Author: kavita

Authors of At the Feet of a Saint: Lessons, Stories and Experiences with Swami Kriyananda. In this post Anaya shares her story

We’re thrilled to share that Anaya and David, the authors of At the Feet of a Saint: Lessons, Stories, and Experiences with Swami Kriyananda, will soon be here in New Zealand! Arriving on Saturday 18 January, they come with a treasure trove of inspiration, joy, and deeply personal stories of their time with Swami Kriyananda. Their visit is indeed a gift to our community!

What inspired them to come to New Zealand? “Honestly,” Anaya shared, “the photos of Asha’s time with you—so many friendly faces and so much joy—inspired us to visit. And of course, we’ve always wanted to visit New Zealand, too!”

On Sunday 19 January, Anaya and David will lead an afternoon programme, sharing firsthand experiences with Swami Kriyananda, lessons learned, and reflections on their spiritual journey. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask questions, engage with their insights, and feel inspired by their depth of experience.

What inspired them to write their book? Anaya recalls a moment years before joining Ananda when she held a book featuring Swami Satchidananda. “I had an instant inner sense that I would write a book like this,” she said. That early intuition found its fulfillment years later when she committed to capturing her personal stories with Swami Kriyananda. “I often took notes whenever we were in his presence. When he passed in 2013, I committed to writing up all my personal stories so others could benefit from them.”

Writing the book was transformative in itself. “It helped me feel Swamiji’s presence close again,” Anaya said. “I learned not to wait passively for God to show up, but to actively remember those things that bring inspiration.”

“If there’s one takeaway we hope to share,” Anaya said, “it’s the pleasure of shared friendships along the path.” They also hope to bring an experience of Swamiji near and inspire us through the joy of singing his music together.

While in New Zealand, Anaya and David are looking forward to exploring the beauty of our land—from the volcanic sights around Rotorua to the lush forests and rivers, as well as the renowned local coffee!

Mark your calendars for Sunday 19 January, and join us for an afternoon of inspiration and joy with Anaya and David.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Evenings with Anaya and David – Join Us!

Mark your calendars for two special Wednesday evenings with Anaya and David!

• 22 January: Discover how to deepen your intuition as they share practical tips and wisdom drawn from their own spiritual journey.

• 29 January: Immerse yourself in the uplifting vibrations of Swami Kriyananda’s music as they share stories and experiences that bring his melodies to life.

Both evenings run from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

by Paramhansa Yogananda from Inner Culture Magazine 1937

The New Year has come to greet you with new hopes, new determination, new will-to-achieve, new activities. In the Temple of the New Year renew your reverence for the unlimited hidden power of God within you. The trails of trials and the yawning chasms of woe have been left behind in the dark night of the past, now you are entering the daylight of a new-born hope of the New Year. Cast off the coil of the decayed thoughts of the past years; be reincarnated into vital living of the New Year.

Every regret for shattered hopes of success must be transformed into the joy of new achievements during the New Year. Old sorrows and disappointments must be buried beneath the sepulcher of the past year. Those dark bandits of discouragement must not remain any longer to steal the wealth of your desire to succeed.

Every day in the New Year must become an altar for the God of new living, new achievements in wisdom, and new joy. Every day in the New Year must bring hope and cheer to yourself and all humanity.

Take all the salvaged treasures of good experiences from the sea of past experience and use them to buy new accomplishments in the New Year. In the garden of the New Year culture the seeds of well-planned new activities until they grow into fragrant flowering plants of diverse successes. Let every day in the New Year become a step upward on the ladder of your Self-Realization. Make every day of the New Year a better day than the previous one for greater effort to succeed in business, family happiness, and increasing the ever-new joy-contact of God in meditation. The old year has gone, but the New Year is full of treasures for you to use.

Bury the bad habit of failure in the tomb of the old year and reincarnate your life energy in the vitality of the New Year. May the New Year spread the example and message of your renewed life and renewed power unto all Creation.

• Welcoming David and Anaya to NZ this weekendJanuary 13, 2025
• The New Year Has Come To Greet YouJanuary 1, 2025
• Ananda NZ Welcomes David and AnayaDecember 31, 2024
• Early Glimmers of Spiritual HungerDecember 30, 2024
• How Small, Dedicated Groups Shape the WorldDecember 27, 2024

Authors of “At the Feet of a Saint” Share Their Journey and Inspiration

We are delighted to be hosting David and Anaya from Ananda Palo Alto in a couple of weeks’ time. These long-time disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda will be offering several programmes in Hamilton. I reached out to them to learn more about their journey, inspirations, and what they hope from their visit.

Let’s begin by diving into David’s story. Anaya’s story will follow in another issue of Ananda Times.

My first question to David was what inspired him to visit New Zealand, David shared that it was years in the making. “We’ve heard so much about the beauty of your country and the warmth of your people from our Ananda friends who’ve visited. We also met Kavita on the Israel Pilgrimage years ago, and she spoke so highly of New Zealand. We talked about visiting, but then COVID happened, so it had to wait. Now, the time feels right!”

David is a co-author of At the Feet of a Saint, a heartfelt book capturing the wisdom and joy of his time with Swami Kriyananda. He explained the inspiration behind writing the book:

“Swami Kriyananda spent his life sharing Yogananda’s teachings with us-Through Swami’s stories, Master (Yogananda) feels so alive in our hearts even though we’ve never met him. Writing the book felt like a joyful obligation to share Swami’s vibration and legacy, especially for those who didn’t have the chance to know Swami personally.”

Writing the book also deepened David’s understanding of Yogananda’s words: “To those who think me near, I will be near.” He reflected, “Reliving my experiences with Swami while writing the book brought his presence closer and more alive for me. Each of us can do this at any time—it’s simply a matter of focus and remembrance.”

During their visit, David and Anaya plan to explore New Plymouth, Rotorua, and the Coromandel Peninsula. “We love nature and walking,” David said. “We’re also looking forward to visiting local shops and streets, experiencing the unique charm of New Zealand firsthand”

What does David hope our community will take away from their visit? His message is simple yet profound: “Ananda’s path is joyful, real, and not as hard as our minds often tell us. It works! We tend to measure ourselves too harshly and feel less than we truly are. But Master reminded us to ‘take care of the minutes, and the incarnations will take care of themselves.’ Relax, do your best, and enjoy the freedom and joy the path brings. It’s all about taking one step at a time with sincerity.”

As David put it, wherever Ananda members meet, it feels like reconnecting with family.

We look forward to welcoming David and Anaya and sharing this special time together.

In another issue, we’ll hear from Anaya about her inspirations, experiences, and what she’s most looking forward to during their visit to New Zealand.

Stay tuned!

Sunday Afternoon Satsang

Mark your calendars for a lovely afternoon with David and Anaya on Sunday 19 January at 3pm. They’ll be sharing personal stories and insights from their time with Swami Kriyananda. And as a special treat we’ll get to enjoy beautiful music from these very talented musicians.

• Welcoming David and Anaya to NZ this weekendJanuary 13, 2025
• The New Year Has Come To Greet YouJanuary 1, 2025
• Ananda NZ Welcomes David and AnayaDecember 31, 2024
• Early Glimmers of Spiritual HungerDecember 30, 2024
• How Small, Dedicated Groups Shape the WorldDecember 27, 2024

Do you remember those early moments of spiritual hunger within you?

Paramhansa Yogananda beautifully writes in Autobiography of a Yogi:

“The trivial preoccupations of daily life are not enough for man; wisdom too is a native hunger.”

Even as a child, I was deeply aware of this hunger. I craved freedom and meaning. I vividly remember asking my grandfather, “What is the purpose of life? Why do we live?”

My grandfather, a man of deep spiritual practice, relished conversations about life’s higher truths. His response was simple but profoundly impactful:

“To know who we are.”

That answer stayed with me. Decades later, I’m still on that quest.

I was fortunate to have an exceptional teacher in my senior year of high school. He taught Careers—a subject meant to prepare students for life after school. But instead of focusing on career paths, his classes were more like spiritual discourses, preparing us for life itself. They nourished me in a way no other subject did.

What were the early signs of spiritual hunger for you? What have been some of the key moments or people in your life that have nourished it?

Kavita is a Spiritual Director with Ananda New Zealand and founder of Narrows Retreat, sharing the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda.

Previous Posts

• Welcoming David and Anaya to NZ this weekend
• The New Year Has Come To Greet You
• Ananda NZ Welcomes David and Anaya
• Early Glimmers of Spiritual Hunger
• How Small, Dedicated Groups Shape the World

A small handful of individuals could be the key to creating real change in the world. That was the message from Swami Kriyananda during the all-day Christmas meditation held last Sunday.

He emphasised that throughout history, true progress has stemmed not from mass movements, but from the deep bonds and shared dedication of a small, committed group. This idea might seem counterintuitive in a world that often celebrates mass movements and viral trends. Yet, history offers compelling evidence to support Swamiji’s view.

Consider the small group of disciples gathered around Jesus, or the intimate circle of the Buddha and his followers. These tight-knit communities, bound by shared faith, sparked profound transformations that continue to ripple through the world today.

Ordinary individuals can accomplish very little on their own, says Swami. Greatness arises from small groups of people coming together and interacting with each other. It’s within these intimate settings that individuals can truly define themselves in ways that transcend the limitations of mass culture.

Masses aren’t interested in defining themselves, says Swami. It’s the few who are truly interested – in higher values, in serving a higher purpose – who have the greatest power and will ultimately define society.

Many hands make a miracle;

People climbing together.

Life on earth is so wonderful

When people laugh and dance

And struggle as friends,

Then all their dreams achieve their end

from “Many Hands Make a Miracle”

by Swami Kriyananda

Ananda is a global spiritual movement based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda dedicated to helping individuals live in joy through meditation, yoga philosophy, community and selfless service