Mother of Bliss (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999);
Richard Lannoy, Anandamayi: Her Life and Wisdom
(Rockport, Mass.: Element, 1996); Alexander Lipski,
Life and Teachings of Shri Anandamayi Ma (Delhi: Moti-
lal Banarsidass, 1977).
Ananda movement (est. 1968)
Ananda is a worldwide movement based on the
teachings of Paramahansa YOGANANDA (1893–1952)
and founded by Swami Kriyananda (b. 1926). The
Ananda World Brotherhood includes the Ananda
Church of Self-Realization, several Ananda com-
munities around the world, educational institu-
tions, and several publishing ventures.
When he was 22 years of age, Kriyananda
became a disciple of Yogananda, and he lived with
him until his death, receiving the vow of SANNYAS
(renunciation) from him in 1948. Until 1961
Kriyananda served in a variety of capacities—as
minister, director, lecturer, and vice president—at
the SELF-REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP (SRF) at Mount
Washington, California, the primary organization
founded by Yogananda. As a monk in Yogananda’s
order, he initiated students into KRIYA YOGA, trav-
eled, and taught.
Along the way, Kriyananda received what he
perceived as a summons from God, calling him
to serve in another way. His intentions were per-
ceived as divisive by officials of SRF and he was
asked to resign from the organization in 1962.
He left SRF to expand upon the meaning of
Yogananda’s teachings of kriya yoga. He initially
offered himself as teacher and leader to lay people
and students who wished to know his viewpoints.
In 1968, observing Yogananda’s vision of a world
brotherhood community, he constructed a retreat
center and house in Nevada City, California, on
750 acres of woodland and natural forest in the
Sierra foothills. At present Ananda Village has
almost 300 members, making it one of the larg-
est religious communities in the United States.
The village and adjoining areas support about
600 people drawn from some 25 nationalities. All
residents of the village are also members of the
local congregation of the Ananda Church of Self-
Realization.
Kriyananda saw himself as responding to
Yogananda’s plea to “cover the Earth with world-
brotherhood colonies, demonstrating that sim-
plicity of living plus high thinking lead to the
greatest happiness.” Kriyananda took this mission
seriously and laid out the rationale for Ananda in
his booklet Cooperative Communities: How to Start
Them and Why (1968).
Members of Ananda Village work in a number
of capacities. Some own their own businesses; oth-
ers work for Ananda. Residents operate the Ananda
Education-For-Life, a school for children through
the junior high school level. Youth then attend
Nevada City High School to complete their educa-
tion. A governing village council is elected every
year. The Expanding Light, a guest facility, offers
retreats, a variety of special events, workshops, and
seminars. Residents engage in kriya yoga as taught
by Yogananda. They also sponsor a worldwide
outreach program for those interested in becoming
practitioners. The village includes a farm, a natural
food store, and a vegetarian restaurant.
Founded in 1990, Ananda Church of Self-
Realization, similar in many ways to SRF, has
2,000 members who worship in the congrega-
tional way, quite different from temple worship,
where individuals go alone to commune with
God. The goal of the Ananda Church is to provide
fellowship and teaching to inspire others to find
spiritual nourishment in serving humanity. The
purpose is to engage in the practice introduced to
the West by Yogananda. The church has over 150
trained and ordained ministers who serve at home
or in missions abroad. There are five branches:
in Sacramento and Palo Alto, California; Seattle,
Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Assisi, Italy.
Ananda’s Crystal Clarity Publishers issues books
on yoga, including Kriyananda’s own writings,
and the periodical Clarity Newsletter. East-West
Bookstore in Palo Alto is a thriving business
begun by members of the Ananda Community.Ananda movement 33 J