Toss the Cross and sling the mud

Crosses and the accusations of the unforgiven

According to the SRF lessons, the cross is a symbol of
"man as the consciousness between Infinite the finite" the short arm is the finite world (nature) and the vertical line is the infinite world (spirit). "The cross was made famous because Jesus was hung on it", but it is really a symbol of "finite and infinite". (From step 6, SRF lessons)

Ok, fair enough.

I don't know why the Romans chose to use this symbol of 'Spirit and Nature' as their primary execution and torture device.  Sometimes 800 people at a time according to Flavius Josephus. Maybe it was because a human body fits so neatly on it.

http://www.religiousstudies.uncc.edu/jdtabor/cruc-josephus.html

The thing I want to get to here is the accusations of the on again, off again, on again swami, Swami Kriyananda ( I think he is using the swami handle again since his last divorce). He claims that SRF airbrushed the cross off of their mutual Master. Here are the pictures:

Kriyananda alleges that SRF removed the cross to make Yogananda more acceptable to the India devotees, I guess rationalizing that the American devotees wouldn't give a hoot. 

Why would a symbol of "Spirit and Nature" be offensive to India devotees?

I don't know if it is true or why SRF would want to do it or whatever, but it does give me a good intro to talk about Kriyananda and his relationship to SRF.

Whenever someone complains about SRF they are accused of being Anandites. I want to raise my right hand and make an oath right here "I never have, nor will I EVER be a follower of Kriyananda in any way, shape or form." I just wanted to get that off the table.

Kriyananda (Donald Walters) is the founder of Ananda an SRF knock-off group.  Ananda is to SRF what Lex Luther is to Superman. He is their diabolical arch nemesis (Would that make Yogananda their Kriptonite?)

If you mention this guys name in SRF circles everyone reacts as if you have just recited an incantation to the dark underlords. We were shunned if we admitted to having friends who were members of Ananda. We felt guilty and dirty if we went into an Ananda run bookstore to buy a book. It was like sneaking into a porn shop hoping your neighbors wouldn't see you. By buying a book there, you were lending support to the enemy. Mind you THEY worshipped the same Guru we did, practiced the same yoga we did and yet we still couldn't be friends with them.

 THE PATH to peace and harmony on Earth right? ...Shhuuuure....

SRF spent about 10 years and untold millions of dollars suing this guy over copyrights and infringements and complaining about everything you can imagine. If Kriyananda said Yogananda wore boxers, SRF would say No! he wore briefs! I mean, really, the guy couldn't get anything right as far as SRF was concerned. I suppose Kriyananda felt the same way about them, although I don't know from personal experience.

 I understand he won most of the lawsuits though I haven't taken the time to investigate the matter.

 He also was on the legal hotseat about sexual harassment and misconduct with women in his ashram (same ol', same ol') and so forth. He lost those cases and the abused women prevailed. Hurray!!

He is still running a thriving business with community living ashrams and bookstores etc.

I don't know the whole story nor do I care, but the basic scuttlebutt is that Kriyananda is a fallen angel, like Beelzebub, and he is dragging the purity of the great Master down with him.

At one point he was head monk. Vice president of SRF. Some say he bought real estate without permission, some say he couldn't get along with Tara Mata.

 I don't know what came down, but he was cast out of the organization like a unfaithful husband, his belongings placed on the front steps 'Hit the road Jack" fashion.

He is not the only one to meet this fate over the years, but he is the highest ranking member to ever get the boot. He is also the one that  made the strongest comeback after his fall from grace.

Taking a big bite out of the SRF Ker-ching, he sold his own books, tapes, songs, lessons etc. He gave away techniques by putting them online. He also put THE Autobiography (ABY) online. At the time it was considered scandalous but since then SRF has put their own version of the ABY online.

Curse you Kriyananda!

There are other mini-me SRF cults out there, but none as big and prosperous as Ananda.

There are three main points I want to make here. 

1) I do not belong to any Yogananda knock off group

2) SRF is not the only Yogananda cult and if you join any of them prepare to be abused on some level.
3) While I don't have personal experience, I suspect Ananda has more or less the same dysfunctional elements as SRF. 

Peace and Best Wishes,

KD