend to disagree among themselves. This appointed expert did not seem sympathetic to the needs of men, contrary to the lyrics of James Brown: "This is a man's world, this is a man's world /But it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl". And there is a useful Chinese proverb for some cases: "It is not certain that the one who cries the loudest is in the right."

I refer from some allegedly best sources and add comments, like "Someone who matters, has sound outlets over and over."

The seemingly simple human body . . . I sometimes think God could have made a few improvements." - Yogananda [Ak 251]

In the life of Kriyananda, in 2006, because of his "service to the spiritual future of humanity", he was nominated and accepted as a Creative Member of the Club of Budapest. And in August, 2007, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the National InterFaith Council at the Wadsworth Theater in Los Angeles. [Wikipedia, sv. "Kriyananda"]

Yogananda further: "In this complex world our lives are nothing but plays [Srg 43]."

And "An ounce of luck is better than a pound of wisdom [French, Fp 81]".

Nayaswami Kriyananda

"What is needed today is a spiritual army of souls demonstrating – not militantly or aggressively, but with sincerity declared – their commitment to higher values, to God ..." says Kriyananda [1].

"A bright (not dark) royal blue seems to me the perfect shade for expressing the renunciate attitude I have in mind. I show this color," writes Kriyananda in a new book of his [Tno, Chap 3]."

"Nayaswamis, as I said earlier, should wear a bright royal blue [Tno, Chap 13]."

"I recommend that all swamis receive, in addition to the title, the designation naya – that is to say, "new." Thus, my own name would be Nayaswami Kriyananda." He is thus the "new swami" Kriyananda dressed in blue, whereas Johny Cash made do with being "the Man in Black". [1] [Wikipedia, "Johny Cash"]

Have you too felt a calling to change your name several times and be dictated by others what to wear when, how to dress, and submit to vows from the other who holds he represents Yogananda, to fulfill it all? Welcome on board, says Kriyananda.