Customer Reviews

The Path: One Man's Quest on the Only Path There is

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The last reviewer seems to have forgotten we are reviewing the book, not trying to defame the author. What Swami Kriyananda has or has not been doing is irrelevant to this book. I hope the reviewer has at least read some of the Swami's latest books, to see if he is still copying his Guru.
This book came at a time when I was having some misgivings about the direction SRF was heading. I had never heard of Donald Walters or Kriyananda, so when I was given the chance to buy the book, I jumped at it. The stories he tells about the great Master are beautiful, I can read the love for Yogananda in every sentence. I also learned about Ananda, and what they were doing; I eventually became a member. Ananda is like the church that gives freedom in worship while SRF is like The Vatican!
Don't listen to the hate and gossip mongers, read this and other of Kriyananda's works; you won't be sorry.

Many seekers have read Yogananda's AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI. Yogananda says little about himself in that book. THE PATH not only gives hundreds of stories about Yogananda, but it gives the author's perspective on what it was like to live with a yoga master and what it means to be a disciple. The book begins with the author's personal search that led him to Yogananda. This search in itself is both familiar and intriguing.

A most revealing tale of one man's quest for enlightenment. Personal, honest, and beautifully written. Incredibly informative, entertaining.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Donald Walters [Swami Kriyananda] makes God not only more understandable, but treats Him in a manner we don't always see; as a friend and mentor, a constant loving companion who is enjoying His grand drama of life and death, pleasure and pain, good and bad, through each one of us. [Actually I should have said enjoying Herself, as Walters often speaks of God as the Divine Mother, the feminine aspect of Divinity].

If you have read "The Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramhansa Yogananda, The Path is the perfect companion piece, for it pictures Yogananda as Yogananda himself could not, as a being of Pure Light and Divinity, a Yogi-Christ walking amongst us. If you have yet to read Yogananda's autobiography, it will be next on your list.

Believe me, the God spoken of in "The Path" is a God we can all relate to. A warm personal God, full of love and compassion for each one of us. A God of Ecstatic Bliss of whom we are all part; our seeming separation only a minor, and very temporary circumstance. A God who is gently bringing each of us,step-by-step, back to our true home in the Ever New Joy of pure Spirit.
[The original edition of this book is entitled, "The Path: Autobiography of a Western Yogi.]"

This book provides a depth of understanding about the spiritual, inner life, as well as providing valuable stories about the life of Paramhansa Yogananda during his years in America. There is also a fascinating chapter on reincarnation showing that this philosophy is NOT foreign to Judeo-Christian tradition. A deep love, compassion and wisdom pervades this book.

this is the next book you should read. Well written, rich in anecdotes and reminiscence about Yogananda, this book satisfied my desire for more inspiration and clarity about the spiritual path.

J. Donald Walters, who became Swami Kriyananda, was one of Yogananda's closest disciples during the master's last years. Kriyananda took copious notes of what Yogananda said and later worked this material into books.

I ordered three books by Kriyananda at the same time: "The Essence of Self-Realization," "Conversations with Yogananda," and "The Path." I was a little disappointed to find that some material is repeated from one book to the next. This is a minor cavil, however. All three books gave me priceless inspiration and guidance.

Of the three, I liked "The Path" best because it has a story--Kriyananda's own spiritual journey. The other two works are collections of quotations.

"The Path" has recently been updated by Kriyananda and reissued under the title, "The New Path." Although I have not read the new version, I believe it is even better than the original.

Since the 1960s, Kriyananda has been the object of a relentless smear campaign by Self Realization Fellowship for his position that this organization does not have a monopoly on the teachings of Yogananda.

Here is a biography that should be revised
to include Mr Walters latest years and exploits.
His regard for his master still comes through.
Otherwise it is a bit weak on original ideas,
more like a mellow stroll.

Also recommended;
Newer Editions of "Autobiography of a Yogi"