This is the story of a young man who, in the midst of a spiritual quest, had the good fortune to encounter a great man of God.

Swami Kriyananda (1926–2013) was a close and dedicated disciple of the great spiritual master and world teacher, Paramhansa Yogananda (1893–1952; author of the classic Autobiography of a Yogi). Throughout a lifetime that encompassed a whirlwind of activity, Swamiji accomplished prodigies and left a vast legacy for students of Yogananda’s teachings and the world . . . .

In humility and with a desire to remove his ego from the picture, Swami always understated himself and what he did. I knew him for almost forty years and I never saw him try to draw people to himself. He said, “Others want to set themselves up as gurus, or to be seen as such. I want to be a good disciple. The best disciple I can be. The world needs more good disciples.”

And this is what we saw in him, all of us who knew him. By perfecting his discipleship to his great guru, by acting with exquisite attunement as a disciple, he taught us everything we needed to know about the guru-disciple relationship. By sharing so much of his own path to the Divine, he illuminated our paths. For all who seriously sought to learn from him, he nurtured and challenged us, and took us forward, step by step. . . .

Seldom in this world does one encounter such a great soul. If this book brings inspiration, that is a drop in the bucket compared to all that Swamiji imparted during his life. It is difficult to convey the depth and breadth of his magnanimity and nobility.