Swami Kriyananda

Swami Kriyananda, born J. Donald Walters, is a direct disciple of the yogi Paramahansa Yogananda, and spent many hours with him during the last three years of Yogananda's life (1948 – 1952). During this time Kriyananda became a minister for Self-Realization Fellowship, an organization set up by Paramahansaji himself and was asked by Yogananda to teach Kriya Yoga, which Yogananda called the highest technique of Self-realization.

Controversies regarding Swami Kriyananda

• Swami Kriyananda was kicked out of Self-Realization Fellowship in 1962. In his book, The Path, he attributed his removal to Tara Mata, an SRF board member. You can read more of Swami Kriyananda's point of view in the online book A Place Called Ananda: The Trial by Fire that Forged One of the Most Successful Cooperative Communities in the World Today.
• Self-Realization Fellowship has questioned the right of any other disciple of Yogananda to initiate people in Kriya Yoga. Sri Daya Mata, current President of SRF, discussed this in her interview with an Indian Magazine, saying:

:"Receiving kriya is more than obtaining a set of instructions; it means forming a sacred bond between your soul and the guru sent by god. We tell people that if they seek guru-disciple relationship with Paramahansa Yogananda, then the YSS/SRF teaching is the way to do so."

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:However, thousands of years of Hindu tradition states that the relationship is between the Guru and Disciple, and not between an Organization and the Disciple, as Daya Mata claims. Swami Kriyananda, in his autobiography, explains that Yogananda authorized him to give Kriya Initiation to others. He continues to do so to this day.

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• Self-Realization Fellowship spent twelve years, and millions of dollars, suing Swami Kriyananda and Ananda over various copyright issues. Among their claims, SRF said that it owned the copyright to the name "Paramahansa Yogananda", all rights to the great Guru's image and likeness, and sole right to the term "Self-realization." Many Hindu, yoga, and meditation groups filed papers supporting Ananda. SRF lost nearly every issue in court. Read Ananda's report on the lawsuit: "Ananda Wins More Than 95% of a 12-Year Lawsuit Filed by Self-Realization Fellowship." Read SRF's report: "Copyright Lawsuit."
• In 1997, during a trial initially against an Ananda minister, Kriyananda faced accusations of sexual misconduct. The case was decided against the minister, Ananda at large, and Swami Kriyananda. Those at Ananda have pointed to Self-Realization Fellowship's involvement in this lawsuit, detailed in the article "Does SRF Have Unclean Hands?"
• In 2004, there was an investigation of financial misappropriation filed against Ananda in Italy (naming 13 individuals, including Swami Kriyananda). No charges were ever filed.