Swamiji: Swami Kriyananda's Last Years; Lessons Learned by His Nurse

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Paramhansa Yogananda once said to a group of disciples: “You must not let the symphony of your life go unfinished.” 

This phrase perfectly describes the last years of Swami Kriyanandas life, which were a crescendo of divine love and untiring service to humanity.

Who was Swami Kriyananda? What was it like to know this close and direct disciple of the great master, Paramhansa Yogananda? 

In Swamiji, Miriam Rodgers shares an intimate and up-close look at lessons she learned through her connection as Swami Kriyananda’s nurse for the last fourteen years of his life. 

In this profoundly moving biographical account filled with never before heard stories, you’ll glimpse the interior castle of Swami Kriyananda’s consciousness. 

Throughout history, the saints alone are the true custodians of religion. Saints like Swami Kriyananda draw their understanding from the direct experience of truth and of God, not from superficial reasoning or book learning. 

You’ll be spellbound and inspired by his spirit after reading Swamiji.

Format: Paperback

Testimonials

"I just wanted to say thank you for writing this amazing book. I started it this morning and I am about half way through. I have found myself nearly weeping and have been in tears several times today. I have been taking Ananda's Path to Kriya Yoga classes over the past 9 months. They have been absolutely wonderful. I have had some intermittent but nagging reservations given all that can be found on the internet about Swami. Your book has put any reservations and many questions to rest now. And my heart is overflowing. Thank you. I will be purchasing a copy for a friend. Jai Guru!" --Johnny Gee

“A unique perspective on a great spiritual teacher. Miriam had a front-row seat to the last decade of Swami Kriyananda’s life in a way no one else did. She was his personal nurse, traveling the world with him. On many occasions she literally held his life in her hands, as he had given her final responsibility for his medical care, relying on her perfect balance of heart-open devotee and compassionate but impersonal medical professional. Miriam shares many conversations with Swami about death, not as an abstraction but as an imminent possibility to be accepted or—once more—resisted. Humanity and divinity, dancing together. a beautiful, uplifting, extraordinary story. Highly recommended.” --Asha Nayaswami, co-spiritual director of Ananda Palo Alto, author of Swami Kriyananda As We Have Known Him, and Swami Kriyananda: Lightbearer.

“In this inspiring book, we are given an intimate portrait of Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, and a great man of God in his own right. Beautifully written by Miriam Rodgers, his personal nurse for the last fourteen years of his life, this portrayal shows us Kriyananda’s ability to rise above the severe health challenges he faced and continue to serve others. Through his demonstration of courage and determination, Kriyananda shows each of us the way to face and overcome the tests in our own life. A remarkable window onto the life of a true spiritual hero.” --Nayaswami Devi, co-spiritual director of Ananda Worldwide, and author of Faith Is My Armor: The Life of Swami Kriyananda

“A brilliant and intimate account of the author’s fourteen years with Swami Kriyananda as his cardiac nurse. Each chapter is so lively and vivid that you feel as if you are in the room as everything takes place. There are marvelous little-known stories that give fresh insight into the life of Swami Kriyananda. This is a gem of a book and highly enjoyable reading.” --Anandi Gray, licensed clinical counselor, forty-year certified teacher of yoga and meditation, and retired adjunct instructor of philosophy and psychology at Southern Oregon University

“‘No man is a hero in the eyes of his valet.’ If you ever wondered about the veracity of this rather disillusioning statement, this book will provide you with page after page of evidence that supports the opposite view. The author’s perspective on her subject goes far deeper than how a famous person behaves when they are out of the limelight. For fourteen years, Miriam Rodgers cared for Swami Kriyananda through a series of life-threatening health crises. In her book she gives intimate details of how the high principles that he taught to his audiences around the world were not only lived, but amplified and enhanced by his behavior during the most trying moments of his life. This book provides a source of inspiration for us all.” --Nitai Deranja, President, Education for Life International

“In the historic transmission of India’s spiritual wisdom to the rest of the world, the contribution of Westerners trained by gurus and yoga masters has been vital. None more so than Swami Kriyananda, whose time with the legendary Paramhansa Yogananda prepared him to be an influential teacher in his own right. The stories of such teachers deserve to be told. In that context, this book is an important addition to the literature of modern spirituality. Not just a biography or a tribute, it is an intimate human portrait, crafted well by someone with a unique point of view as nurse to her subject in the final fourteen years of his life, when legacy, further learning, and spiritual realization mix with the bodily concerns of aging, illness, and impending death. All spiritual seekers will find much to learn in these moving pages.” --Philip Goldberg, author of The Life of Yogananda, American Veda, and Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times

"A trained cardiac nurse of over thirty years, Miriam was well prepared for the countless medical challenges that Swamiji’s body went through. She had the privilege of taking care of Swami’s health in the last fourteen years of his life in various places. I have seen the devoted manner with which Miriam took care of Swamiji in Delhi, Italy, and during his many travels to various cities. In this very moving and intimate description of various health crises Swami faced from time to time, she describes how miraculously his life was saved and his indomitable will and courage and faith. This book of Miriam’s will be read with great interest by all the admirers of Swami Kriyananda, a remarkable spiritual leader and the most devoted disciple of the great Master Paramahansa Yogananda." --D.R. Kaarthikeyan, IPS (R), Former Director, Central Bureau of Investigation; Director General, National Human Rights Commission; and Special Director General, Central Reserve Police Force

"I just finished reading Swamiji by Miriam Rodgers. It’s such a precious gem, such a moving testimony from her heart, and a page turner for sure. I felt like I was there in the room in every scene." --Vivian Bryan

"I am currently reading the book , "Swamiji", on Swami Kriyananda's last phase of his life; the book was written by his nurse, Miriam, and was published recently. The readings add to my immense gratitude, love, admiration for Swami; he is a divine example of a true disciple. Every page reveals to me how Swami is moved by his heart energy and uses his intellect to "translate" the energy of his heart infinitely connected to Guruji and to God. I will admit that everything I read on Swami's life fills my heart with more and more Love. I desire to emulate Swami for Guruji's teachings and the Gurus before him." - Claudia P., Florida

Product Details

ISBN: 978-1-56589-323-8

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Susan

Incredibly inspiring! A must read for devotees of all spiritual paths.

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