A Way to Awakening

By Ananda

Based on Conversations with Yogananda, a book of stories, wisdom, and sayings of Paramhansa Yogananda. Recorded around 2006.... more

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How many episodes does A Way to Awakening have?

The podcast currently has 188 episodes available.

A Way to Awakening episodes:

January 03, 2024 Paramhansa Yogananda—A Flawless Mirror
In this deeply personal and wide-ranging talk, Swami Kriyananda reflects on the nature of God-realization through the lens of his direct experiences with Paramhansa Yogananda. Drawing on vivid memories of his guru's extraordinary capacity to mirror the higher self of every person he encountered, Kriyananda explores the subtle distinction between genuine spiritual realization and the ego's tendency to claim divine identity.
Through memorable stories, including that of a restless man claiming cosmic consciousness, he cautions against mistaking scriptural knowledge or imagination for authentic spiritual experience. The talk is grounded in Vedantic teachings: the wave may realize its oneness with the ocean, but it cannot declare itself to be the ocean.
Kriyananda's tone throughout is warm, humorous, and observant, anchored in first-hand witness rather than philosophical abstraction.
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22min
December 14, 2023 Stories of Yogananda
In this warm, reflective talk Swami Kriyananda reflects on the hidden greatness of his guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, opening with the idea that we are all "sleeping" divine beings who must awaken to our true nature. He describes how even great masters take on personalities suited to their mission, comparing it to his guru's image of putting on "a hot overcoat on a summer day."
Kriyananda explains that Yogananda was born fully realized, and that the saints he sought out often hoped to learn from him. The heart of the talk is a series of touching anecdotes showing Yogananda's compassion in action: his respectful treatment of a drunken man at a theater, his blessing of a stranger in a hotel lobby that instantly sobered him, his disarming of armed robbers through pure love, and a gas station attendant who never forgot the impression Yogananda left during a brief encounter.
Kriyananda closes by emphasizing that all liberated masters share the same essential consciousness despite different personalities, and that true spirituality isn't about ranking one saint above another. He ends with a teaching from Babaji about seeking out the "sugar" in life—encouraging listeners to find beauty and joy everywhere.
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21min
November 16, 2023 How to Be a True Disciple
Swami Kriyananda recounts stories about Paramhansa Yogananda to illustrate his powerful and truth-seeking nature. He tells of how his guru fearlessly confronted superficial socialites about the emptiness of their lives, and how Yogananda declared that a health facility falsely claiming to cure cancer would be destroyed.
Kriyananda also explores mystical dimensions of the spiritual path, including accounts of the astral world, past-life connections, and the liberating power a realized master extends to his disciples across generations. He reflects personally on his own initiation into discipleship, describing the profound exchange of unconditional love and obedience between guru and student, and how surrendering one's ego-driven will to a wisdom-guided teacher ultimately produces greater inner freedom.
The talk culminates in a call to self-honesty, urging listeners to look past society's shallow values, confront their own self-deceptions, and dare to stand apart from the crowd in pursuit of truth.
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21min
October 06, 2023 The Secret of Happiness
Swami Kriyananda reflects on the nature of true happiness, drawing on teachings from his guru, Paramhansa Yogananda. He reminds us that our true nature is formless and eternal, transcending any physical form.
Through humorous anecdotes, including a memorable exchange between Yogananda and a wealthy but unfulfilled man, Kriyananda illustrates that worldly success, whether wealth, health, or material comfort, cannot deliver lasting happiness. Drawing on Shankara's concept of sat-chit-ananda and Yogananda's book The Science of Religion, he argues that all human striving ultimately points toward one desire: bliss. This bliss, he explains, is not found externally but resides within one's own being — eternal, ever-new, and inseparable from the Self. Kriyananda concludes that true bliss comes only through giving of oneself.
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20min
September 18, 2023 Being in the Presence of a Saint Brings Us Closer to God
Divine love, liberation, and our responsibility toward others are key topics of this inspirational talk by Swami Kriyananda. Drawing from his book, Conversations with Yogananda, Kriyananda illustrates how true masters love all beings equally and impersonally.
Through the story of three yogis found in samadhi beneath a Bengal pond, he teaches that seeking God solely for oneself is insufficient. Genuine spiritual progress requires helping others toward liberation. Kriyananda reflects on the tradition that a soul must free at least six others before attaining complete freedom. He also emphasizes the transformative power of being in a saint's company, sharing accounts of Paramhansa Yogananda, Mahavatar Babaji, and Ramana Maharshi's disciples.
Kriyananda urges listeners not to squander life's spiritual opportunities, particularly the rare gift of proximity to great masters. He encourages each of us to call sincerely upon God, who draws the earnest seeker ever closer to a true guru.
https://www.swamikriyananda.org/
https://www.facebook.com/nayaswamikriyananda
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21min
September 10, 2023 The Power of the Guru
Drawing on stories from the life of his guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, Swami Kriyananda explores the boundless, formless nature of God, who manifests uniquely in every being and all of creation. Kriyananda illustrates the extraordinary spiritual power that true Masters possess — a force that can immediately return negative intentions to their source, serving as both a warning and a blessing.
Kriyananda reflects on the gradual nature of spiritual development, explaining how the practice of Kriya Yoga must be approached with sincerity and concentration rather than mechanical repetition. He also contemplates the source of human consciousness, joy, and love, arguing that these qualities cannot be self-generated but are expressions of the Divine flowing through us. Kriyananda affirms that God transcends all religious boundaries, dwelling in nature, in every soul, and in the deepest fabric of existence.
https://www.swamikriyananda.org/
https://www.facebook.com/nayaswamikriyananda
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21min
July 27, 2023 An Important Goal Is to Feel God’s Joy in Our Hearts
Through sacred memories of time with his guru, Swami Kriyananda shares Paramhansa Yogananda's profound inner oneness with God and his ability to commune with great saints across time. Drawing from personal memories, Kriyananda explores the nature of divine versus human love, using the story of Radha and Krishna to illustrate how pure, impersonal love—free from personal attachment and possessiveness—is the highest form of devotion.
Kriyananda emphasizes that God loves all equally, but expresses that love most fully to those who can receive it without ego or personal craving. Weaving in references to the Bhagavad-gita, Sufi poetry, and Omar Khayyam, Kriyananda concludes with a meditation on sat-chit-ananda—ever-conscious, ever-existing, ever-new bliss—as the ultimate goal of spiritual life, an inexhaustible joy rooted in union with God.
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21min
July 06, 2023 The Worst Sin Is to Call Yourself a Sinner
Swami Kriyananda speaks to us about many spiritual insights and the path of Self-realization. He stresses the need to search for permanent fulfillment instead of the temporary satisfactions that the trinkets of external possessions provide, which so often lead to disappointment and unhappiness. He reminds us that God does not live up in a cloud, He lives in our own hearts.
Kriyananda emphasizes that ego creates the illusion of separation, while in truth all beings are expressions of the same divine reality. He talks about spiritual challenges facing both men and women equally, arguing that neither is inherently more spiritual than the other. Kriyananda encourages seeing God in every person and situation, treating others with kindness, and recognizing that true joy cannot be found in worldly pursuits but only in divine consciousness. Even those who fall into error, he reassures, can be redeemed through sincere devotion to God.
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22min
June 01, 2023 Krishna to Arjuna: "Know This for Certain, My Devotee Is Never Lost"
Swami Kriyananda draws on deeply personal and inspirational stories from Paramhansa Yogananda's life and his own experiences to illuminate the importance of obedience to the guru, surrender to God's will, and unwavering devotion.
Through vivid anecdotes — a disciple who died from ignoring a simple warning, a runaway truck stopped by divine intervention, and Kriyananda's own life-threatening surgery — he conveys that the guru's guidance, even in small matters, carries profound significance.
Kriyananda encourages us to welcome both joy and suffering as gifts from God, practicing constant remembrance of the Divine through japa and inward prayer. Above all, he reminds us that our true nature is the immortal Ātman, and that a devotee who keeps God foremost in their heart is never truly lost.
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21min
April 22, 2023 What the Astral World Is Like
In this uplifting talk, Swami Kriyananda reflects on the transformative power of divine love, devotion, and spiritual awareness. He sings "Oh, God Beautiful" a song that Paramhansa Yogananda chanted with an enthralled audience of over 3000 people at Carnegie Hall in 1926. Kriyananda relates several stunning incidents involving Yogananda that dramatically changed people's lives.
Kriyananda emphasizes that our true identity is not limited to our worldly roles, relationships, or possessions, but is rooted in the divine presence within. He encourages listeners to see God in all people, to cherish love as an expression of the Divine, and to respect the many paths that lead to spiritual realization. Touching on life after death, forgiveness, and the importance of holding “golden memories,” he offers a message of hope, unity, and unwavering devotion to God.
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21min

FAQs about A Way to Awakening:

How many episodes does A Way to Awakening have?

The podcast currently has 188 episodes available.