User talk:Yogananda Chela

Good idea to use this Talk page.

My basic point is that the description of J. Donald Walters/Swami Kriyananda is biased. Since this is a Wikipedia article available to the general public, there is a need for a more balanced description of his life. The existing article mirrors the perspective put forth by Daya Mata and the SRF Board of Directors, and ignores the many positive contributions made by Kriyananda. It is like reading a summation of Barak Obama's life written by the Republican Party. Can we create a description that is a fairer portrayal of a man who was a source of inspiration and deepened spiritual realization to many, many Yoganadanda devotees?

Suggestions: 1) Since this is an article on Yogananda, it seems appropriate to point out that Kriyananada's founding of the Ananda communiites is directly linked to and inspired by Yogananda's ideal of World Brotherhood Colonies. 2a) It is simply untrue to state that the court ordered Kriyananda to add the name Ananda to the title of the church he founded. He offered to add the name in discussions with Daya Mata as an attempt to find a common ground. 2b) While I'm not sure it is essential to bring up the SRF/Ananda court case in an article on Yogananda, if it is brought up then we should be clear that the court actually decided in favor of the Ananda position that it was unconstitutional for SRF to try for a monopoly on spiritual teachings of any kind, specifically Yogananda's. 3) It seems appropriate to point out that Kriyananda was the most prolific of Yogananda's disciples, as measured by the volume of books and music created. It also seems appropriate to note Kriyananda's frequently stated perspective that his works were inspired by his discipleship to Yogananda, and that Yogananda personally encouraged him in this direction. 4) It is misleading to end the article with an inflammatory summation of highly controversial and complex court case. There is significant evidence linking this case to the concurrent SRF suit against Kriyananda. (See A Fight for Religious Freedom by John Parsons). My first thought is to avoid mentioning either court case in the article. The material is simply too complicated to cover adequately in a short article that should stay focused on Yogananda's life.

Summary It is clear from your writing that you think poorly of Kriyananda. This is a valid perspective that is shared by many. However, there are many other people who feel differently. In an article of this nature, it is only fair to allow for a balanced description. I hope we can come to an agreement. Yogananda Chela (talk) 19:07, 4 January 2014 (UTC)