Swamiji as a Catalyst for Spiritual Change
Swami Kriyananda’s contribution and gift for all of us, is the power of personal transformation, that he bestowed on us all. He became a catalyst for every single one of us. All those who reached out to him—through his books, his music, and his words—received that power of inner transformation. This, as per Nayaswami Devi, is not present in any other spiritual work or teacher in the world today.
The Cinderella Story: A Symbol of the Soul’s Journey
Nayaswami Devi reminisced that Swami loved watching three movies that were his favourite: Bambi or maybe a P. G. Wodehouse story or Cinderella. The scene in Cinderella, where the fairy godmother appears when Cinderella’s crying, is the story of all of us, Devi says. We’re all Cinderella. We’re all divine souls who have lost our way. And we find ourselves being treated as stepchildren in this world, because God and Divine Mother are our parents and sometimes, the experiences in this life are cruel. In the movie, Cinderella is in the garden, sobbing. Devi equates the wicked stepsisters as the forces of maya and delusion that try to keep us bound to this world of sorrow. They rip Cinderella’s gown to shreds, and she has nothing to wear. And she runs out into the garden and she’s sobbing and she said, “There’s nothing left to hope for, anymore.” Every single one of us have gotten to that point where the world has torn our dreams to shreds and we say, there’s nothing left to hope for anymore and we cry and cry. But then, a hand touches our head, -a hand of sympathy, and understanding, and kindness. Those are the hands of Swami, whether we know him personally or only as a face on a television show and he transforms us just like the fairy Godmother and then the magic starts!! In the movie, the little mice run out, and the fairy godmother transforms them into a team of beautiful horses, and the pumpkin gets transformed into a beautiful golden coach.
Transformed by Divine Grace
Nayaswami Devi reflected that Ananda in 1969, when she first moved in, was a pig farm. And through the magic of that divine fairy godmother, Swami Kriyananda, it’s been transformed into a golden sphere of magic, and joy, and beauty. He transforms everyone, helping each soul move to its next step, and just like Cinderella everyone is transformed into a Being of Light by his (fairy godmother) divine touch.
The Divine Power Behind Ananda’s Work
She shared that, that very fairy godmother has come to us through Master (Paramhansa Yogananda), through Swami Kriyananda and each one of our lives have been ennobled, and transformed, and blessed. Surely, we children of this world could not love by our own powers, could not teach kriya yoga by our own powers, could not build communities or write books or sing music or run bookstores or paint beautiful paintings and travel around the world, if it had not been for that magnificent power of transformation that lets us feel that Divinity, that Divine being within our own Self!
The Transforming Power of Simplicity and Love
She recalled that just with Swami’s presence, people can feel the whole place is lifted to another plane. But the power to transform, the power to change each one of our lives and through us to change the world, is enormous. Then, Devi goes on to say that the book titled, ‘In Divine friendship’ has Swami’s Secrets of Transformation. 
She reads from the book, where someone asked Swamiji, “What is the best way to change others?” And he said, “Master had a great reverence for life and for all of creation, for he saw all things as expressions of God. He was very mindful of the little details in life and trained us to live simply, with divine respect for others. It is also important, however, not to try to be another person’s teacher unless he asks you to accept that role. The best way to change others is through example and by sincere love. If you can practice simplicity and humility, letting others feel your love for them and your respect, you will have a better chance of helping them to change.” Devi reiterated that this is what Swami has done with his life with simplicity and humility, with love and respect.
Seeing God in All Creation
Devi remembered Swami saying in a talk (yesterday), with tears in his eyes, “I see God in every flower, in every breath of the wind.
All that exists is God’s bliss.” And, Devi continues, when he looks into our eyes or more importantly when we reach up to him with our soul, that simplicity and humility will be forever ours. “If we
receive him, we will have the power to become the sons of God.” This is Swami’s gift to all of us, a pearl without a price! Let us receive, let us give and share. And let a great wave of bliss of blessings, and power, and inner freedom emerge forth as the legacy of Swamiji’s life and of the meaning of Ananda.
If you would like to watch the full talk click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB8JYCWUSsg