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Excerpts from his book.

 His Words

The Vows of Renunciation

Thus, if you have reached the point in your spiritual evolution where you realize that the true goal of life is to find God, you may also decide, dispassionately, that this realization will come eventually to everyone, each in his own time. You may, therefore, decide to seek liberation only for yourself. Such becomes, indeed, the final decision arrived at by most souls. After countless incarnations of suffering the limitations, deprivations, and disappointments of maya, they feel it is enough, now, to merge back into Infinite Bliss, and to view the whole scene of manifested existence as a “blessed riddance.”

If God, however, takes the trouble from time to time to send an avatar-savior into the world to “destroy evil and to re-establish virtue,” one cannot but feel He will be pleased if at least a few of those who are still seeking liberation help Him in this mighty undertaking.

I read a book years ago about someone who regressed people in time to a point before their present incarnation on earth. He asked each of them, “Why did you choose to reincarnate at this particular time?” All of them said they knew it would be a time of great stress and hardship. None of them, however, spoke of the sufferings they would endure. All spoke, instead, of the great opportunity this life would give them for soul advancement.

Today is not, in other words, a time for “dropping out.”

A new order of renunciation would lose much of its spiritual merit were it kept a secret from all but the chosen few. It is desperately important today for people who long for a higher way of life to be reassured that they are not alone. If there is safety in numbers, there is also the need for reassurance from a sufficiency of numbers.

I myself, when I finally (at the age of twenty-one) realized that the only possible way of life for me was to seek God, began to wonder if possibly I was losing my mind. I had never read about saints who had sought Him, to say nothing of anyone who had actually found Him. Might I, I asked myself seriously, be going crazy? I sought every alternative I could imagine to this search. Among other things, I tried to live a simple life in the country, among simple country folk. The experiment proved a disaster. The “simple country people” I met did nothing at all for me in terms of helping me even to find peace of mind. It wasn’t until I came upon Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramhansa Yogananda, that I found the support I needed in my almost-desperate yearning for God.

And then I found that there were many others, in fact, in America who shared my ideals. I had found the path quite on my own. What a help it would have been, had I even known there was a path to be found!

The age we live in has seen much violence, fear, suffering, destruction, and spiritual turmoil; it is destined to see a great deal more. We are entering a time of widespread economic depression. A prophecy I read in India described this as being a time “when there will be weeping in every home.” People are confused, uncertain, and unhappy. They look to one another for guidance, but, everywhere they look, they find only ignorance. Like the proverbial ostrich, they try to hide from uncertainty by burying their heads in the sand of unending distractions.

It is time, certainly, for those few to band together who know from within that there is a higher way of life. At least they can demonstrate clearly, in some outward manner, that they — so few in all that crowd! — have a more valid goal than mere absorption in materialism and ego-consciousness.

A renunciate order in which people demonstrate their commitment not by shouting their beliefs, waving flags and banners, or in other ways campaigning outwardly, but simply by the garb they wear — this, surely, would be a minimal way to “stand up and be counted.”

I would like now, therefore, to plead with my readers: If your heart resonates with what I have written so far, then look for some way to commit yourself to it formally, and to make your commitment known to others.

I don’t say, Join Ananda. Rather I say, Wherever you are, and whatever your path or stage of life, join this order; embrace its ideals; commit yourself to them in action. Don’t shrug helplessly and say, “What beautiful concepts. I hope enough people do something about them.” Become, yourself, one of those people! If you are married, discuss this way of life with your spouse. I haven’t asked you to roam the highways like the sannyasis of old. I’ve asked you simply to change your own attitude toward life. Married couples would admittedly find it difficult — in the streets, or even about the home — to wear the garb of tyaga, but on special spiritual occasions, surely, they can do so without fearing lest the finger of outrage be pointed at them.

Brahmacharis, brahmacharinis, and swamis (whether married or unmarried) should be less reticent. To show the courage of their convictions seems to me right, and even necessary.

The Vows 

Any pledge one takes — what to speak of any vow? — should have the force behind it of personal conviction.

A mere pledge states, “I am not yet certain, for I don’t fully know myself in these matters. But this is the direction I would like to take.”

A vow should have more force behind it than a pledge. The vow of brahmacharya or tyaga must be backed by sufficient conviction to be able to say, “I am sure, now, that this is the direction I want to go, and I will build my life around it.” This vow, in other words, implies more than the mere statement, “I will try.” One has walked the length of the counter, and has made his decision.

We must always accept the truth, however, that the growth to perfection is directional: it is not a sudden leap from the valley to the mountaintop. Only those can make such a leap who are highly advanced already, and who don’t really need any vows at all, for they have attained the very purpose of those vows.

There is always the temptation, on the upward climb, to turn back in discouragement and declare, “Oh, but I find that it really is, after all, too high for me!” There is a possibility of discouragement, of intense fatigue, and even of such thoughts as, “I wonder if I locked the back door of my house; maybe I’d better go back and make sure everything is still safe” — a reawakened desire, in other words, to return to the lowlands of maya.

A vow is important. Verbalizing a commitment gives it extra force. The spoken word directs power, and reinforces one’s determination to be true.

When one starts up a mountain side, however, no matter how strong his initial will to climb it, he can’t know everything that awaits him farther on; he can only deal with the present, and with his expectations of the journey. As the way grows steeper, he may have to check his heart, his breathing, his muscular endurance, to see whether he is in fact up to the whole climb. The more obstacles he overcomes, of course, the greater the confidence he gains.

First, however, he must pledge himself to make a valiant attempt. It is useless to make firm promises until one has reached a level of such inner certainty that, for him, the only alternative to the climb is death itself.

It doesn’t matter to him, then, that he isn’t fully aware of what lies ahead. What if he finds he must scale a steep cliff? What if he falls, and goes crashing onto the rocks below? His courage must be such that he will press forward no matter what the difficulties. The true renunciate is one who is willing to face any obstacle in his struggle to reach the goal, for he knows that there is no acceptable alternative. Even if he slips, his intention never falters. And even if he is killed, he knows that he belongs utterly and completely to God alone. He is fully determined to reach God, no matter how many lifetimes it takes, and never to accept a lesser ideal. He vows never to stop until he reaches the top.

The vow of brahmacharya, and also that of tyaga, are vows truly, and not mere resolutions. One who takes these vows must abide by them “come hell or high water!” as the saying goes. These vows, then, are not for weaklings. And penalties exist for breaking them.

What penalties? They are primarily inward, in one’s own consciousness. There is the possibility, also — though it is a trivial one — that one who breaks his vows may find himself ostracized by people who share the same high principles, but who would never, themselves, dare to embrace them fully. Disappointment in oneself is what can be really devastating. One’s will may become paralyzed for a long time — preventing him, perhaps, from ever again accepting another challenge with confidence.

When a person becomes disappointed in himself, that letdown may take the form of only a temporary weakness, followed in time by renewed determination. If, however, it amounts to a deep acceptance of failure or defeat, it may last his whole life. These consequences are up to him.

I knew someone who turned back for a time to the world, and then, with great will power, resumed her spiritual search. Her monastic associates challenged her, “How can you dare to show your face here again?”

She shot back the reply: “Do you expect me to worship my mistakes?!”

It must be understood, however, that none of us lives alone in space, with no one and nothing to influence him. When you turn toward God, the Lord Himself, and His angels, come to your assistance. Everything worthwhile that you accomplish from then on will, to a great extent, be due to that grace, and not to your efforts alone. If you turn away from that grace, however, you may find yourself abandoned by it. Grace will only reach out to save you if you have already proved yourself deeply sincere in your commitment. If you have yet to earn that extraordinary grace, and if the divine forces are not convinced that you really want God alone, they may decide to let you learn life’s lessons more thoroughly as you wander again, for a time, on your own. As Yogananda put it, “God says, I will wait.”

By abandoning your vow, you may actually open yourself to contrary, satanic influences. The greater your rejection of the good, the more powerful those negative influences will be in your life.

Yogananda also said reassuringly, however, “God is no tyrant.” If you really do want Him above all else, He will take you back into His all-loving, all-embracing arms. It will depend above all on when you, yourself, are ready. He, as I said, is always there, waiting for you. It depends, you see, on the strength of your own will.

There is no need, certainly, for the imposition of social strictures on any failed renunciate. Unless his failure is accompanied by self-justifying condemnation of “God and all that crazy crowd,” he deserves people’s compassion. The inner penalties he draws will be what he deserves. Who is man, that he should presume to say what the dictates of karmic law shall be?

I submit now the vows for Brahmacharis, Tyagis, and Nayaswamis respectively. 

Renunciate Vow of Brahmacharya

I understand, and fully accept, that the true purpose of life for all human beings is to seek God.

In pursuit of that goal, I offer my own life unreservedly to seeking my Divine Source.

I will retain no ego-gratifying goal in my life, but will strive always, and above all, to please God.

I will look upon life as God’s dream-drama, and also dream-entertainment. I will accept as His gift whatever comes to me in life.

I renounce attachment to things, people, places, and all self-definitions — except one: I will define myself always as a child of God, and will obey whatever guidance He gives me.

I offer to Thee, Lord, my life, my desires, my attachments, and the fruit of all my labors.

Bless me, and strengthen me, that I become ever more perfect in this, my holy vow.

Renunciate Vow of Tyaga

I understand, and fully accept, that the true purpose of life for all human beings is to seek God.

In pursuit of that goal, I offer my own life unreservedly to seeking my own Divine Source.

I will retain no ego-gratifying goal in my life, but will strive always, and above all, to please God.

I will view my partner as a channel of God’s blessing, guidance, and strength, and will strive always to be a similar channel in return.

I will endeavor always, through the love and respect I feel for my partner, to reach out in love and service to all humanity.

I will try never to see anything in this world as mine, but will view everything as a manifestation of God.

I will look upon life as God’s dream-drama, and also dream-entertainment. I will accept as His gift whatever comes to me in life.

I offer to Thee, Lord, my life, my desires, my attachments, and the fruit of all my labors.

Bless me, and strengthen me, that I become ever more perfect in this, my holy vow.

Pilgrim's Vow of Intention

I understand, and intend from now on to live by my understanding, that life is a pilgrimage, of which the final goal is to find and merge back into God.

I will endeavor resolutely, therefore, to direct all my thoughts and actions toward that end.

I will offer up all material desires for purification in the fire of divine bliss.

I will offer up all attachments for purification in that cosmic fire.

I will search my heart daily for any lingering desires and attachments, and will offer them to Thee, my Cosmic Beloved.

I will strive to be an example to others of a pure, discriminating, and noble life.

I will offer the fruit of all my actions and labors to Thee alone.

Bless me, and direct my footsteps ever to the summit of Thy holy mountain.

Vow of Complete Renunciation

From now on, I embrace as the only purpose of my life the search for God.

I will never take a partner, or, if I am married, I will look upon my partner as belonging only to Thee, Lord. In any case, I am complete in myself, and in myself will merge all the opposites of duality.

I no longer exist as a separate entity, but offer my life unreservedly into Thy great Ocean of Awareness.

I accept nothing as mine, no one as mine, no talent, no success, no achievement as my own, but everything as Thine alone.

I will feel that not only the fruit of my labor, but the labor itself, is only Thine. Act through me always, Lord, to accomplish Thy design.

I am free in Thy joy, and will rejoice forever in Thy blissful presence.

Help me in my efforts to achieve perfection in this, my holy vow. For I have no goal in life but to know Thee, and to serve as Thy channel of blessing to all mankind.

Married Swamis
By Tyagi Jayadev

In Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi we read about a historic event at the Kumbha Mela (a religious fair that occurs every several years), when Babaji made Sri Yukteswar a swami. This happened in 1894, during Lahiri Mahasaya’s life, according to The Holy Science.

Further on in Autobiography of a Yogi we read that Sri Yukteswar was later formally and officially initiated in Bodh Gaya: “After my wife died, I joined the Swami Order and received the new name of Yukteswar Giri.” That event, as we read, happened after Lahiri Mahasaya’s death — after September, 1895 — as Yogananda indicates in a footnote, explaining that “Yukteswar” was his guru’s monastic name, and was “not received by my guru during Lahiri Mahasaya’s lifetime.”

Studying these quotes, we realize with surprise that when Babaji made Sri Yukteswar a swami at the Kumbha Mela, his wife was still alive: he was still a married man! Babaji, then, made Sri Yukteswar a “married swami”! Sri Yukteswar, back then, called himself more fittingly, “Priya Nath Swami.” This was a name he also used when presenting himself in his book, The Holy Science. Priya Nath was his family name.

Swami Prajnananda wrote: “Swami Shriyukteswarji was initiated into sannyas by Swami Krishna Dayal Giri of Bodhgaya, on Guru Purnima (full moon day) of July in 1906.” Sri Yukteswar presented himself as a married swami for twelve years.

Interestingly too, Yogananda made Rajarshi Janakananda a swami, giving him in 1951 the orange robe and a swami name, complete with vow and ceremony, while Rajarshi was a married man. His wife Frieda died after him. She, according to Durga Ma’s book, was the reason why Rajarshi ended up being buried not in Los Angeles, next to his Guru, but in Kansas. In short, Paramhansa Yogananda made Rajarshi, too, a “married swami.”

Our line of gurus, then — Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, and Paramhansa Yogananda — didn’t follow the more orthodox definitions of what it means to be a swami.

 HIS LIFE

Kriyananda is the author of about 150 published books/booklets and the composer of over 400 pieces of music which altogether have sold over three million copies. A few of the books have been published in 28 languages and a few are sold in 90 countries.  He has lectured in different countries throughout the world. In addition to English, he spoke Italian, Romanian, Greek, French, Spanish, German, Hindi, Bengali, and Indonesian.  He established a new Swami order in 2009, the Nayaswami Order.

Kriyananda (born James Donald Walters; May 19, 1926 – April 21, 2013), was a direct disciple of the yogiParamahansa Yogananda and was the founder of Ananda, a worldwide movement of spiritual intentional communities based on Yogananda's World Brotherhood Colonies ideal. Yogananda made Walters a minister for his organization, the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF). He authorized him to teach Kriya Yoga while with SRF, and appointed him the head monk for the SRF Mount Washington monks only. After Yogananda's death, Walters was given final vows of sannyas in 1955 by then SRF President Daya Mata and given the name Kriyananda. In 1960 the SRF Board of Directors elected Kriyananda to the Board of Directors and to the position of Vice President, upon the passing of M.W. Lewis. He served in this capacity until 1962.