Swami Kriyananda, born James Donald Walters, first met Paramahansa Yogananda on September 12, 1948. This meeting took place at Yogananda’s headquarters in Los Angeles, associated with the Self-Realization Fellowship. The date marks the formal beginning of Kriyananda’s discipleship and his direct association with Yogananda’s work. It stands as a clearly recorded moment in the history of that spiritual lineage.

At the time of this encounter, Kriyananda had recently been drawn to Yogananda through his writings, especially the spiritual magnetism of “Autobiography of a Yogi.” The meeting on September 12, 1948, thus represents more than a simple introduction; it signifies the point at which an inner call found its outer guide. From that day forward, Kriyananda dedicated himself as a direct disciple of Yogananda, entering the ashram life and aligning his path with his guru’s teachings.

Kriyananda remained at the Self-Realization Fellowship ashram in Los Angeles until Yogananda’s passing in 1952. Those years, rooted in that first meeting, formed the crucible of his spiritual formation and service. The date of their first encounter can therefore be seen as a spiritual watershed: a single day that shaped the course of a disciple’s life and helped carry a guru’s message into the wider world.