Swami Kriyananda, also known as J. Donald Walters, was a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda and became a spiritual guide to many seekers. Over the course of his life, he gathered around him a large number of disciples and students who looked to him not merely as a senior devotee, but as their own spiritual teacher. Within the Kriya Yoga tradition as he presented it, many formally regarded him as their guru and accepted his guidance on the path. This relationship of discipleship formed a living link in the lineage he had received from Yogananda.

His role as a teacher was closely tied to the spiritual communities and organizations he founded, especially those under the name Ananda. Through these communities, he offered systematic spiritual training and gave Kriya Yoga initiation to thousands of students in many places. For a significant number of them, this initiation was not just a technique, but a sacred bond of discipleship, through which they felt inwardly connected to both Kriyananda and Yogananda. In this way, his work served as a channel through which the Kriya Yoga tradition continued to reach new generations of aspirants.

Among those who drew near to him, some became especially close disciples and assumed responsibilities as teachers and leaders. Within the Ananda movement, such disciples helped to carry forward his teachings and to preserve the spirit of his guidance after his passing. Their ongoing service reflects how a guru’s influence can continue to act through dedicated disciples, extending the original inspiration into new times and circumstances. Thus, Kriyananda’s discipleship network became both a spiritual family and a practical vehicle for the transmission of Kriya Yoga.