A Touch of Light Podcast

Swamiji's guiding love didn't end with his passing — it remains available to anyone who reaches for it inwardly.

We live in a sea of miracles, though we recognize only the big ones and ignore the small ones. In fact, most people can accept only the big ones as true miracles at all. One of these occurred with Swami Kriyananda, and we have several woven together in the tapestry of life that were smaller, but nevertheless, amazing in their unfolding.

Paramhansa Yogananda said that a yogi should be able to stand unshaken amidst the crash of breaking worlds. In celebrating the centennial of Swami Kriyananda's birth, I want to share a few episodes from his life that illustrate exactly this quality. During Ananda's first years, Swamiji's classes were Ananda's primary source of income, funding the purchase of property and the construction of its first buildings. He taught classes every weeknight throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and led programs at the Meditation (now Seclusion) Retreat on weekends. Few people could sustain such a schedule, but so determined was he to serve his guru that he found the strength to continue for several years.

As I write this, it is the one-hundredth anniversary of Swamiji's birth. People from around the world of Ananda are sharing stories and photos and expressing their gratitude to him. Devi and I shared many birthdays with Swamiji. One of my most memorable birthdays was in 1985.

I'd like to share three stories in which Swamiji gave me simple advice that changed the course of my life.

Swamiji was always expressing joy in one way or another. It effervesced from his very being like a spring bubbling up from the depths of the earth. Here are a few ways I saw that fundamental essence expressed.

The days to experience this all knowing Divine Love did not end with Swamiji's passing. His presence is always within reach for those who sincerely call on him, for he was a channel for Master's all-encompassing, eternal love. Each of us is a little sparrow in God's sight—this is His greatest gift to all his children.

What were they like? Stories from my time with Swamiji...

Here are some lessons I learned during my first few years at Ananda, and offer ways you might apply them in your own life.

This blog is about the courage to begin again when we experience loss or change—something we all face on a regular basis. We need to look beyond loss and ask the harder spiritual question: What actually makes a fresh start possible?

It's puzzling to me why this choice to prioritise our spiritual path is so difficult to make—but I suppose that is the central challenge: the state of ego-consciousness feels familiar, while soul awareness seems uncertain. And so we hesitate to surrender into it.

As we grow in self-awareness, we come to realize that we are made of infinite light and perfect joy. But how far does this web of self-awareness extend? Is it only humans and a few of the most evolved animals that are self-aware?

Have you ever had a series of seemingly random events that, taken together, carried unexpected significance? Recently I had just such an experience.

Have you ever felt the nagging sensation that you need to change something in yourself, but you don't quite know what it is? The first step in overcoming a challenge is to bring it to the surface of your awareness and clearly identify it. If we don't do this voluntarily, life will find a way of forcing us to face our issues.

Truth is the light that shows us the way forward. More than ever, we need the guidance of truth to navigate today's world and to find ways to be of help to others. Yet, given current circumstances, many ask themselves: Is there really anything I, as an individual, can do to help in these turbulent times?

When one looks at the news, it is hard to make sense of what is happening in these turbulent times. Yet the more we focus on current events, the harder it becomes to see the bigger picture. Is there a deeper reason for this choppy sea we're trying to navigate? Last week, during the classes at our annual Inner Renewal Retreat, we explored this question at length and we will use this blog to share even more.

Practical tips for ego-transcendence.

When we open our heart to the guru, as our friend had done, the guru really does enter and take charge of our life. Devi and I have heard many such stories over the years. When we place our full faith in God, seemingly magical things begin to happen. I

For whenever a soul reaches the journey's end, he leaves behind a trail of light for others to follow.

We bathe not only to rid ourselves of something we don't want, but also in order to infuse ourselves with something we do want — extra energy or prana. When we are attentive, we draw more prana from nature.

Four steps to the light that will offer you a roadmap toward God—and toward bringing His transforming light to a world that sorely needs it now.

Every thought, word, and deed—positive or negative—creates a magnetic vibration that is sent into the ether. Like radio waves, we are continually bombarded by this force. More important is the constant exchange of magnetism with our environment and, especially, the people we connect with.

God is talking to us all the time, but we need to learn His language. Sometimes He speaks to us through words we perceive within, but often it's in beautiful moments when time seems to stop. All too often we forget these moments, feeling only His absence in our life, but nevertheless His presence is there.

As 2026 rolls around, it's important to review the past year and make plans for the coming one. For those of us who are part of the Future Saints Club, this is a perfect time to rededicate ourselves to our spiritual quest.

I'm going out on a limb here, sharing something quite personal.

Yet each lifetime has certain major transition points—moments when life takes on an entirely new direction and meaning. Some of these are biologically determined and apply to everyone; others are more individual and often more transformative. Let's look at some of these transitions, noticing common threads and learning from them. I'll use my own life as an example.

The message that Yogananda brought to the world was one of unity: the unity of all religions; the unity of science and religion; the unity of East and West; and the unity of all people: “world brotherhood.” His message is especially relevant today, as we see divisiveness—the spirit of “us against them”—dominating global politics and economics. Yet the light of Yogananda and this line of masters is not dimmed by human ignorance. In fact, it can shine even more brightly for those who try to live by it.

Here are some parts of the chapter, “The Science Behind Service,” a subject of interest to many. It's remarkable how often the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda anticipated scientific discoveries made decades later.

Each of us must ascend our own stairway, which we ourselves have shaped by past thoughts and actions. Rather than wondering who we were in the past, it is far better to look at what challenges lie before us due to old karmic patterns. On every step of the stairway, we should ask: “What are the lessons I need to learn now in this lifetime?” Perhaps it's softening a judgmental nature, or quieting reactive tendencies, or overcoming anger when things don't go our way.

Imagine that we're caught at sea with a hurricane approaching, and we can't reach the shore in time. What should we do? The best course of action would be to race toward the eye of the storm.

In that moment we also understood that there is no real need for feelings of longing, regret, or grief. God's love for us is eternal and can reach us in unforeseen ways.

So, if we know that we want happiness, and even know where to look for it, why does it remain so elusive? One simple reason is that when we try to clutch happiness for ourselves, it slips—like water—through our fingers. But ironically, when we seek to give happiness to others, we find it growing in our own hearts.

In essence, what we call “time” is dependent on the movement of material objects through space. The teachings of India tell us that time and space are both part of maya, or delusion, and have no ultimate reality. The seemingly objective thing we call “time” is, in truth, subjective, a mirage. True reality transcends time—it is eternal.

An experiment for us in the year ahead. How making a monthly sacred contract can help you to advance on the spiritual path.

For Jyotish and me, Ananda has been our home for all of our adult life—a place where we have sought God and served Him alongside our ever-growing spiritual family.

This has truly been an inspiring, even life-changing pilgrimage to sacred places in Italy, Spain, and India. And yet, travel also brings its challenges. During this time, we've given more than a hundred classes and satsangs, spent countless hours in cars and airplanes, and eaten—since we're among friends here, I'll be candid, overeaten—countless meals.

Like the mother squirrel, when we put determination, compassion, and service to others at the forefront of our life, miracles can happen.

Recently, we were blessed to go on pilgrimage to the sacred places of several such saints in Europe. On the surface, all these saints may seem separated by time and place, but as the pilgrimage unfolded, we began to perceive a deeper, repeating pattern.

During our time in Seville, Spain, we were asked to speak about “How to Live Autobiography of a Yogi.” Here are a few lessons from Yoganandaji's life that can guide our own journey.

This age is badly out of balance. The angry, divisive, power-mad energy needs to be replaced with unconditional love. One of the best ways each of us can help the world is to open our hearts to Divine Mother in meditation and offer Her love, friendship, and support to everyone we meet.

Patient acceptance of oneself and others is the key to true happiness and ego-transcendence. In today's turbulent times, patience brings strength to endure as well as hope for the future.

As for many at Ananda, Self-realization has become my personal life goal. But how do we achieve so lofty a purpose? Here are four steps to use as a guide.

My friends, every day we face choices—to take the path that brings us closer to God, or the one that seems easier, safer, or more rewarding in worldly terms.

We recently heard a beautiful example of how God responds to a sincere soul-call.

If you are reading this blog—whether you are a member of a spiritual community or meditation group or simply long for a better world—you are helping to bring about the future envisioned by great saints like Yoganandaji.

In this life, we incarnate not only with the influences of our personal karma, but also with the confining mindset of the age we live in, the family we are born into, and the country and culture we inhabit. If we are seeking freedom, we need wise guides to help us navigate delusion's labyrinth.

Transcendence and self-forgetfulness are the answers to every problem that life presents us. Blame, self-pity, and anger only deepen our suffering. How often do we think, “This isn't fair. Why do I need to suffer like this?” But if we ask, as Uma did, “What can I do to help?” then we break the hold that darkness and suffering have on us.

But I believe the real power of the one-minute solution lies in applying it to our inner lives.

If we tie our joy to a particular event or experience, when that ends we inevitably slide down the slope of sadness. Yogananda explained that most people live in an endless cycle: happiness when desires are fulfilled, sadness when those desires aren't met or stop bringing satisfaction, and boredom in between. This is a roller coaster that we definitely want to avoid.

We live in a world that values effort, but often overlooks the importance of relaxation. We count our steps, track our workouts, and even “work” at our tennis games. Where is the element of fun in all this? Where is the relaxation? While discipline is essential, too much effort—especially if it becomes tense or joyless—can be counterproductive. This is true not only in our outer lives, but in our spiritual practices as well.

Many friends from around the world have been writing Ananda asking for prayers, guidance, and words of comfort. To offer hope and an understanding of what's happening, we've chosen as the focus this year for our annual Spiritual Renewal Week “The Time for Knowing God Has Come.”