autobiography of yogi book summary

Autobiography of a Yogi

72 pages • 2 hours read

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-8

Chapters 9-12

Chapters 13-16

Chapters 17-20

Chapters 21-24

Chapters 25-28

Chapters 29-32

Chapters 33-36

Chapters 37-40

Chapters 41-44

Chapters 45-49

Key Figures

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) was first published in 1946 and has since become a much-loved and admired book around the world. It is regarded as one of the classics of 20th-century spiritual literature. In 1999, it was named by a HarperCollins panel of authors and scholars as one of the “100 Best Spiritual Books of the Century.” In the book, Yogananda tells the story of his life, beginning with his childhood and family, his interest from an early age in seeking God, and his relationship with his spiritual master. After meeting his master, Sri Yukteswar, he became a monk. His spiritual understanding matured, and in 1917 Yogananda founded both a school and a spiritual organization: the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India. Three years later, he sailed to the United States, where he founded the Self-Realization Fellowship. From that point until his death in 1952, Yogananda dedicated himself to bringing knowledge of Indian spirituality to the West, primarily through teaching the Kriya Yoga technique. One of Yogananda’s goals was to present Indian spiritual philosophy and techniques in practical, scientific terms that would appeal to his Western audience .

Autobiography of a Yogi relates many anecdotes from Yogananda’s life and from the lives of the many saints and gurus he interacted with. Many of these stories include apparently supernatural phenomena including miraculous healings, divine visions, and premonitions of the future. Yogananda treats these miraculous events as evidence of the essential unity of all things. As such, they aid the spiritual seeker in Realizing the True Nature of the Self , which—in Yogananda’s philosophy—extends beyond the individual self to encompass the universe in its entirety.

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For more than 75 years, Autobiography of a Yogi has influenced spiritual seekers all over the world, including Steve Jobs, cofounder of Apple Inc., and George Harrison, musician and member of The Beatles. The book has been translated into over 50 languages. From its headquarters in Los Angeles, the Self-Realization Fellowship continues to further Yogananda’s teachings today.

This study guide is based on the 13th edition of Autobiography of a Yogi , published in 1998 by the Self-Realization Fellowship with a preface by W.Y. Evans-Wentz.

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Growing up in Uttar Pradesh, India, around the turn of the 20th century, Mukunda Lal Ghosh feels the desire to seek God from a young age. Both of his parents are devotees of the guru Lahiri Mahasaya , and even as a child he often prays and experiences visions. In high school, he plans a trip to the Himalayas to find a spiritual master, and he also seeks out various saints and learns about their powers. One saint has the ability to be in two places at once; another can manifest specific perfumes, a third used to fight tigers, and a fourth is able to levitate. Mukunda also visits an Indian scientist, Jagadish Chandra (J.C.) Bose, inventor of the crescograph, an instrument that measures the growth—and, Bose claims, the emotional life—of plants. With another saint, Master Mahasaya, he takes a pilgrimage to the Temple of Kali, where he learns about the Divine Mother.

After graduating high school, Mukunda joins a hermitage in Benaras, but he is not happy there. One day, he meets Sri Yukteswar Giri , who will become his spiritual master. Mukunda spends much time at Sri Yukteswar’s ashram in Serampore, near Calcutta, and he also enrolls in college. Under Sri Yukteswar’s tutelage, he makes great spiritual progress. The guru initiates him into the technique of Kriya Yoga. Mukunda also experiences Sri Yukteswar’s miraculous powers. His master can predict the future and heal the sick. Miracles, visions, healing, and the master-disciple relationship thus emerge as themes in the narrative . Mukunda also learns that it is wrong to misuse spiritual powers. After Mukunda graduates from college, Sri Yukteswar initiates him into the Swami Order, and Mukunda adopts the name Yogananda.

Yogananda visits Japan and China. His brother dies and his sister falls dangerously ill but recovers, thanks to the spiritual help he and Sri Yukteswa offer. In 1917, Yogananda founds a school for boys in India. As Yogananda continues to grow in spiritual wisdom, he meets the poet Rabindranath Tagore and visits Srimati Kashi Moni, the wife of his parents’ mentor Lahiri Mahasaya. Moni tells him of miracles that her husband performed. Then, Sri Yukteswar tells of the time when Lahiri Mahasaya raised a man from the dead. Yogananda also learns about Babaji , an immortal guru, whom Sri Yukteswar has met three times.

Yogananda travels to America in 1920 as a delegate to an international congress in Boston. This trip begins a 15-year period in which he travels widely across the United States, speaking about Indian spirituality and teaching Kriya Yoga. He establishes an American headquarters in Los Angeles and becomes friends with botanist Luther Burbank. Returning to Europe, he visits Catholic mystic Therese Neumann. Back in India, Sri Yukteswar dies in 1936, and Yogananda sees his guru’s resurrected form. Yogananda then looks back at his 1935 visit to Mahatma Gandhi and later visits two more female saints before returning to America, where his disciples have built a hermitage for him in Encinitas, California. The Self-Realization Fellowship he founded flourishes in the years 1940 to 1951.

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Book Summary: Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

Autobiography of a Yogi is an autobiographical book written by Paramahansa Yogananda, an Indian yogi and guru. The book was first published in 1946 and has since become a classic in the field of yoga and spirituality. In this book, Yogananda shares his personal experiences and practices of yoga, meditation, and spirituality. He also shares his encounters with many famous spiritual figures of his time, including Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna, and Mahatma Gandhi.

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1: Early Years

In this chapter, Yogananda shares his early years growing up in India. He was born into a devout Hindu family and was introduced to the teachings of yoga and meditation at a young age. He was drawn to the spiritual life and began to seek out spiritual teachers and gurus.

Chapter 2: Meeting My Guru

In this chapter, Yogananda shares how he met his guru, Sri Yukteswar. He was searching for a guru who could teach him the highest truths of yoga and spirituality. He found Sri Yukteswar and became his disciple. Under his guidance, Yogananda learned the highest teachings of yoga and meditation.

Chapter 3: Kriya Yoga

In this chapter, Yogananda shares the teachings of Kriya Yoga, a form of yoga that emphasizes the importance of breath control and meditation. He explains how this practice can lead to spiritual enlightenment and inner peace.

Chapter 4: Encounters with Spiritual Figures

In this chapter, Yogananda shares his encounters with many famous spiritual figures of his time, including Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna, and Mahatma Gandhi. He shares how these encounters shaped his understanding of spirituality and his own spiritual journey.

Chapter 5: Journey to America

In this chapter, Yogananda shares his journey to America and his experiences spreading the teachings of yoga and meditation. He founded the Self-Realization Fellowship and began to teach thousands of people the practices of yoga and meditation.

Chapter 6: Final Years

In this chapter, Yogananda shares his final years and his continued dedication to spreading the teachings of yoga and meditation. He continued to teach and write until his death in 1952.

Autobiography of a Yogi is a classic book that shares the personal experiences and practices of yoga and meditation of Paramahansa Yogananda. Through his encounters with spiritual figures and his own spiritual journey, Yogananda shares the importance of yoga and meditation in achieving inner peace and spiritual enlightenment. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the teachings of yoga and spirituality.

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Book Summary Autobiography of a Yogi , by Paramahansa Yogananda

Autobiography of a Yogi is the memoir of Paramahansa Yogananda, one of the world’s most famous yoga practitioners and teachers. It provides practical lessons about yoga, spirituality, and how to live a good life, interspersed with highlights and anecdotes from the author’s life. Yogananda is best known for bringing kriya yoga to the US, thereby creating a spiritual connection between the West and his homeland of India. He also founded the Self-Realization Fellowship, a spiritual organization that now has over 500 locations globally. Between the schools he founded and the books he wrote, Yogananda ensured that his teachings reached millions of people all over the world.

This guide will begin with foundational information about Hinduism and yoga. Then, we’ll tell Yogananda’s life story. Our commentary will go into greater detail about yoga’s central beliefs and practices. We’ll also compare some of Yogananda’s teachings to those found in other belief systems. Finally, we’ll examine some of Yogananda’s teachings about yoga’s benefits through a scientific lens.

1-Page Summary 1-Page Book Summary of Autobiography of a Yogi

Autobiography of a Yogi is the memoir of Paramahansa Yogananda, one of the world’s most famous yoga practitioners and teachers. It provides practical lessons about yoga, spirituality, and how to live a good life, interspersed with highlights and anecdotes from the author’s life. It was reportedly Steve Jobs’s favorite book : He found such great value in Autobiography of a Yogi that he read it once a year and had 500 copies distributed at his funeral.

Yogananda (1893-1952) is best known for bringing kriya yoga to the US—he taught thousands of American students and thereby...

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Autobiography of a Yogi Summary What Is Yoga?

To better understand Yogananda’s life and his accomplishments, we’ll start by exploring some of yoga’s key beliefs and practices. Then, we’ll explain what distinguishes kriya from other forms of yoga.

Yogananda explains that yoga is a religious practice that originated in Hinduism. It’s linked to Hindu teachings surrounding illusion and reality. The Vedas (the oldest Hindu scriptures) describe God as the only reality in the universe—thus, Hinduism teaches that all physical things, including you as an individual being, are illusions. These illusions are collectively called maya .

What’s Real and What’s an Illusion? The nature of reality is a frequently discussed topic in Hinduism. For instance, in the Bhagavad Gita (one of Hinduism’s holy scriptures), the god Vishnu takes a human form named Krishna and discusses various religious and spiritual topics with the warrior prince Arjuna. One of Krishna’s key lessons for Arjuna is: Only things that are eternal and unchangeable are real. Therefore, the only things...

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Autobiography of a Yogi Summary Yogananda’s Birth and Early Childhood

Now that we’ve explored the basics of Hinduism and yoga, let’s discuss Yogananda’s life story.

Yogananda notes that his birth was prophesied by a Bengali guru named Lahiri Mahasaya. The prophecy said that Yogananda would become a great yogi and undertake an important spiritual mission, though it didn’t specify what that mission would be.

(Shortform note: Much of what we know about Mahasaya today comes directly from Autobiography of a Yogi . However, some quotes attributed to the guru provide some more insight into his personality and beliefs. Mahasaya said that seeking God is the only worthwhile pursuit in life—but that the trappings and ceremonies of organized religion are unnecessary. He believed that meditation is all you need to worship God and that meditating on any problem will reveal the solution to it through that connection with God.)

The man who would become Paramahansa Yogananda was originally named Mukunda Lal Ghosh. He was born on January 5, 1893, in the city of Gorakhpur, India. (Shortform note: Although the author was known as...

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Autobiography of a Yogi Summary Yogananda’s Education

To fulfill his destiny, Yogananda needed to learn a great deal about both the spiritual and the physical world. In this section, we’ll discuss his studies of kriya yoga with Sri Yukteswar, as well as the education he received at Calcutta University.

Sri Yukteswar: The Prophesied Teacher

Yogananda—still called Mukunda at the time—says that he and Yukteswar felt a spiritual connection before they even spoke to each other. Both of them knew immediately that they were destined to become student and teacher.

Yogananda says he lived and studied at Yukteswar’s ashram (religious community) from 1910 to 1920. Despite being his teacher, Yukteswar rarely told Yogananda what to do or directly answered his questions—instead, he offered gentle guidance and helped Yogananda find the answers himself.

(Shortform note: By guiding his pupils rather than simply telling them the answers, Sri Yukteswar was engaging them in active learning . As the name suggests, active learning involves students taking active roles in their education—for example, by practicing skills, discussing...

Autobiography of a Yogi Summary Yogananda Passes On His Knowledge

Yogananda had become an accomplished yogi, but his mission in life was far from over—he’s remembered as a great teacher, not just a great practitioner of yoga. In this section, we’ll discuss the schools Yogananda founded and his legacy.

Yogananda says that, throughout his life, he’d received visions of three different buildings. While studying with Yukteswar, he came to understand that these were three schools he would found.

The first third of his vision came true when he founded the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India in 1917, near the city of Ranchi. However, it would be many years before the other two schools from his visions became reality.

Yogananda says that his schools combined spiritual and practical education, much like his own training with Yukteswar did. The school in Ranchi, for example, taught students academic subjects like math and literature, along with offering classes in agriculture, industrial job training, and business.

(Shortform note: The Yogoda Satsanga Society (YSS) still exists today , and it teaches kriya yoga to people of all backgrounds and religions. The YSS now has four separate ashrams and hundreds of smaller...

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Shortform Exercise: Apply Yogananda’s Insights to Your Life

Yogananda’s mission was to bring people of all heritages and faiths together through kriya yoga. Now that you’ve read about his life and some of his most important teachings, reflect on how you might apply those lessons to your life.

What similarities do you see between your beliefs (religious or otherwise) and what Yogananda taught? (Remember: Alongside his beliefs about God and spirituality, Yogananda had great respect for worldly pursuits like art and industry, and he placed great value on community.)

Table of Contents

Biography Online

Book Review: Autobiography of a Yogi

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

Since its first publication in 1944 “Autobiography of a Yogi” has become widely regarded as a spiritual classic, inspiring countless seekers around the world and giving a unique insight into the life of a Yogi.

‘An Autobiography of a Yogi’ begins in Calcutta, India during Yogananda’s childhood. Even from an early age, the young Mukunda was fascinated with meeting other yogis and yearned to experience the presence of God for himself. In the opening chapters, we are introduced to a variety of fascinating Saints such as; Master Mahasaya (author of the Gospel of Ramakrishna), the levitating Saint and the “Tiger Swami”. These spiritual encounters offer a unique insight into the spiritual heart of India, there seemed to be no shortage of saints to inspire the young Yogananda.

After an aborted flight to the Himalayas, Yogananda eventually meets his Guru, Sri Yukteswar near to his hometown. The mutual love and concern between disciple and master are clearly expressed as Yogananda portrays the trials and tribulations of being a spiritual seeker with a strict but loving Master.

“My guru was standing motionless before me; I started to drop at his holy feet in gratitude for the experience in cosmic consciousness which I had long passionately sought. He held me upright, and spoke calmly, unpretentiously.

“You must not get overdrunk with ecstasy. Much work yet remains for you in the world. Come; let us sweep the balcony floor; then we shall walk by the Ganges.” (1)

Throughout the book, Yogananda seeks to explain the science behind the mysterious world of Yoga. He frequently makes reference to both the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita, showing the underlying unity of the 2 great religions. A notable feature of the book is the universal approach that Yogananda takes to religion and spirituality. He expresses the deepest admiration and gratitude to the saints and sages of different religious traditions. These great saints and sages include: Therese Neumann, the Hindu saint Sri Anandamoyi Ma, Mohandas Gandhi, and Rabindranath Tagore. Yogananda is a shining example of the Saint who sees not outer differences but sees the underlying unity of the universe. Whilst explaining the science of yoga one never gets the impression Yogananda is preaching or trying to convert. Instead, we feel a sincere attempt to share the life of a Yogi.

The most remarkable thing about Autobiography of a Yogi is the consciousness which the book expresses. We can tangibly feel the spiritual inspiration and spiritual experiences which Yogananda expresses. It is no easy feat to write about Spiritual Masters and states of Samadhi, but Yogananda manages to express these lofty spiritual experiences with an effortless ease. For example, in chapter 14 Yogananda attempts to put into words his experience of the Cosmic Consciousness.

“An oceanic joy broke upon calm endless shores of my soul. The Spirit of God, I realized, is exhaustless Bliss; His body is countless tissues of light.”

It is hard to read these passages without being moved by the spiritual revelation Yogananda manages to convey. A timeless book, rightly treasured by all God lovers and truth seekers.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Review of Autobiography of a Yogi”, Oxford, UK. www.biographyonline.net , Published 1st Feb 2009. Last updated 30th January 2017.

(1) (2) Chapter 14 – An experience in Cosmic Consciousness

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Autobiography of a Yogi Book Summary

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By Paramahansa Yogananda

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Autobiography of a Yogi Summary

“Autobiography of a Yogi” is a spiritual classic written by Paramahansa Yogananda , an Indian yogi and guru who introduced millions of Westerners to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga. The book is both an engaging account of Yogananda’s life and a profound introduction to the ancient science of Yoga. Here are some key insights from the book:

Self-Realization

Yogananda’s primary goal was to help individuals attain self-realization, the direct experience of one’s true nature, which is divine and transcends the limitations of the human ego.

The book introduces Kriya Yoga, an ancient meditation technique that accelerates spiritual growth and promotes a deep inner sense of peace. Kriya Yoga involves a series of breathing and visualization exercises that help purify the body and mind, bringing the practitioner closer to self-realization.

The Unity of All Religions

Yogananda believed that the essential teachings of all religions are the same, with each tradition offering different paths toward the same ultimate goal of self-realization.

The Power of a Guru

Yogananda emphasizes the importance of having a spiritual guide or guru to help one navigate the path of spiritual growth. He describes his own relationship with his guru, Sri Yukteswar, and the profound impact it had on his life.

Miracles and Spiritual Experiences

The book is filled with stories of miraculous events and profound spiritual experiences that Yogananda and other great yogis encountered. These stories are meant to illustrate the extraordinary possibilities available to those who dedicate themselves to spiritual practice.

The Science of Yoga

Yogananda presents Yoga as a practical science that can help individuals overcome suffering and achieve lasting happiness. He discusses the relationship between the physical body, energy, and consciousness, and how the practice of Yoga can lead to physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

The Importance of a Balanced Life

While emphasizing the value of spiritual practice, Yogananda also encourages readers to lead balanced lives, integrating spiritual growth with daily responsibilities and activities.

The Influence of Great Souls

The book contains accounts of Yogananda’s encounters with spiritual giants such as Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Therese Neumann. These stories serve to inspire readers and demonstrate the transformative power of spiritual practice.

“Autobiography of a Yogi” offers profound insights into the practice of Yoga and the path of spiritual growth. It has inspired countless individuals to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery and serves as a timeless guide to the art of living a spiritually fulfilling life.

Top 10 notable quotes from “Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramahansa Yogananda:

“You may control a mad elephant; you may shut the mouth of the bear and the tiger; you may walk on water and live in fire; but control of the mind is better and more difficult.”

“The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.”

“The power of unfulfilled desires is the root of all man’s slavery.”

“The little space within the heart is as great as the vast universe.”

“The deeper the self-realization of a man, the more he influences the whole universe by his subtle spiritual vibrations, and the less he himself is affected by the phenomenal flux.”

“The darkness of maya is silently approaching. Let us make haste to attain the Self.”

“The true basis of religion is not belief, but intuitive experience. Intuition is the soul’s power of knowing God. To know what religion is really all about, one must know God.”

“Learn to be calm and you will always be happy.”

“Thoughts are universally and not individually rooted; a truth cannot be created, but only perceived.”

“Everything else can wait, but your search for God cannot wait.”

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Autobiography of a Yogi

Autobiography of a Yogi - This autobiography follows Paramhansa Yogananda's life journey and how he discovered and cultivated the spiritual philosophies that brought him legions of followers worldwide. The book introduces the reader to the life of Paramahansa Yogananda, written by him in 1946, and his encounters with spiritual figures of both the Eastern and the Western world.

Ever wondered how a life of a yogi would be? How he would create spiritual philosophies for his followers? And, how these spiritual philosophies would help common people like us?

Your wait for the answers just got over today.

Today we will discuss a book summary mentioned in Steve Jobs’ biography , which said he read Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda every year. And not only he but very successful people of the world also read this book, which they consider to be the most significant contribution to the success of their lives. And that’s why they all suggest others to read this book. When Paramhans Yogananda wrote the last sentence of his autobiography, he was meant to have said, “This book will change the lives of millions. It will be my messenger when I am gone.”

This autobiography follows his life journey and how he discovered and cultivated the philosophies that brought him legions of followers worldwide. The book introduces the reader to the life of Paramahansa Yogananda , written by him in 1946, and his encounters with spiritual figures of both the Eastern and the Western world.

To understand this book easily, we have summarized this book in 7 different parts. First of all, his history and family have been described.

After that, which all-important people did he meet during his journey? In the third part, reincarnation is talked about. Then, about his spiritual journey, role of fear and divine will and in the final part, all the spiritual learnings of Yogananda have been told. I suggest reading this summary very carefully and comfortably.

Part 1: Family and History of Yogananda

Paramahansa Yogananda was born as Mukunda Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur, India, into a Bengali Hindu family. Yogananda was born in 1893. His father was a scholar who had memorized many sacred texts, including the Bhagavad Gita.

He explains that Indian culture values guru-disciple relationships more than anything because they are based on wisdom and spirituality. Yogananda’s family is steeped in this tradition, as he has an enlightened soul from a past life that can manifest itself in various ways throughout his childhood.

For example, when he was just two years old, he saw himself as an adult yogi meditating on Mount Kailash in Tibet for a past life. Then, at age four or five (when most children cannot talk), Yogananda discusses past lives with people around him; he says things like, “I used to be so-and-so.” Naturally, this causes some consternation for those around him.

Yogananda’s father is high up on the Bengal-Nagpur Railway. His mother is loving and kind, teaching her children only through love. Both his parents have a deep connection with their guru, Lahiri Mahasaya.

As Yogananda grows up, he continues to have spiritual encounters. He seeks out saints and sages in his community for guidance. At eleven, he had a vision in which his mother tells him she will die. Not long after, she does, and he feels compelled to pilgrimage into the Himalayas. His brother convinces him not to go but continues seeking a guru who can guide him better.

When Yogananda was seventeen, he met his guru. His name was Sri Yukteswar Giri , and he had several visions of him before they met. The two men shared unconditional love for each other from the moment they saw each other in a Benares market.

Sri Yukteswar taught Yogananda many lessons that were difficult to learn but beneficial in the long run. Although it was sometimes hard to take what Sri Yukteswar said or did, Yogananda embraced those moments because of their strong connection with one another as teachers and students in past incarnations.

Sri Yukteswar taught Yogananda the principles of Kriya Yoga, a yogic practice that helps people attain enlightenment. Kriya yoga focuses on meditation to use one’s breath to achieve unity between mind, body, and spirit. Yogananda devoted himself to mastering this practice and studying with his guru.

At the same time, Yogananda was efficient and wanted to focus on his studies. However, Sri Yukteswar reminded him that he needs to live in the material world and enjoy its lessons, perspectives, and opportunities for enlightenment. So, in 1915, after receiving a degree from Serampore College (a British university), Yogananda took formal monastic vows into Sri Yukteswar’s order and officially became as Swami Yogananda Giri.

Yogananda then shared his spiritual knowledge with the world. In 1917, he opened a school in West Bengal where students learnt yoga and traditional Indian spirituality.

He came to America for the first time in 1920, and Americans embraced his teachings. That same year he founded Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) in Los Angeles to help spread these ideas even more widely.

Yogananda lived in America for the rest of his life, except for a brief visit to India. During that time, he met Gandhi ji and introduced him to Kriya yoga. Yogananda’s life and teachings are so universal that he met several famous people in his lifetime.

Part 2: Meeting with kindred spirits

Sages encountered include the ‘Perfume Saint,’ who could materialize scents at will, the ‘Tiger Swami,’ who had wrestled and defeated tigers, and the ‘Levitating Saint,’ Bhaduri Mahasaya, who had given up great family riches to become a yogi. The author also met Shankari Mai Jiew, the yogini (woman yogi) of great age, and Nirmala Devi, the beautiful ‘Joy-Permeated Mother,’ who spent much of her time in the state of Samadhi.

Yogananda journeyed into the heart of Bengal to find Giri Bala, a non-eating saint who had used a specific yoga technique that had allowed her to exist without food for decades, with no ill effects, and proven by close observation.

Yogananda was in close friendships with scientists Jagadis Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore, Luther Burbank & Sri Ramana Maharshi.

Part 3: Reincarnation

The guru is referring to the concept of reincarnation. He does not use the term yet but shows that the phenomenon is natural by easing readers into the idea with his specific examples.

Most people meeting the concept of reincarnation for the first time either reject it or misunderstand it; for example, you’ve probably heard people say if they come back, they’d like to be a bird.

But Yogananda explains that reincarnation is part of evolutionary progress; therefore, coming back as a bird would be devolution or going backward. Humans only come back as animals if they learn a specific lesson in the animal kingdom.

Returning to earth in a body is essential in this yoga philosophy. It works in concert with karma, similar to the biblical concept of sowing and reaping. Yogananda’s explanation of these concepts is superb. He helps his readers understand why they are born on this earth, their goals, and how they can achieve them.

Most of the time, Yogananda’s efforts to transcend mortal concerns involved managing discomfort or unpleasant sensations.

For example, he attempted not to complain while enduring long fasts, and he had to learn to meditate without paying attention to the mosquitos and other bugs biting him.

These moments of discomfort helped Yogananda learn to focus on God rather than his own needs. He realized that transcendence isn’t about abandoning the regular world; it’s about balancing an enlightened mind with attention toward present responsibilities and concerns.

Part 4: His learning through spiritual journey

In this part, lessons of his spiritual journey have been told, which is the essential part of this book.

Self-realization

The knowing – In body, mind, and soul – that we are one with the omnipresence of God; we do not have to pray that it comes to us, we are not merely near it at all times, but that God’s omnipresence is our omnipresence. We are just as much a part of Him now as we ever will be. All we have to do is improve our knowledge.

Living a life of happiness

Making others happy through the kindness of speech and sincerity of the right advice is a sign of true greatness. But, on the other hand, to hurt another soul with sarcastic words, looks, or suggestions is despicable.

“Be comfortable within your purse,” he often said. Extravagance will buy you discomfort. Look fear in the face, and it will cease to trouble you. Forget the past, for it is gone from your domain! Forget the future, for it is beyond your reach! Control the present! Live supremely well now! This is the way of the wise.

Ordinary love is selfish, darkly rooted in desires and satisfactions. Divine love is without condition, without boundary, without change.

Living in purpose and being purposeful

The more deeply we perceive, the more striking becomes the evidence that a uniform plan links every form in manifold nature.

Man’s conscious state is an awareness of body and breath. His subconscious state, active in sleep, is associated with his mental and temporary separation from body and breath.

His superconscious state is a freedom from the delusion that “existence” depends on body and breath. Since you alone are responsible for your thoughts, only you can change them.

Being in Service

Some people try to be tall by cutting off the heads of others! The human mind is a spark of the almighty consciousness of God. I could show you that whatever your powerful reason believes very intensely would instantly come to pass.

The deeper the Self-realization of a man, the more he influences the whole universe through his subtle spiritual vibrations.

There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first; when you learn to live for others, they will live for you.

Always remember that you belong to no one, and no one belongs to you. Reflect that someday you will suddenly have to leave everything in this world-so make the acquaintanceship of God. Remain calm and serene, always in command of yourself. You will then find out how easy it is to get along.

The power of thought

You demonstrate success or failure according to your habitual trend of thought. In you, which are the more robust success thoughts or failure thoughts?

More than an occasional positive review is required to attract success if your mind is ordinarily negative. But if you think rightly, you will find your goal despite seeming enveloped in darkness.

Will is the Dynamo

You should have power and continuous activity to succeed along with positive thinking. Every outward manifestation results from the will, but this power is only sometimes used consciously. There is mechanical will as well as conscious will.

You can control the destiny

The mind is the creator of everything. You should, therefore, guide it to create only good. If you cling to a particular thought with dynamic willpower, it finally assumes a tangible outward form. When you can employ your will always for constructive purposes, you b ecome the controller of your destiny. But you should always be sure, within the calm region of your inner Self, that what you want is right for you to have. You can then use all the force of your will to accomplish your object.

Part 5: Fear exhausts life energy

It is one of the greatest enemies of dynamic willpower. Fear causes the life force that ordinarily flows steadily through the nerves to be squeezed out, and the nerves become paralyzed; the whole body’s vitality is lowered. Fear doesn’t help you escape the object of fear; it only weakens willpower.

Fear causes the brain to send an inhibiting message to all bodily organs. It constricts the heart, disturbs digestive functions, and causes many other physical disturbances. When the consciousness is kept on God, you will have no fears; courage and faith will overcome every obstacle.

Failure should arouse determination

Even failures should stimulate your willpower and your material and spiritual growth. Therefore, when you have failed in any project, it is helpful to analyze every factor in the situation to eliminate all chances in the future that you might repeat the same errors.

The need for self analysis

Another secret of progress is self-analysis. Introspection is a mirror through which to see the recesses of your mind that otherwise would remain hidden. Diagnose your failures and sort out your sound and destructive tendencies. Analyze what you are, what you wish to become, and what shortcomings impede you.

The creative power of initiative

What is the initiative? It is a creative faculty within you, a spark of the Infinite creator. It may give you the power to create something no one else has ever made. It urges you to do things in new ways. By creating something from nothing, he demonstrates that the seemingly impossible may become possible if you understand the power of taking the initiative.

See the image of God in all men

Many people excuse their faults but judge other people harshly. Instead, we should reverse this attitude by excusing others’ shortcomings and harshly examining our own.

Habits of thought control one’s life

Success is hastened or delayed by one’s habits. Not your passing inspirations or brilliant ideas so much as your everyday mental habits control your life. Habits of thought are mental magnets that draw certain things, people, and conditions to you. Good habits of thought enable you to attract benefits and opportunities. Bad habits of thought attract you to materially minded persons and unfavorable environments.

Part 6: Power of divine will

Divine Will has no boundaries; it works through laws known and unknown, natural and seemingly miraculous. It can change the course of destiny, wake the dead, cast mountains into the sea, and create new solar systems.

From the ocean of abundance

Just as all power lies in His will, all spiritual and material gifts flow from His boundless abundance. To receive his blessings, you must eradicate all thoughts of limitation and poverty from your mind.

Universal Mind is perfect and knows no lack; you must maintain a consciousness of abundance to reach that never-failing supply.

Even when you do not see where the next dollar comes from, you should refuse to be apprehensive. When you do your part and rely on God to do Him, you will find that mysterious forces come to your aid and that your constructive wishes soon materialize. This confidence and consciousness of abundance are attained through meditation.

To know more about how spiritual philosophies can help each one of us achieve success, please read the summary of “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success”. The link is just down below:

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

The way of meditation.

Living in a constant state of business clouds our minds with stress, and we become detached from our higher consciousness. Meditation is like a drain, allowing us to expose our negative emotions so that we can release them.

It can be painful, but sitting with negative emotions is the only way to heal, break down our fears, and dismantle the beliefs that have held us back.

By the power of concentration and meditation, you can direct the inexhaustible energy of your mind to accomplish what you desire and to guard every door against failure.

All successful men and women devote much time to deep concentration. They can dive deeply into their minds and find the proper solutions for their problems. If you learn how to withdraw your attention from all objects of distraction and to place it upon one thing of concentration, you too will know how to attract at will whatever you need.

Success is measured by happiness

Consider whether fulfillment of the goal you have chosen will constitute success. What is success? If you possess health and wealth but need help with everybody (including yourself), yours is not a successful life. When wealth is lost, you have lost a little; when health is lost, you have lost something of more consequence; but when the peace of mind is lost, you have lost the highest treasure.

Put God’s power behind your efforts

Release for constructive purposes the power you already have, and more will come. Move on your path with steadfast determination, using all success attributes.

Tune yourself with the creative power of spirit. You will be in contact with Infinite Intelligence, which can guide you and solve all problems.

Part 7: Energy is a creative force that we can harness

All life is energy; it keeps the planets in motion and us showing up to work on time each day. Energy is the most powerful tool we possess.t everything on the earth constantly expends energy to achieve some goal. When a man does not cultivate a meditation practice, he is subject to the subconscious (monkey mind).

A man who has control of his mind realizes his capacity to impact change and harnesses infinite power to shape the reality around him. Meditation allows us to choose joy in all situations and spread love and positivity to everyone around us.

Thank you, friends; I hope you liked this summary. By following all these habits, you can achieve great heights.

Autobiography of a Yogi Book Review

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda is a spiritual classic that has profoundly impacted my understanding of Eastern spirituality and the journey of self-realization. The book chronicles the life of Yogananda, from his early years in India to his time spent in the United States, sharing his spiritual teachings and experiences with the Western world.

As a reader, I was captivated by Yogananda’s storytelling, which is filled with vivid descriptions, engaging anecdotes, and profound wisdom. The book provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of various saints and spiritual masters, showcasing their miraculous experiences and divine insights.

One of the most striking aspects of Autobiography of a Yogi is its exploration of the deep connection between science and spirituality. Yogananda’s teachings on meditation, yoga, and the power of the mind have resonated with me, inspiring me to delve deeper into my own spiritual practice.

The book also emphasizes the importance of finding a spiritual teacher or guru to guide one on their path to self-realization. Yogananda’s relationship with his guru, Sri Yukteswar, is beautifully portrayed and serves as a testament to the transformative power of spiritual guidance.

Our summaries are also available on all Podcast platforms, named “Kitabein,” which recently won India’s best educational podcast award .

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172 thoughts on “Autobiography of a Yogi”

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I love this book…i heard so much about this..you given me chance to read it…thankyou sir😊😇

Day-10–Autobiography of yogi is complete

Day 10. This book shares the teachings and experiences of Yogananda, a great spiritual master who dedicated his life to the pursuit of Realisation. We learn about the power of meditation, the nature of the soul, and the interconnectedness of all things.

Day 10 book autobiography of a yogi Making other happy through the kindness of speech and sincerity of the right advice is a of true greatness.this is a amazing book summary.thankuu Amit sir.

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Autobiography of a Yogi - Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis

Chapter 1 Summary and Analysis

Mukunda Lal Ghosh, later known as Paramahansa Yogananda, was born in northeastern India in 1893. His parents, although affluent, were "saintly" and quite spiritual. Due to a recurring memory of an earlier life, young Mukunda, the fourth child, longed to live in the Himalayas. His parents were initiated into Kriya Yoga by Lahiri Mahasaya, a revered master, whose teachings had a profound influence on Mukunda's entire life, as well as on the life of his own teacher, Yukteswar. Lahiri Mahasaya was pure spirit who could become invisible before a camera unless he chose not to. Mukunda claims that praying to his photo as a child healed him from cholera.

Mukunda was visited in meditation by Himalayan yogis, and learns the power of the spoken word by experimenting with deep concentration. He tests his psychic abilities with childhood games, such as willing two...

(read more from the Chapter 1 Summary)

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Autobiography of a Yogi Summary Review Quotes | Paramahansa Yogananda

posted on April 12, 2021

Life gets busy. Has  Autobiography of a Yogi  been gathering dust on your bookshelf? Instead, pick up the key ideas now.

We’re scratching the surface here. If you don’t already have this book by Paramahansa Yogananda, order it here or get the  audiobook for free  to learn the juicy details.

Introduction

Autobiography of a Yogi introduces the reader to the life of Paramahansa Yogananda and his encounters with spiritual figures of both the Eastern and the Western world. Paramahansa Yogananda was born as Mukunda Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur, India, into a Bengali Hindu family.

The book begins with his childhood family life, to finding his guru, to becoming a monk and establishing his teachings of Kriya Yoga meditation. The book continues in 1920 when Yogananda accepts an invitation to speak in a religious congress in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He then travels across America lecturing and establishing his teachings in Los Angeles, California. In 1935, he returns to India for a yearlong visit. When he returns to America, he continues to establish his teachings, including writing this book.

Autobiography of a Yogi is an introduction to the methods of attaining God-realization and to the spiritual wisdom of the East, which had only been available to a few in 1946.

The author claims that the writing of the book was prophesied long ago by the nineteenth-century master Lahiri Mahasaya (Paramguru of Yogananda) also known as the Yogiraj and Kashi baba. Before becoming a yogi, Lahiri Mahasaya’s actual name was Shyama Charan Lahiri.

It has been in print for seventy years and translated into over fifty languages by Self-Realization Fellowship.

Paramhansa Yogananda, widely credited with bringing yoga to the west, tells the story of his remarkable lifelong spiritual journey in Autobiography of a Yogi. 

From a very young age, Yogananda, born Mukunda Lal Ghosh, was clearly more spiritually natured than most.  He grew up one of eight children to his mother, a “queen of hearts,” and his father, a strict disciplinarian who held a high position in the Bengal-Nagpur railway. 

His parents were disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya, the guru of Yogananda’s own guru, and they enjoyed a calm and loving marriage.  Aside from young Mukunda’s strong spiritual yearnings, he and his siblings appeared to have a typical lifestyle.

When he was 11 years old, Yogananda’s mother appeared before him in a vision that foretold her death.  He would continue to have similar premonitory visions throughout his life.  Soon after his mother’s death, Yogananda began feeling drawn toward the Himalayas and planned a pilgrimage.  He was stopped by his older brother, Ananta, but Yogananda did not stop seeking his spiritual teacher, who he finally found at the age of 17.

Though he first distrusted his instincts, Yogananda knew immediately who Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri was when he saw him in a Benares market.  He had seen him in visions and his appearance had been announced that morning by a “divine womanly voice.”  During those first few moments of the meeting, the two promised each other unconditional love. 

Soon after, Yogananda gave responsibility for his life over to his guru though he didn’t like all of his master’s suggestions or his “cold” manner at times.  Sri Yukteswar was firm but loving, and he had an intense impact on Yogananda.

The guru-disciple relationship, which according to Yogananda began lifetimes ago, is a key aspect of the book.  Yogananda’s devotion to Sri Yukteswar only grows stronger with time.  At times he stays at Sri Yukteswar’s ashram, delighted to hear stories of Sri Yukteswar’s life.

Sri Yukteswar initiates him into Kriya yoga, something he had experienced twice before but which he only feels the transformative power of when under his master’s auspices.  During his time at Sri Yukteswar’s ashram (which was near the Serampore College Yogananda attended), he sometimes struggles to perform the mundane tasks that are required.  He’d prefer to be meditating. 

Sri Yukteswar teaches him the importance of serving one’s worldly purposes.  At other times, the two live continents apart.  Even when they are living far apart, however, Yogananda claims his master appeared before him in a vision.  He also appeared, in flesh and blood, from beyond the grave.  This type of otherworldly experience pervades the book until it just appears a typical fact of life for Yogananda.

Yogananda received his Bachelor’s degree from the Serampore College in Calcutta in 1915, though he made no attempt to say he was a good student – he grudgingly did the minimum to get by in school, as he was only interested in the spiritual path.

 In 1917, Yogananda founded a school for boys in Dihika, West Bengal, where yoga was taught along with the typical curriculum.  In 1920, Yogananda went to the United States where his talks about religion and yoga were enthusiastically received. He founded the Self-Realization Fellowship and lectured widely. 

In 1925, he established the Self-Realization Fellowship headquarters in Los Angeles, California.  He met with various eminent spiritual figures and other notable people, including Therese Neumann, Sri Anandamayi Ma, Mohandas Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Sir C. V. Raman, and Luther Burbank.

Though Yogananda was Hindu, he respected and seems to have resonated with all religions.  He often shared the teachings of Jesus Christ and quoted various other religious figures.  His ability to transcend religion attracted numerous devotees and earned him respect among the masses.

StoryShot #1: Self-Realization 

The knowing -in body, mind, and soul- that we are one with the omnipresence of God; we do not have to pray that it come to us, we are not merely near it at all times, but that God’s omnipresence is our omnipresence. We are just as much a part of Him now as we ever will be. All we have to do is improve our knowing. 

StoryShot #2: Living a Life of Happiness 

Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you. The future will take care of itself. 

Making others happy, through the kindness of speech and sincerity of right advice, is a sign of true greatness. To hurt another soul by sarcastic words, looks, or suggestions, is despicable. 

Be comfortable within your purse,” he often said. “Extravagance will buy you discomfort. 

Look fear in the face and it will cease to trouble you. Forget the past, for it is gone from your domain! forget the future, for it is beyond your reach! control the present! Live supremely well now! This is the way of the wise. 

Ordinary love is selfish, darkly rooted in desires and satisfactions. Divine love is without condition, without boundary, without change. The flux of the human heart is gone forever at the transfixing touch of pure love. 

The Creative Power of Initiative 

What is the initiative? It is a creative faculty within you, a spark of the Infinite Creator. It may give you the power to create something no one else has ever created. It urges you to do things in new ways. The accomplishments of a person of initiative may be as spectacular as a shooting star. Apparently creating something from nothing, he demonstrates that the seemingly impossible may become possible by one’s employment of the great inventive power of the Spirit. 

See the Image of God in All Men 

Many people excuse their own faults but judge other persons harshly. We should reverse this attitude by excusing others’ shortcomings and by harshly examining our own. 

Habits of Thought Control One’s Life 

Success is hastened or delayed by one’s habits. It is not your passing inspirations or brilliant ideas so much as your everyday mental habits that control your life. Habits of thought are mental magnets that draw to you certain things, people, and conditions. Good habits of thought enable you to attract benefits and opportunities. Bad habits of thought attract you to materially minded persons and to unfavorable environments. 

Power of Divine Will 

Divine Will has no boundaries; it works through laws known and unknown, natural and seemingly miraculous. It can change the course of destiny, wake the dead, cast mountains into the sea, and create new solar systems. 

From the Ocean of Abundance 

Just as all power lies in His will, so all spiritual and material gifts flow from His boundless abundance. In order to receive His gifts, you must eradicate from your mind all thoughts of limitation and poverty. Universal Mind is perfect and knows no lack; to reach that never-failing supply you must maintain a consciousness of abundance. Even when you do not know where the next dollar is coming from, you should refuse to be apprehensive. When you do your part and rely on God to do His, you will find that mysterious forces come to your aid and that your constructive wishes soon materialize. This confidence and consciousness of abundance are attained through meditation. 

The Way of Meditation 

By the power of concentration and meditation, you can direct the inexhaustible power of your mind to accomplish what you desire and to guard every door against failure. All successful men and women devote much time to deep concentration. They are able to dive deeply within their minds and to find the pearls of the right solutions for the problems that confront them.

If you learn how to withdraw your attention from all objects of distraction and to place it upon one object of concentration, you too will know how to attract at will whatever you need. 

Success is Measured by Happiness 

Consider whether fulfillment of the goal you have chosen will constitute success. What is success? If you possess health and wealth but have trouble with everybody (including yourself), yours is not a successful life. Existence becomes futile if you cannot find happiness.

When wealth is lost, you have lost a little; when health is lost, you have lost something of more consequence; but when the peace of mind is lost, you have lost the highest treasure. 

Put God’s Power Behind Your Efforts 

Release for constructive purposes the power you already have, and more will come. Move on your path with unflinching determination, using all the attributes of success. Tune yourself with the creative power of Spirit. You will be in contact with the Infinite Intelligence that is able to guide you and to solve all problems. Power from the dynamic Source of your being will flow uninterruptedly so that you will be able to perform creatively in any sphere of activity. 

What did you learn from the book summary of Autobiography of a Yogi? What was your favorite takeaway? Is there an important insight that we missed? Comment below or tweet to us @storyshots .

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Autobiography of a yogi book summary, by paramahansa yogananda.

Want to learn the ideas in Autobiography Of A Yogi better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of Autobiography Of A Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda here.

Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.

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1-Page Summary of Autobiography Of A Yogi

If a guru clad in orange robes told you to leave your family and study yoga, would you do it? In Autobiography of a Yogi (1946), Indian monk Paramahansa Yogananda describes his spiritual journey. He left India for the United States to spread the practice of kriya yoga. Kriya yoga focuses on meditation with the goal of using one’s breath to achieve unity between mind, body, and spirit.

Yogananda knew from a young age that he wanted to follow a spiritual path. He believed he was destined to spread the teachings of Hinduism in Western countries, where Eastern philosophy had not yet been embraced. His autobiography gives us an idea of how his beliefs were shaped early on and provides first-hand accounts of the miracles he saw or performed throughout his quest for becoming a swami (Hindu religious leader).

Born in 1893, Yogananda was originally known as Mukunda Lal Ghosh. From an early age, he showed a profound proclivity for spiritual pursuits and claimed to remember a previous life as a yogi living in the Himalayas. He also gravitated instantly to a picture of his guru that his devout Hindu parents kept after he died shortly before Yogananda was born. When Yogananda turned eight years old, he unexpectedly came down with Asiatic cholera; however, when his mother implored him to mentally bow towards the picture of Mahasaya that they owned because he was too weak to do so physically, it caused him to be surrounded by blinding light and healed from his sickness.

Three years later, Yogananda’s mother appeared to him and his father in their bedroom. She was supposed to be at a wedding, but she told them that she was dying. Then the Divine Mother (a Hindu goddess) appeared and assured Yogananda that he would be provided for.

Yogananda was drawn to the Himalayas and he tried to run away. His brother found him and gave him a letter from his mother. The letter explained that Yogananda’s mother had been given an amulet by a divine being, who instructed her to give it only when Yogananda was ready for God.

As Yogananda continued to grow in his faith, he started seeking out more and more spiritual gurus who could provide him with wisdom and insight. He also started seeing visions of a particular yogi’s face; he knew this yogi would one day turn out to be his guru. At 17, he finally met this guru, Yukteswar Giri, and found out that Giri lived in a town not far from his own hometown. Giri told Yogananda that he should return home to his family, and that he would see his new protégé in 28 days. While Yogananda did not want to return home at first, eventually, after fulfilling the prophecy of meeting with Giri again 28 days later, went back home.

Despite his lack of consistent studying, Yogananda managed to graduate from Serampore College. He credited this largely to divine intervention and also convinced his guru to name him a swami. Once he gained the title, he stopped using his birth name and called himself Yogananda, which means bliss through divine union. A few years later, Yogananda started yoga schools for boys in Ranchi, India. In addition to teaching yoga at those schools, students were taught outdoors so that they could be more connected with nature

Finally, Yogananda was able to share his ideas on the benefits of yoga in America. He was invited to serve as a representative from India for an International Congress of Religious Liberals in America. The event gave him the opportunity to come to the United States and stay there for decades. While there, he started several monastic communities dedicated to kriya yoga. His efforts eventually netted him the title Paramahansa, indicating that he had achieved full spiritual enlightenment by spreading yoga around the world and helping countless people find better harmony between their physical needs and mental/spiritual ones.

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With engaging candor, eloquence, and wit, Paramahansa Yogananda tells the inspiring chronicle of his life: the experiences of his remarkable childhood, encounters with many saints and sages during his youthful search throughout India for an illumined teacher, ten years of training in the hermitage of a revered yoga master, and the thirty years that he lived and taught in America. Also recorded here are his meetings with Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Luther Burbank, the Catholic stigmatist Therese Neumann, and other celebrated spiritual personalities of East and West. The author clearly explains the subtle but definite laws behind both the ordinary events of everyday life and the extraordinary events commonly termed miracles. His absorbing life story becomes the background for a penetrating and unforgettable look at the ultimate mysteries of human existence.

• Print length 503 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Self-Realization Fellowship
• Publication date January 1, 2000
• Dimensions 5.25 x 1.25 x 8.5 inches
• ISBN-10 0876120834
• ISBN-13 978-0876120835
• See all details

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Self-Realization Fellowship; 13th edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 503 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0876120834
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0876120835
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.67 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 1.25 x 8.5 inches
• #72 in Hinduism (Books)
• #91 in Other Eastern Religions & Sacred Texts (Books)
• #173 in Religious Leader Biographies

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Paramahansa yogananda.

1893 – 1952 Hailed as the “father of Yoga in the West,” Paramahansa Yogananda is regarded as one of the great spiritual figures of our time. Born in northern India, he came to the United States in 1920, where he founded Self-Realization Fellowship, to disseminate his writings and teachings worldwide. Through his best-selling classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, and his numerous other books, he has introduced millions throughout the world to the spiritual principles of yoga meditation and the universal truths underlying all world religions.

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Table of Contents

What are the big ideas?

Introduction, chapter: 1 - my parents and early life, chapter: 2 - my mother’s death and the mystic amulet, chapter: 3 - the saint with two bodies, chapter: 4 - my interrupted flight toward the himalayas, chapter: 5 - a “perfume saint” displays his wonders, chapter: 6 - the tiger swami, chapter: 7 - the levitating saint, chapter: 8 - india’s great scientist, j. c. bose, chapter: 9 - the blissful devotee and his cosmic romance, chapter: 10 - i meet my master, sri yukteswar, chapter: 11 - two penniless boys in brindaban, chapter: 12 - years in my master’s hermitage, chapter: 13 - the sleepless saint, chapter: 14 - an experience in cosmic consciousness, chapter: 15 - the cauliflower robbery, chapter: 16 - outwitting the stars, chapter: 17 - sasi and the three sapphires, chapter: 18 - a mohammedan wonder-worker, chapter: 19 - my master, in calcutta, appears in serampore, chapter: 20 - we do not visit kashmir, chapter: 21 - we visit kashmir, chapter: 22 - the heart of a stone image, chapter: 23 - i receive my university degree, chapter: 24 - i become a monk of the swami order, chapter: 25 - brother ananda and sister nalini, chapter: 26 - the science of kriya yoga, chapter: 27 - founding a yoga school at ranchi, chapter: 28 - kashi, reborn and rediscovered, chapter: 29 - rabindranath tagore and i compare schools, chapter: 30 - the law of miracles, chapter: 31 - an interview with the sacred mother, chapter: 32 - rama is raised from the dead, chapter: 33 - babaji, the yogi-christ of modern india, chapter: 34 - materializing a palace in the himalayas, chapter: 35 - the christlike life of lahiri mahasaya, chapter: 36 - babaji’s interest in the west, chapter: 37 - i go to america, chapter: 38 - luther burbank-a saint amidst the roses, chapter: 39 - therese neumann, the catholic stigmatist, chapter: 40 - i return to india, chapter: 41 - an idyl in south india, chapter: 42 - last days with my guru, chapter: 43 - the resurrection of sri yukteswar, chapter: 44 - with mahatma gandhi at wardha, chapter: 45 - the bengali “joy-permeated mother”, chapter: 46 - the woman yogi who never eats, chapter: 47 - i return to the west, chapter: 48 - at encinitas in california, autobiography of a yogi.

by Paramahansa Yogananda

• Spirituality
• Autobiography

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• The Unique Role of Kriya Yoga: This book introduces the reader to Kriya Yoga, a unique and specific technique for self-realization that was introduced by Paramhansa Yogananda. Unlike other spiritual practices, Kriya Yoga is presented as a scientific method for attaining direct experience of God through a series of simple but powerful techniques that can be practiced at home. The book emphasizes the importance of a guru in guiding one through these techniques and achieving spiritual progress.
• Integration of Eastern and Western Perspectives: The author's travel experiences in India and the West provide a unique perspective on how Eastern spiritual practices can be integrated with Western culture. The book offers insights into the similarities between Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and other religions, emphasizing the importance of seeking unity among all paths to God.
• The Role of a Guru in Modern Spirituality: This book highlights the significance of finding a qualified guru as a guide on the spiritual path. It emphasizes that a guru is not just a teacher but also a living embodiment of the Divine who can help the seeker overcome obstacles and provide personalized guidance for their unique spiritual journey.
• The Emphasis on Selfless Service: The book encourages readers to engage in selfless service as a means of spiritual growth, emphasizing that helping others is an essential part of realizing one's full potential. It also promotes the idea of unity and brotherhood among all people, regardless of race, religion, or nationality.
• The Unique Approach to Self-Realization: This book offers a unique approach to self-realization by combining ancient spiritual teachings with modern scientific understanding, making it accessible to a wider audience. It also emphasizes the importance of developing a balanced and disciplined lifestyle through regular meditation, physical exercise, and healthy living habits.
• Read "Autobiography of a Yogi" for a spiritual adventure and hope.
• Paramhansa Yogananda was India's first yoga master to teach in the West (1920s).
• His impact was impressive, but lasting influence is greater with this book.
• It launched a spiritual revolution in the West and is considered a masterpiece of spiritual literature.
• Contains childhood revelations, visits to Indian saints, training in an ashram, and teachings of Self-realization.
• Originally published in 1946 with power and now reprinted for modern readers.
• The Autobiography of Yogananda is unique as it was written by a Indian yogi about Hindu saints, not a journalist or foreigner.
• The book provides insight into modern Hindu saints' lives and powers.
• The author, W.Y. Evans-Wentz, met Sri Yukteswar Giri in India and recounts his experience.
• Sri Yukteswar was the head of an ashrama near Puri, Orissa, training disciples.
• He expressed interest in the welfare of Americans and England.
• Sri Yukteswar was gentle, pleasing, venerated by all, tall, ascetic, with long curly hair and a beard.
• His body was muscular, slender, well-formed, energetic step, chosen Puri as his place of abode due to its spiritual significance.
• He closed his eyes in 1936 and passed on, knowing his incarnation had been completed.
• Evans-Wentz testifies to Sri Yukteswar's high character and holiness.
• The author's father became a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya after having a vision of him materializing in front of them in a field.
• The author was healed from Asiatic cholera through the photograph of Lahiri Mahasaya.
• Lahiri Mahasaya had an aversion to being photographed, but one day allowed a photographer to take his picture, which became famous for its miraculous origin.
• The author once made a bold declaration to his sister that he would get a boil on his arm the next day, and indeed woke up with one, while his sister's own boil grew larger.
• The author believed that he could receive answers to his prayers if he stood in a shrine dedicated to the Divine Mother and focused his intentions there. He tested this belief by asking for two kites during a kite-fighting match, and received both of them.

“If man be solely a body, its loss indeed ends his identity. But if prophets down the millenniums spake with truth, man is essentially a soul, incorporeal and omnipresent.”

“Why be elated by material profit?” Father replied. “The one who pursues a goal of evenmindedness is neither jubilant with gain nor depressed by loss. He knows that man arrives penniless in this world, and departs without a single rupee.”

• My mother deeply desired the marriage of her eldest son Ananta and expressed strong Indian sentiments for family continuity.
• Plans for Ananta's wedding were elaborate, with numerous relatives arriving in Calcutta for the ceremony.
• The author had an ominous vision warning him that his mother was dying and urged him to rush to Calcutta.
• Mother's death was a devastating blow to the author, leaving a irreparable rent in the family fabric.
• Father assumed the role of both father and mother to his little flock and grew more tender and approachable.
• The author learned after her mother's passing that she had left him a momentous message about his destined path as a yogi.
• Mother had taken the author as a baby to meet her guru, Lahiri Mahasaya, who blessed him and foretold his spiritual future.
• A sage visited the family before the author's mother died and instructed her to give a silver amulet to Ananta for one year before passing it on to the second son.
• The author received the amulet after his mother's death, which brought illumination and many dormant memories.
• Father allowed his son to travel extensively as a boy, using railroad passes provided by his position.
• The son met Swami Pranabananda in Benares and was surprised by the saint's clairvoyance and ability to materialize an extra body.
• Kedar Nath Babu appeared unexpectedly at the saint's residence, having been summoned by him without any communication between them.
• Swami Pranabananda spoke of his guru, Lahiri Mahasaya, who was a great yogi and helped him achieve spiritual enlightenment.
• The saint revealed that he had interceded with Brahma on the son's behalf, allowing him to receive a pension and leave his job for a life of spiritual practice.

“He laughed. “I mean a pension of fathomless peace — a reward for many years of deep meditation. I never crave money now. My few material needs are amply provided for.”

• Lahiri Mahasaya was a renowned guru who had thousands of disciples attracted to him by his divine magnetism.
• Paramahansa Yogananda's childhood friend Dwarka Nath Chatterji went missing, and Yogananda suspected him of having joined a group of thieves led by Mukunda.
• Yogananda followed Mukunda to Bareilly to confront Dwarka but found that he had already been apprehended by the police for his involvement in a robbery.
• Cousin Jatinda had also disappeared, and Yogananda discovered that he had fled Calcutta after being warned of an imminent arrest. Yogananda tracked him down in Bareilly and arranged for his arrest.
• Father asked Yogananda to remain in Calcutta and focus on his studies instead of roaming around. He hired a pundit, Swami Kebalananda, as Yogananda's Sanskrit tutor.
• Swami Kebalananda was an exalted disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya and shared stories of his experiences with the guru.
• Lahiri Mahasaya had the ability to heal people physically and spiritually, but he never considered himself as the causative force in these miracles. He allowed the Prime Healing Power to flow freely through him.

“The master never counseled slavish belief. ‘Words are only shells,’ he said. ‘Win conviction of God’s presence through your own joyous contact in meditation.”

• The "Perfume Saint" or Vishudhananda, claimed the ability to give natural perfumes to scentless objects and revive wilted flowers.
• He learned these yoga secrets from a master in Tibet who had attained over a thousand years of age.
• Gandha Baba's methods for performing his perfume-feats varied, depending on the temperament of each person.
• He used the power to demonstrate the power of God and not as entertainment or distraction.
• Gandha Baba was able to guide lifetrons to rearrange their vibratory structure and materialize desired results.
• Miracles performed by individuals like Gandha Baba are spectacular but spiritually useless.
• Hypnotism, which is a temporary phenomenon, should be distinguished from the miracles performed by true saints.
• Masters decry ostentatious displays of unusual powers and emphasize living righteously among fellow men.

“TO EVERY THING there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”

“God is simple. Everything else is complex. Do not seek absolute values in the relative world of nature.”

“To lay aside what you have in your head (selfish desires and ambitions); to freely bestow what you have in your hand; and never to flinch from the blows of adversity!”

• The Tiger Swami was a renowned tiger fighter who had defeated many wild beasts in his youth.
• He was visited by a sage who warned him that his next encounter with a tiger would result in severe injuries and six months of sickness, after which he would renounce worldly desires and become a monk.
• Skeptical of the sage's words, the Tiger Swami continued to fight tigers until he was challenged by the prince of Cooch Behar to fight his most fierce tiger, Raja Begum.
• The battle between the Tiger Swami and Raja Begum was a grueling one, with both man and beast severely injured. In the end, the Tiger Swami emerged victorious but was left with deep wounds that led to blood poisoning.
• After recovering from his injuries, the Tiger Swami realized the truth in the sage's words and became a monk, dedicating himself to spiritual pursuits.

“Mind is the wielder of muscles. The force of a hammer blow depends on the energy applied; the power expressed by a man’s bodily instrument depends on his aggressive will and courage. The body is literally manufactured and sustained by mind. Through pressure of instincts from past lives, strengths or weaknesses percolate gradually into human consciousness. They express as habits, which in turn ossify into a desirable or an undesirable body. Outward frailty has mental origin; in a vicious circle, the habit-bound body thwarts the mind. If the master allows himself to be commanded by a servant, the latter becomes autocratic; the mind is similarly enslaved by submitting to bodily dictation.”

“Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you. The future will take care of itself......”

• Bhaduri Mahasaya, a levitating saint, has lived indoors for the past twenty years and is known for his remarkable feats of mastering various pranayamas that allow him to defy gravity.
• The saint goes against societal norms and stays secluded to maintain focus on his spiritual practices, often ignoring the worldly distractions around him.
• Bhaduri Mahasaya trains disciples who will become living volumes of knowledge and spread yoga teachings to future generations.
• The sage's teachings emphasize the importance of love for God beyond mere meditation techniques.
• He engages in discourses that sweep away mental debris, leading listeners toward God through peaceful floods of wisdom.
• Mirabai, a medieval princess, abandoned her court life to seek the company of sadhus and composed ecstatic songs about the importance of love for the divine.
• The customary offering of rupees in a guru's slippers signifies the disciple's respect and acknowledgment that they are in the presence of God in disguise.
• Bhaduri Mahasaya views renunciation as an opportunity to embrace a cosmic empire of endless bliss rather than denying oneself worldly possessions.
• The saint holds faith in the divine order, believing it arranges future events wisely for its devotees.

“You go often into the silence, but have you developed anubhava?” He was reminding me to love God more than meditation. “Do not mistake the technique for the Goal.”

“Mirabai composed many ecstatic songs which are still treasured in India; I translate one of them here: “If by bathing daily God could be realised Sooner would I be a whale in the deep; If by eating roots and fruits He could be known Gladly would I choose the form of a goat; If the counting of rosaries uncovered Him I would say my prayers on mammoth beads; If bowing before stone images unveiled Him A flinty mountain I would humbly worship; If by drinking milk the Lord could be imbibed Many calves and children would know Him; If abandoning one’s wife would summon God Would not thousands be eunuchs? Mirabai knows that to find the Divine One The only indispensable is Love.”

“I have left a few paltry rupees, a few petty pleasures, for a cosmic empire of endless bliss. How then have I denied myself anything? I know the joy of sharing the treasure. Is that a sacrifice? The shortsighted worldly folk are verily the real renunciates! They relinquish an unparalleled divine possession for a poor handful of earthly toys!”

• J.C. Bose was a pioneering Indian scientist who made significant contributions in both physics and botany.
• He invented the wireless coherer and an instrument for indicating the refraction of electric waves before Marconi, but did not commercialize his inventions.
• His discoveries as a plant physiologist are groundbreaking and have outpaced even his achievements in physics.
• Bose was educated at Cambridge and combined Western scientific methods with his Eastern heritage to make significant discoveries.
• He discovered that plants have a sensitive nervous system and a varied emotional life, which were previously thought of as only poetic imagery.
• Bose's inventions, such as the crescograph and resonant cardiograph, have opened up new avenues of research in physics, physiology, medicine, agriculture, and even psychology.
• His work has led to a better understanding of the life-force in metals and their response to stimuli.
• Bose's discoveries have been substantiated by later scientists and have contributed significantly to lessening human suffering.

“The poet is intimate with truth, while the scientist approaches awkwardly.”

“In the pursuit of my investigations I was unconsciously led into the border region of physics and physiology. To my amazement, I found boundary lines vanishing, and points of contact emerging, between the realms of the living and the non-living. Inorganic matter was perceived as anything but inert; it was athrill under the action of multitudinous forces. “A universal reaction seemed to bring metal, plant and animal under a common law. They all exhibited essentially the same phenomena of fatigue and depression, with possibilities of recovery and of exaltation, as well as the permanent irresponsiveness associated with death. Filled with awe at this stupendous generalization, it was with great hope that I announced my results before the Royal Society—results demonstrated by experiments.”

“The more deeply we perceive, the more striking becomes the evidence that a uniform plan links every form in manifold nature.”

• Master Mahasaya was in deep communication with the Universal Mother, while the narrator was blind to Her presence.
• The narrator's pleas for intervention resulted in a promise from Master Mahasaya.
• The Divine Mother appeared to the narrator in a vision and assured him of Her love.
• Master Mahasaya conducted a small high school, where he spread his wisdom through spiritual contagion rather than strict rules.
• The saint was deeply devoted to the Divine Mother and took numerous pilgrimages to temples dedicated to Her.
• Master Mahasaya had control over the narrator's emotions and could bring him bliss or deep sorrow.
• Master Mahasaya possessed a profound connection with the Divine and could communicate with the Universe.
• The saint and the narrator shared a deep bond as devotees of the Mother.
• Mukunda's spiritual quest led him to meet a number of spiritual masters, including Lahiri Mahasaya and Sri Yukteswar Giri.
• Lahiri Mahasaya gave Mukunda the sacred thread initiation and taught him Kriya Yoga. He also predicted that Mukunda would meet his guru, Sri Yukteswar Giri.
• Mukunda faced opposition from Dyanandaji's followers and was unable to live in peace at the hermitage.
• One day, Mukunda had a vision of Sri Yukteswar Giri and followed him to Benares, where he finally met his guru.
• Sri Yukteswar Giri confirmed Mukunda as his disciple but made it clear that there would be strict training involved.
• Mukunda was reluctant to leave the hermitage and return home to Calcutta as his family expected, but he eventually left with Jitendra to follow Sri Yukteswar Giri in Serampore.

“Ordinary love is selfish, darkly rooted in desires and satisfactions. Divine love is without condition, without boundary, without change. The flux of the human heart is gone forever at the transfixing touch of pure love.”

• Mukunda, a young man from Bengal, meets an elderly sage named Lahiri Mahasaya during a visit to his hometown in Benares.
• The sage initiates Mukunda into the secret of Kriya Yoga, a spiritual practice that promises quick spiritual growth.
• Mukunda then travels with his friend Jitendra to Brindaban, where they meet Pratap Chatterji, a young man who believes Mukunda is his guru.
• Pratap offers to pay for their travel and sightseeing expenses in Brindaban, and Mukunda accepts.
• After their visit to Brindaban, Mukunda and Jitendra return to Agra, where they stay with Ananta, Mukunda's brother.
• Ananta is skeptical of their sudden wealth but is eventually convinced when they reveal the story of their adventures in Brindaban.
• Mukunda then travels to Serampore to meet Lahiri Mahasaya again, twenty-eight days after their initial meeting.
• Sri Yukteswar was a highly realized master who had a profound impact on Paramahansa Yogananda.
• He emphasized selfless service, devotion to God, and the importance of inner realization.
• He was a strict disciplinarian and demanded high standards from his disciples.
• He was well-versed in various scriptures and had a deep understanding of Indian philosophy.
• He was unafraid to speak truth to those who came to him seeking guidance, regardless of their worldly position or status.
• He had a strong will and unshakable inner peace, even in the face of adversity.
• He believed that true wisdom is not gained through book knowledge alone, but through direct experience and realization.
• He was financially independent and did not ask for money from his disciples, believing that a guru should not be a burden on those he serves.
• He had the ability to see the best in people and bring out their hidden potential.
• He was a humble servant of God and saw all beings as expressions of the Divine.

“Moral: Look fear in the face and it will cease to trouble you. “Another”

“Moral: Attachment is blinding; it lends an imaginary halo of attractiveness to the object of desire. “A”

“it has been your thoughts that have made you feel alternately weak and strong.’ My guru looked at me affectionately. ‘You have seen how your health has exactly followed your subconscious expectations. Thought is a force, even as electricity or gravitation. The human mind is a spark of the almighty consciousness of God. I could show you that whatever your powerful mind believes very intensely would instantly come to pass.’ “Knowing”

“In shallow men the fish of little thoughts cause much commotion. In oceanic minds the whales of inspiration make hardly a ruffle.”

“Forget the past,” Sri Yukteswar would console him. “The vanished lives of all men are dark with many shames. Human conduct is ever unreliable until man is anchored in the Divine. Everything in future will improve if you are making a spiritual effort now.”

“The body is a treacherous friend. Give it its due; no more. Pain and pleasure are transitory; endure all dualities with calmness, trying at the same time to remove yourself beyond their power. Imagination is the door through which disease as well as healing enters. Disbelieve in the reality of sickness even when you are ill; an unrecognized visitor will flee!”

“Good manners without sincerity are like a beautiful dead lady,” he remarked on suitable occasion. “Straightforwardness without civility is like a surgeon’s knife, effective but unpleasant. Candor with courtesy is helpful and admirable.”

“You do not have to struggle to reach God, but you do have to struggle to tear away the self-created veil that hides him from you”

“There are disciples who seek a guru made in their own image.”

“You have come to earth to entertain and to be entertained.”

“Keen intelligence is two-edged,” Master once remarked in reference to Kumar’s brilliant mind. “It may be used constructively or destructively, like a knife, either to cut the boil of ignorance, or to decapitate oneself. Intelligence is rightly guided only after the mind has acknowledged the inescapability of spiritual law.”

“Discerning placement of a comma does not atone for a spiritual coma.”

“Master stressed on other occasions the futility of mere book learning. “Do not confuse understanding with a larger vocabulary,” he remarked. “Sacred writings are beneficial in stimulating desire for inward realization, if one stanza at a time is slowly assimilated. Continual intellectual study results in vanity and the false satisfaction of an undigested knowledge.”

“If one busies himself with an outer display of scriptural wealth, what time is left for silent inward diving after the priceless pearls?” Sri”

“He fitted the Vedic definition of a man of God: “Softer than the flower, where kindness is concerned; stronger than the thunder, where principles are at stake.”

“Some people try to be tall by cutting off the heads of others!”

• Seeking wisdom from a teacher is more beneficial than seeking it from an inert object like a mountain.
• God can be found within oneself and in holy shrines.
• Masters cannot be bound to specific locations, and spiritual enlightenment comes to those who are willing to seek it.
• Meditation and devotion are essential for spiritual growth.
• The yogi's body may not need sleep due to extended meditation, but the internal organs still require rest.
• God is Eternity Itself, and full knowledge of Him cannot be achieved in a short time.
• Persistence and hard work in spiritual practice can lead to divine attainment.

“Man's conscious state is an awareness of body and breath. His subconscious state, active in sleep, is associated with his mental, and temporary, separation from body and breath. His superconscious state is a freedom from the delusion that "existence" depends on body and breath. God lives without breath; the soul made in his image becomes conscious of itself, for the first time, only during the breathless state.”

• Sri Yukteswar taught that true love comes from not expecting anything from others and being happy in their happiness.
• Meditation is essential for spiritual growth, but it requires focus and dedication.
• The soul must balance worldly duties with spiritual growth.
• Cosmic consciousness is a state of awareness beyond the physical body, where one experiences oneness with the universe.
• Cosmic consciousness comes to those who have prepared their minds through meditation and devotion.
• God is inexhaustible joy and bliss; spiritual advancement is not measured by outward powers but by depth of meditation.
• Ever-new joy is evidence of God's existence and provides guidance in life.
• Human life is full of sorrow until one tunes in with the Divine Will for guidance.

“Wrath springs only from thwarted desires. I do not expect anything from others, so their actions cannot be in opposition to wishes of mine. I would not use you for my own ends; I am happy only in your own true happiness.”

“An Experience in Cosmic Consciousness: The divine dispersion of rays poured from an Eternal Source; blazing into galaxies. I saw the creative beams condense into constellations, then resolve into sheets of transparent flame.

Irradiating splendor issued from my nucleus to every part of the universal structure.”

“The soul must stretch over the cosmogonic abysses, while the body performs its daily duties.”

“It is the Spirit of God that actively sustains every form and force in the universe; yet He is transcendental and aloof in the blissful uncreated void beyond the worlds of vibratory phenomena,” Master explained. “Saints who realize their divinity even while in the flesh know a similar twofold existence. Conscientiously engaging in earthly work, they yet remain immersed in an inward beatitude. The Lord has created all men from the limitless joy of His being. Though they are painfully cramped by the body, God nevertheless expects that souls made in His image shall ultimately rise above all sense identifications and reunite with Him.”

“A master bestows the divine experience of cosmic consciousness when his disciple, by meditation, has strengthened his mind to a degree where the vast vistas would not overwhelm him. Mere intellectual willingness or open-mindedness is not enough. Only adequate enlargement of consciousness by yoga practice and devotional bhakti can prepare one to absorb the liberating shock of omnipresence.”

• Sri Yukteswar had the ability to know when items were missing and could intuitively locate them.
• He believed that God responds to sincere prayers of devotees.
• The Hindu festival of Solstice was celebrated with a procession, where Sri Yukteswar requested rain to make the journey comfortable for his students. The request was granted, providing shade and cooling rain during their parade.
• Sri Yukteswar was a master musician who emphasized the importance of melody and the voice in Indian music, which is considered a spiritual art aimed at personal harmony with the Oversoul.
• He spoke to his students about the value of Kriya Yoga and living a simple life.
• One night, Sri Yukteswar cooked for some late-arriving students and allowed Paramahansa Yogananda to sleep in his bed.
• Sri Yukteswar expected the students and believed they had missed their trains, even though it was the middle of the night.

“The goal of yoga science is to calm the mind, that without distortion it may hear the infallible counsel of the Inner Voice.”

“The ancient rishis discovered these laws of sound alliance between nature and man. Because nature is an objectification of Aum, the Primal Sound or Vibratory Word, man can obtain control over all natural manifestations through the use of certain mantras or chants.”

• Sri Yukteswar explained that astrology is not about destiny but rather a prod to pride, encouraging individuals to determine their own freedom from limitations.
• He clarified common misunderstandings in Hindu scriptures and the Bible, using logical reasoning and intuitive understanding.
• Master expounded on various religious texts, emphasizing the importance of spiritual vision and inner development.
• The human body was not solely a result of evolution but also an act of special creation by God. Humans were given tremendous mental capacity and acutely awakened occult centers in the spine, enabling them to express full divinity.
• The story of Adam and Eve symbolically represents reason (Adam) and feeling (Eve), with their fall from grace representing humanity's misuse of these aspects. It is the personal responsibility of every human being to restore harmony between reason and feeling.

“It is never a question of belief; the only scientific attitude one can take on any subject is whether it is true. The law of gravitation worked as efficiently before Newton as after him. The cosmos would be fairly chaotic if its laws could not operate without the sanction of human belief.”

“The balanced rhythm of the universe is rooted in reciprocity,”

“Astrology is the study of man’s response to planetary stimuli. The stars have no conscious benevolence or animosity; they merely send forth positive and negative radiations. Of themselves, these do not help or harm humanity, but offer a lawful channel for the outward operation of cause-effect equilibriums which each man has set into motion in the past. “A child is born on that day and at that hour when the celestial rays are in mathematical harmony with his individual karma. His horoscope is a challenging portrait, revealing his unalterable past and its probable future results. But the natal chart can be rightly interpreted only by men of intuitive wisdom: these are few.”

“Seeds of past karma cannot germinate if they are roasted in the fires of divine wisdom.”

“The deeper the Self-realization of a man, the more he influences the whole universe by his subtle spiritual vibrations, and the less he himself is affected by the phenomenal flux.”

• Dr. Roy, a veterinary surgeon and confirmed agnostic, brought his son Santosh to meet Swami Sri Yukteswar.
• Sri Yukteswar predicted that Dr. Roy would recover from diabetes but only if he wore an astrological bangle.
• Dr. Roy initially refused to wear the bangle, but eventually did so when he fell ill.
• Sri Yukteswar advised Dr. Roy to stop eating meat, but he ignored this advice and later died of tuberculosis.
• Sri Yukteswar was fond of Sasi, a college friend of Mukunda, but warned him that he would be dangerously ill within a year if he didn't reform.
• Sasi did not take Sri Yukteswar's advice seriously and continued to live wildly. When he fell ill with tuberculosis, he begged for help from his guru.
• Sri Yukteswar tested Sasi's faith by telling him that the sapphires he had brought were no longer useful. He eventually healed Sasi but warned him to get an astrological bangle and wear it.
• Mukunda fled to Puri to ask Sri Yukteswar for help with his college examinations, which he had neglected due to his spiritual pursuits.
• Sri Yukteswar advised Mukunda to study diligently for the exams and promised that he would pass.
• After passing the exams, Mukunda was surprised when Sri Yukteswar announced that he would be allowed to continue his university studies in Serampore.
• Afzal Khan, a Mohammedan wonder-worker, acquired his powers through a chance encounter with a Hindu yogi.
• The yogi rewarded Afzal's truthfulness and obedience by teaching him a yoga method that gave him command over one invisible realm.
• Afzal misused his powers by disappearing objects he touched and using them for selfish gain, creating an uproar among Bengali jewelers and ticket-sellers.
• The police were unable to arrest Afzal due to his ability to remove incriminating evidence with a command to "Hazrat, take this away."
• Afzal was eventually confronted by his old master, who revoked his powers for misuse and sent him on a path of repentance and seeking forgiveness in the mountains.
• Dijen, who was skeptical about spiritual matters, became peacefully devoted to Sri Yukteswar after experiencing his spiritual presence.
• Sri Yukteswar appeared physically before Paramhansa Yogananda in Serampore despite being summoned to Calcutta.
• Trusting intuition over written instructions can lead to unexpected encounters with the guru.
• The material world can fade away, revealing a divine presence.
• Sri Yukteswar's spiritual power left Dijen feeling humbled and insufficient in comparison to his guru's wisdom.
• The protagonist repeatedly tries to convince his guru and friends to go on a trip to Kashmir but faces repeated refusals.
• Father gives the protagonist train passes and money for the trip, despite being skeptical of its necessity.
• The protagonist's guru remains noncommittal about the trip and eventually refuses to go, causing the protagonist to become determined to go with his friends regardless.
• The protagonist is unable to find companions for the trip as each potential companion backs out due to various reasons.
• The protagonist becomes ill with cholera before the trip, which he later learns was a result of his guru's intervention to prevent him from going on an unnecessary and potentially dangerous journey.
• The protagonist comes to understand that his guru had used subtle means to prevent him from going on the trip and realizes the importance of trusting his guru's judgment.
• Sri Yukteswar suffered from a severe fever in Kashmir, possibly taking on the illnesses of his disciples to alleviate their suffering.
• The transfer of disease from one person to another is a yogic method used by highly advanced spiritual masters to help those in need.
• A strong will and devotion can help individuals overcome physical hardships and achieve spiritual realization.
• Jesus is an example of a master who took on the sins of others to quicken their evolution towards God-realization.
• A sickly body does not necessarily indicate that a guru is not in touch with divine powers, and a master's qualifications should be sought in the spiritual realm rather than physical health or eloquence.

“Xochimilco in Mexico, where skies, mountains, and poplars are reflected,”

• My sister Roma asked me for help in getting her husband, Satish, to turn away from materialistic views and attend the Dakshineswar temple with us.
• I suggested that we go to the temple the next day and persuade Satish to come without revealing our true intentions.
• During the trip, Satish mocked spirituality and made sarcastic comments, while Roma wept silently.
• I encouraged Roma not to give in to Satish's taunts and advised her to remain calm and focused on her faith.
• At the temple, I meditated in the lotus position and prayed for Divine Mother to touch Satish's heart.
• After five hours of meditation, the temple doors were locked for noon hour customs, but I was granted a vision of Goddess Kali who assured me that Satish's wish would be granted.
• Later that day, a priest appeared and provided us with a lavish meal, much to Satish's surprise and amazement.
• The next day, Roma reported that Satish had wept openly and expressed remorse for his previous actions towards her and me.
• Years later, I visited Satish and found that he had developed spiritually and was engaged in regular meditation despite a serious illness.
• My sister Roma died soon after making a prediction about her own death and leaving instructions for her husband to join her in the afterlife.
• The protagonist ignored his philosophy textbook assignments and was warned by Professor Ghoshal that he would fail the course if he didn't pass the final exam.
• To avoid failing, the protagonist hid his identity on the exam paper and tricked Professor Ghoshal into giving him a high rating.
• Despite receiving low marks in other subjects, the protagonist was eligible to sit for the A.B. examinations due to his trick in philosophy.
• The protagonist visited his guru Sri Yukteswar daily and asked for help with preparing for the A.B. examinations.
• His guru advised him to appear for the examinations and promised that a friend, Romesh, would help him.
• Romesh provided coaching and helped the protagonist answer questions on English literature and Bengali.
• The protagonist realized he had made an error in answering one of the exam papers and rushed to his guru for help.
• His guru reassured him and reminded him that passing was more likely than failing.
• Romesh had a hunch about difficult questions in Bengali, which proved true when the examination sheet contained instructions on Vidyasagar's charities and life.
• The protagonist passed all his examinations with the help of Romesh and received his A.B. degree from Calcutta University.
• The protagonist thanked his guru for the blessings that helped him pass the examinations and graduate.
• The text describes the author's journey to becoming a monk of the Swami Order and the significance of choosing this path.
• God is described as the sole Owner of the cosmos, yet man's love is one thing He does not own. The Creator has covered His omnipotence with a velvet glove of humility.
• The author becomes a swami through initiation by his guru and receives the name Yogananda, which symbolizes supreme bliss through divine union.
• Swamis belong to an ancient monastic order with a formal connection to Lord Shankara and take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
• The ideal of selfless service to all mankind and renunciation of personal ties leads many swamis to engage in humanitarian and educational work.
• Swamis may also be yogis, who practice a scientific technique of God-contact through disciplining the body and mind.
• Yoga is applicable to people of all climes and times as it aims to control the fluctuations of the mind and attain timeless bliss.
• Patanjali's definition of yoga as control of the mind, and his Eightfold Path leading to Kaivalya or realization of the Truth beyond intellectual apprehension are highlighted.
• Swamis and yogis are not mutually exclusive, but achieving oneness with God eliminates distinctions between paths.
• Yoga offers a possibility for mental and physiological discipline and promises undreamed-of possibilities.
• The inner science of self-control will become as necessary in the new Atomic Age as the outer conquest of nature.

“If you don’t invite God to be your summer Guest, He won’t come in the winter of your life.”

“A swami may conceivably follow only the path of dry reasoning, of cold renunciation; but a yogi engages himself in a definite, step-by-step procedure by which the body and mind are disciplined and the soul gradually liberated. Taking nothing for granted on emotional grounds or by faith, a yogi practices a thoroughly tested series of exercises that were first mapped out by the ancient rishis. In every age of India, yoga has produced men who became truly free, true Yogi-Christs.”

“Yoga has been superficially misunderstood by certain Western writers, but its critics have never been its practitioners. Among many thoughtful tributes to yoga may be mentioned one by Dr. C. G. Jung, the famous Swiss psychologist. “When a religious method recommends itself as ‘scientific,’ it can be certain of its public in the West. Yoga fulfills this expectation,” Dr. Jung writes.10 “Quite apart from the charm of the new and the fascination of the half-understood, there is good cause for Yoga to have many adherents. It offers the possibility of controllable experience and thus satisfies the scientific need for ‘facts’; and, besides this, by reason of its breadth and depth, its venerable age, its doctrine and method, which include every phase of life, it promises undreamed-of possibilities. “Every religious or philosophical practice means a psychological discipline, that is, a method of mental hygiene. The manifold, purely bodily procedures of Yoga11 also mean a physiological hygiene which is superior to ordinary gymnastics and breathing exercises, inasmuch as it is not merely mechanistic and scientific, but also philosophical; in its training of the parts of the body, it unites them with the whole of the spirit, as is quite clear, for instance, in the Pranayama exercises where Prana is both the breath and the universal dynamics of the cosmos…. “Yoga practice...would be ineffectual without the concepts on which Yoga is based. It combines the bodily and the spiritual in an extraordinarily complete way. “In the East, where these ideas and practices have developed, and where for several thousand years an unbroken tradition has created the necessary spiritual foundations, Yoga is, as I can readily believe, the perfect and appropriate method of fusing body and mind together so that they form a unity which is scarcely to be questioned. This unity creates a psychological disposition which makes possible intuitions that transcend consciousness.”

• The protagonist receives a realization that his brother Ananda has passed away during a visit to Shanghai.
• He buys a bamboo souvenir for Ananda but drops it and cracks it, understanding that his brother's soul has been freed.
• Ananda's passing is kept secret from the protagonist by Dr. Misra and his family.
• The protagonist's younger sister Nalini was previously thin and unattractive, and he teased her about it.
• Nalini marries a Calcutta physician named Dr. Bose and remains thin and unattractive despite her husband's efforts to help her gain weight.
• The protagonist and Dr. Bose become friends and often joke at Nalini's expense.
• Nalini asks the protagonist for help in becoming plump like him, and he promises that she will gain weight within a month.
• Nalini becomes plump and her husband falls deeply in love with her.
• Nalini falls ill with typhoid fever and is near death when the protagonist returns from Japan.
• The protagonist prays for Nalini's recovery and engages an Anglo-Indian nurse to help care for her.
• Sri Yukteswar promises that Nalini's legs will be healed within a month and advises her to wear a pearl next to her skin.
• Nalini's legs are healed, but she is left with paralyzed legs that Indian and English specialists deem hopeless.
• The protagonist goes to Sri Yukteswar for help and is told that Nalini will give birth to two daughters in a few years.
• Nalini eventually gives birth to two daughters.
• Kriya Yoga is a scientific spiritual practice that focuses on controlling the breath and harnessing its life force to awaken the dormant Kundalini energy in the spine, leading to spiritual growth and self-realization.
• The practice involves specific breathing techniques, postures, and meditation to purify the body and mind, and develop concentration and inner peace.
• Kriya Yoga is based on ancient Indian spiritual traditions, specifically the teachings of the sage Lahiri Mahasaya and his disciple Paramhansa Yogananda.
• The practice emphasizes the importance of selfless service, devotion to God, and living a pure and ethical life as essential complements to the yoga technique itself.
• Kriya Yoga has been shown to have numerous health benefits, including reduced stress, improved respiratory function, and increased energy and vitality.
• The ultimate goal of Kriya Yoga is to realize the presence of God within oneself and achieve union with the Divine. This state of consciousness is referred to as Self-Realization or Enlightenment.
• Kriya Yoga is a practical, accessible spiritual practice that can be practiced by anyone regardless of age, health, or prior experience. It requires no special equipment or location, and can be done in the comfort of one's own home.
• The teachings of Kriya Yoga are disseminated through authorized teachers who have received the initiation and blessing from a qualified guru, ensuring the authentic transmission of the practice.
• Kriya Yoga is not a religion or sectarian organization, but rather a spiritual technology that can be practiced by people of all faiths and backgrounds. It emphasizes the unity of all paths that lead to God and encourages interfaith understanding and cooperation.

“in the Bhagavad Gita. One stanza reads: “Offering the inhaling breath into the exhaling breath and offering the exhaling breath into the inhaling breath, the yogi neutralizes both breaths; thus he releases prana from the heart and brings life force under his control.”2 The interpretation is: “The yogi arrests decay in the body by securing an additional supply of prana (life force) through quieting the action of the lungs and heart; he also arrests mutations of growth in the body by control of apana (eliminating current). Thus neutralizing decay and growth, the yogi learns life-force control.” Another Gita stanza states: “That meditation-expert (muni) becomes eternally free who, seeking the Supreme Goal, is able to withdraw from external phenomena by fixing his gaze within the mid-spot of the eyebrows and by neutralizing the even currents of prana and apana [that flow] within the nostrils and lungs; and to control his sensory mind and intellect; and to banish desire, fear, and anger.”3”

• Lahiri Mahasaya's teachings emphasized selfless love, devotion to God, and the practice of Kriya Yoga for spiritual growth.
• Lahiri Mahasaya had a deep connection with Swami Vivekananda and influenced him through his letters and meetings.
• Lahiri Mahasaya also had a significant impact on the young Paramahansa Yogananda, who later became a renowned yoga master and founded the Self-Realization Fellowship.
• The practice of Kriya Yoga involves specific techniques for meditation and spiritual development.
• The teachings of Lahiri Mahasaya emphasize the importance of selfless service and living in harmony with nature.
• Lahiri Mahasaya's influence spread beyond India, inspiring countless individuals to seek spiritual growth and self-realization.

“the true stature of a great work may not at first be recognized by those of a more conventional cast of mind.”

• A young boy named Kashi, who was a brilliant student and beloved by all, asked the swami about his fate. The swami unexpectedly replied that he would soon be dead.
• The shock of this revelation led Kashi to ask the swami if he would find him when he was reborn and bring him back to the spiritual path.
• The swami made a promise to Kashi, but later felt constrained to refuse the occult responsibility.
• Despite his promise, the swami could not shake the thought of Kashi from his mind and began a search for him using yoga techniques.
• After six months of practice, the swami received a response from Kashi's soul and was able to locate him living in the womb of a woman whose home was near "Serpentine Lane" in Calcutta.
• The man living there confirmed that he and his wife were expecting a child, and the swami was able to describe the child's appearance and disposition accurately based on Kashi's traits.
• The reborn Kashi grew up to be strikingly similar to the original boy in appearance and longed to follow the spiritual path as a renunciate.
• The swami directed the teenage Kashi to a Himalayan master for guidance.
• Rabindranath Tagore inspired Bhola to express himself through song, having attended his school in Santiniketan.
• Tagore's songs and poetry gained international recognition after being translated into English, despite criticism from scholars in Bengal.
• Tagore openly criticized his critics for their narrow-mindedness and embraced the admiration of the Western world.
• Rabindranath Tagore and the founder of Ranchi school shared similar educational ideals, including outdoor instruction and fostering creativity.
• Tagore placed emphasis on literature, poetry, music, and self-expression, while Ranchi incorporated yoga practices for concentration and energy.
• Tagore had a humble upbringing and opened Santiniketan to provide children with an environment conducive to their full expression.
• Devendranath Tagore, Rabindranath's father, was also a remarkable figure known for his public benefactions and spiritual pursuits.
• Rabindranath's poetry and songs often referred to God without explicitly mentioning the name.

“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; Where words come out from the depth of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit; Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action; Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake!” —Rabindranath Tagore”

• The universe is an illusion (maya) and its substance is light.
• The laws of science, particularly those related to light and matter, support the concept of maya.
• Masters can materialize and dematerialize objects using their infinite consciousness and the creative power of light.
• Dreams demonstrate the omnipotence of the mind and the unity of consciousness with the infinite.
• God created man in His image, giving him dominion over the physical world.
• The cosmos is a vast motion picture, with light and shadow playing an essential role in its creation.
• Suffering is a necessary part of creation to remind us of our eternal reality beyond maya.

“structure of creation. Nature herself is maya; natural science must perforce”

“The Cosmic Director has written His own plays, and assembled the tremendous casts for the pageant of the centuries. From the dark booth of eternity, He pours His creative beam through the films of successive ages, and the pictures are thrown on the screen of space. Just as the motion-picture images appear to be real, but are only combinations of light and shade, so is the universal variety a delusive seeming. The planetary spheres, with their countless forms of life, are naught but figures in a cosmic motion picture, temporarily true to five sense perceptions as the scenes are cast on the screen of man’s consciousness by the infinite creative beam.”

• Lahiri Mahasaya was an enlightened master who lived in Bengal during the late 19th century.
• He was known for his ability to perform miracles and heal people of various ailments.
• He had many famous disciples, including Yukteswar Giri and Paramhansa Yogananda.
• Lahiri Mahasaya's teachings emphasized the importance of selfless love and devotion to God.
• He also taught that true spiritual realization comes through regular meditation practice and the surrender of one's ego.
• One of his disciples, Abhoya, was saved from a train accident by Lahiri Mahasaya's intervention.
• Another disciple, Kali Kumar Roy, related stories of Lahiri Mahasaya's miraculous abilities and encounters with other enlightened masters such as Trailanga Swami.
• Shankari Mai Jiew is a woman saint who was a disciple of both Lahiri Mahasaya and Trailanga Swami. She lived in seclusion for many years in the Himalayas before coming out to attend religious fairs periodically.
• Lahiri Mahasaya was a 19th century Indian yogi who popularized the ancient practice of Kriya Yoga, a spiritual path for attaining self-realization and union with God.
• He was born in Ghurni, Bengal, as the youngest son of Muktakashi in a pious Brahmin family.
• Lahiri Mahasaya spent his early years in Nadia where he often sat in yogic posture under the sand. His mother was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva.
• In 1833, the Lahiri estate and a Shiva temple were destroyed when the Jalangi River changed its course and disappeared into the Ganges.
• Gaur Mohan Lahiri, Lahiri Mahasaya's father, built a new Shiva temple in Benares where they moved and lived. He was an educated man who followed Vedic discipline but also embraced modern ideas.
• Lahiri Mahasaya was married to Kashi Moni in 1851 and had two sons. He worked as an accountant for the Military Engineering Department of the English government, rising to several promotions.
• In his thirty-third year, Lahiri Mahasaya met his guru, Babaji, near Ranikhet and was initiated into Kriya Yoga. This event brought the lost practice of Kriya Yoga back to light for the benefit of humanity.
• Babaji's promise of immortality was made before Ram Gopal Muzumdar and a group of Lahiri Mahasaya's disciples at the Dasasamedh bathing ghat in Benares.
• Mataji, Babaji's sister, facilitated the meeting and revealed that Babaji intended to shed his body and merge with the Infinite Current.
• Mataji questioned why Babaji should leave his form if it made no difference, and he promised never to do so.
• Ram Gopal was blessed to be a witness to this immortal promise.
• Lahiri Mahasaya confirmed that Ram Gopal had indeed met Babaji and Mataji.
• Babaji's decision to remain in his physical body is part of a hidden divine plan for this earth.
• Lahiri Mahasaya met his guru, Babaji Maharaj, in 1861 in the Himalayan region of Bengal.
• Babaji initiated Lahiri into Kriya Yoga and gave him a silver amulet bearing the mantra "Hari-Aum."
• Lahiri returned to his family and work but continued practicing Kriya Yoga daily. He also spread the teachings to others, including his disciple Sri Yukteswar.
• In 1895, Lahiri Mahasaya met Babaji again, this time at Allahabad during the Kumbha Mela festival. Babaji was serving a renunciate and teaching him humility.

“Your SPINE is your Body BATTERY. Keep it CHARGED.”

“Truth is for earnest seekers, not for those of idle curiosity. It is easy to believe when one sees; there is nothing then to deny. Supersensual truth is deserved and discovered by those who overcome their natural materialistic skepticism.”

• Lahiri Mahasaya was a great spiritual master and guru who propagated Kriya Yoga, a simple yet powerful technique for spiritual growth and self-realization.
• He was born in 1828 in Bengal, India, and received his initial spiritual training from Babaji, a revered yogi.
• Lahiri Mahasaya lived a humble life, working as a government clerk and raising a family, but he dedicated himself to spreading the teachings of Kriya Yoga.
• He had a unique ability to connect with people of all backgrounds and faiths, inspiring them to seek the inner path to God.
• Lahiri Mahasaya's teachings emphasized selfless service, devotion, and the importance of regular spiritual practice.
• He traveled extensively throughout India, attracting a large following of devoted disciples who spread his teachings far and wide.
• His life and teachings had a profound impact on the spiritual development of India, inspiring generations of seekers to follow in his footsteps.
• Lahiri Mahasaya passed away in 1895, leaving behind a rich legacy of spiritual wisdom and inspiration that continues to influence people around the world today.

“The soul having been often born, or, as the Hindus say, ‘traveling the path of existence through thousands of births’ ... there is nothing of which she has not gained the knowledge; no wonder that she is able to recollect... what formerly she knew.... For inquiry and learning is reminiscence all.”-Emerson.”

“Stillness is the altar of spirit.”

• Lahiri Mahasaya was a renowned spiritual master and householder who lived in Bengal during the late 19th century. He was the guru of Sri Yukteswar Giri, Swami Keshabananda, and other prominent disciples.
• Lahiri Mahasaya's life was marked by numerous miraculous experiences and spiritual encounters, including those with Babaji-Keshavananda and other enlightened masters.
• He taught his disciples the importance of practicing Kriya Yoga and living a virtuous life in accordance with Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism). His teachings had a profound impact on their spiritual growth and inspired them to become great masters themselves.
• Lahiri Mahasaya's death was also marked by miraculous events, as he reportedly resurrected his body after cremation and appeared before some of his disciples in different cities. His legacy continues to inspire seekers on the spiritual path.
• The protagonist has a vision of going to America and receives an invitation to address a religious congress there.
• He faces a language barrier but receives help from his guru, allowing him to give successful lectures in England and America.
• After arriving in America, he establishes an American headquarters, tours the country, and writes books on yoga and spirituality.
• He experiences joy and understanding between East and West and quotes Emma Lazarus's poem about the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of welcome for immigrants.

“Forget you were born a Hindu, and don’t be an American. Take the best of them both,”

• Luther Burbank believed that love was essential for improved plant breeding.
• He talked to plants and plucked them himself, believing in creating a vibration of love to produce thornless varieties.
• Burbank's first notable achievement was the large potato, followed by numerous cross-improvements on various plants.
• Natural evolution can be hastened through intelligent crossing and selection.
• Education should focus on simple and rational living, returning to nature and nature's God.
• New types of training are needed for children with fearless experiments and innovations.
• The human will is weaker than a plant's tenacious will but can be changed by blending new life through crossing and selection.
• Burbank believed in the ancient theory of reincarnation, practiced Kriya yoga, and felt close to the Infinite Power.
• He had visions of his deceased mother and received initiation into Kriya yoga during one of your visits.
• Burbank's home was austerely simple, knowing the worthlessness of luxury and the joy of few possessions.
• After passing away, Burbank's name became a synonym for goodness and improvement through selection.

“I look forward optimistically to a healthy, happy world as soon as its children are taught the principles of simple and rational living. We must return to nature and nature’s God.”

“{Yogananda on the death of his dear friend, the eminent 20th century scientist, Luther Burbank}

His heart was fathomlessly deep, long acquainted with humility, patience, sacrifice. His little home amid the roses was austerely simple; he knew the worthlessness of luxury, the joy of few possessions. The modesty with which he wore his scientific fame repeatedly reminded me of the trees that bend low with the burden of ripening fruits; it is the barren tree that lifts its head high in an empty boast.

I was in New York when, in 1926, my dear friend passed away. In tears I thought, 'Oh, I would gladly walk all the way from here to Santa Rosa for one more glimpse of him!' Locking myself away from secretaries and visitors, I spent the next twenty-four hours in seclusion...

His name has now passed into the heritage of common speech. Listing 'burbank' as a transitive verb, Webster's New International Dictionary defines it: 'To cross or graft (a plant). Hence, figuratively, to improve (anything, as a process or institution) by selecting good features and rejecting bad, or by adding good features.'

'Beloved Burbank,' I cried after reading the definition, 'your very name is now a synonym for goodness!”

• Therese Neumann, a Catholic stigmatist, called for Paramhansa Yogananda in 1935.
• Yogananda left America to follow Therese's call and spread his guru's teachings in India.
• Therese had been injured at age twenty, resulting in blindness and paralysis. She miraculously regained her sight and mobility in the late 1920s.
• Since then, she lived on just one small consecrated wafer a day and experienced stigmata, passing through the Passion of Christ weekly.
• Therese spoke ancient languages during her trances and was observed by scientists without harm to her health.
• Yogananda visited Therese in Bavaria in 1935, finding her active and full of energy despite her lack of food and sleep.
• Therese's correspondence consisted of prayers and healing blessings for Catholic devotees, many of whom were cured of serious diseases through her intercession.
• The author arrives in India and is greeted warmly by friends, family, and his guru Sri Yukteswar.
• Sri Yukteswar receives gifts from the author, including a cane which he appreciates.
• The author sets out to help revive the Ranchi school, which is in financial difficulties.
• The Ranchi school has grown to include various humanitarian activities and educational programs.
• Students practice Kriya Yoga and engage in sports, games, and vocational training.
• Instruction is given in Hindi to local tribes, and classes for girls are organized.
• A charitable hospital and dispensary, a guest house, and a library are among the school's features.
• The Ranchi Math is dedicated, offering peace and accommodations for city dwellers and spiritual seekers.
• The Indus Valley civilization flourished from 3300 B.C. to 1300 B.C., making it one of the world's oldest urban civilizations.
• The Rigveda, a collection of hymns and prayers, is the earliest known sacred text of Hinduism and dates back to around 1500-1200 B.C.
• Buddhism originated in ancient India as a spiritual tradition based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who became known as the Buddha or 'Enlightened One'.
• Hinduism, also known as Sanatkdharma Dharma or 'the Path of Righteous Living', is the indigenous religious system of India. It encompasses a diverse range of beliefs, practices, and traditions that have influenced Indian civilization from ancient times to the present day.
• The caste system, formulated by the great legislator Manu around 305 B.C., was admirable in its original purpose. It saw clearly that men are distinguished by natural evolution into four great classes: those capable of offering service to society through their bodily labor (Sudras); those who serve through mentality, skill, agriculture, trade, business life in general (Vaisyas); those whose talents are administrative, executive, and protective-rulers and warriors (Kshatriyas); those of contemplative nature and spiritually inspired and inspiring (Brahmins).
• The ancient values of caste, based solely on natural qualification and not on birth, shall prove themselves equal to the task of caste-reformation.
• In modern Mysore Presidency, there are constant reminders of the many great saints of South India. One of these masters, Thayumanavar, has left us the following challenging poem:You can control a mad elephant; You can shut the mouth of the bear and the tiger; You can ride a lion; You can play with the cobra; By alchemy you can eke out your livelihood; You can wander through the universe incognito; You can make vassals of the gods; You can be ever youthful; You can walk on water and live in fire; But control of the mind is better and more difficult.

“A man will be beloved if, possessed with great power, he still does not make himself feared.”

“You may control a mad elephant; You may shut the mouth of the bear and the tiger; Ride the lion and play with the cobra; By alchemy you may learn your livelihood; You may wander through the universe incognito; Make vassals of the gods; be ever youthful; You may walk in water and live in fire; But control of the mind is better and more difficult.”

“The origin of the caste system, formulated by the great legislator Manu, was admirable. He saw clearly that men are distinguished by natural evolution into four great classes: those capable of offering service to society through their bodily labor (Sudras); those who serve through mentality, skill, agriculture, trade, commerce, business life in general (Vaisyas); those whose talents are administrative, executive, and protective-rulers and warriors (Kshatriyas); those of contemplative nature, spiritually inspired and inspiring (Brahmins). “Neither birth nor sacraments nor study nor ancestry can decide whether a person is twice-born (i.e., a Brahmin);” the Mahabharata declares, “character and conduct only can decide.” 281 Manu instructed society to show respect to its members insofar as they possessed wisdom, virtue, age, kinship or, lastly, wealth. Riches in Vedic India were always despised if they were hoarded or unavailable for charitable purposes. Ungenerous men of great wealth were assigned a low rank in society. Serious evils arose when the caste system became hardened through the centuries into a hereditary halter. Social reformers like Gandhi and the members of very numerous societies in India today are making slow but sure progress in restoring the ancient values of caste, based solely on natural qualification and not on birth. Every nation on earth has its own distinctive misery-producing karma to deal with and remove; India, too, with her versatile and invulnerable spirit, shall prove herself equal to the task of caste-reformation.”

“Do not do what you want, and then you may do what you like.”

• The author visited Swami Keshabananda, a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya and Babaji Ništhaan, in Brindaban.
• Keshabananda shared a message from Babaji for the author regarding his upcoming meeting with Yogananda.
• The author was deeply saddened by Sri Yukteswar's passing and held a memorial service for him at Puri.
• He returned to Calcutta, arranged for Prafulla to enter the Ranchi school, and made arrangements to sail from Bombay back to Europe.
• The ship authorities asked the author to cancel his passage due to lack of room for the Ford, so he decided to return to Puri once more before leaving India.

“Who am I? The great inquiry indeed.”

“Dharma (cosmic law) aims at the happiness of all creatures.”

• Sri Yukteswar met Paramahansa Yogananda in 1915 and recognized his spiritual greatness
• He became Yogananda's guru and sent him to Calcutta for higher education
• Yogananda returned to Puri in 1920, but left again to spread Kriya Yoga in the West
• Sri Yukteswar passed away in 1936 and was cremated according to Hindu customs
• A few days later, Yogananda received a visit from Sri Yukteswar in his astral form. He told him that he had not died but had only left the physical body and was now living on another God-dreamed planet called Hiranyaloka.
• Sri Yukteswar promised to come to Yogananda whenever he entered the door of nirbikalpa samadhi and called on him. He also asked Yogananda to spread the news of his resurrection to all who would listen.

“The nineteen elements of the astral body are mental, emotional, and lifetronic. The nineteen components are intelligence; ego; feeling; mind (sense-consciousness); five instruments of knowledge, the subtle counterparts of the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch; five instruments of action, the mental correspondence for the executive abilities to procreate, excrete, talk, walk, and exercise manual skill; and five instruments of life force, those empowered to perform the crystallizing, assimilating, eliminating, metabolizing, and circulating functions of the body. This subtle astral encasement of nineteen elements survives the death of the physical body, which is made of sixteen gross metallic and nonmetallic elements.”

“The power of unfulfilled desires is the root of all man’s slavery.”

“The reflection, the verisimilitude, of life that shines in the fleshly cells from the soul source is the only cause of man's attachment to his body; obviously he would not pay solicitous homage to a clod of clay. A human being falsely identifies himself with his physical form because the life currents from the soul are breath-conveyed into the flesh with such intense power that man mistakes the effect for a cause, and idolatrously imagines the body to have life of its own.”

• Mahatma Gandhi was a political and spiritual leader from India who led the country to independence through nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience.
• Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence, or satyagraha, was based on the principles of truth, love, and self-sacrifice. He believed that one should not retaliate against violence but instead respond with love and forgiveness.
• Gandhi led numerous campaigns for civil rights and social reform in India, including the abolition of untouchability and the promotion of religious harmony between Hindus and Muslims.
• Gandhi's methods of nonviolent resistance inspired other leaders and movements around the world, including Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights movement in the United States.
• Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948, but his legacy continues to inspire people around the world to work for peace, justice, and freedom through nonviolent means.

“Protection of the cow means protection of the whole dumb creation of God. The appeal of the lower order of creation is all the more forceful because it is speechless.” 6”

“A beggar cannot renounce wealth,” Master would say. “If a man laments: ‘My business has failed; my wife has left me; I will renounce all and enter a monastery,’ to what worldly sacrifice is he referring? He did not renounce wealth and love; they renounced him!”

• Ananda Moyi Ma, also known as Joy-Permeated Mother, is a highly revered Bengali woman saint.
• She has been known for her advanced state of God-realization and miraculous healing abilities.
• Amidst a crowd of disciples, she greeted the protagonist with deep affection and recognition of their shared spiritual connection.
• Ananda Moyi Ma frequently travels across India, leading hundreds of disciples and advocating for social reforms.
• She is a Brahmin who recognizes no caste distinctions and remains in a constant state of samadhi or divine trance.
• The saint's husband is one of her chief disciples and has taken a vow of silence.
• Ananda Moyi Ma's presence brings joy and spiritual upliftment to those around her, including children at Ranchi Vidyalaya.
• She offers her sole allegiance to the Lord and seeks unity with God through childlike faith.
• Her eyes are always focused on God, whether she is amidst a crowd, traveling, feasting, or sitting in silence.
• Giri Bala was a renowned Indian saint who lived without food or water for over fifty-six years.
• She was born in the forest regions and had an insatiable appetite as a child, which led to her being ridiculed by her mother-in-law.
• Determined to prove herself, Giri Bala prayed to God for a guru who could teach her to live without food. Her prayer was answered when she met a sage who initiated her into a kria technique that allowed her to live by the astral light instead of food.
• She had been a widow for many years and had no children. She slept very little, meditated at night, and attended to her domestic duties during the daytime. She felt slight changes in climate from season to season but had no bodily excretions or sicknesses. She could control her heart and breathing.
• Giri Bala refused to teach others the method of living without food as it was against the wishes of her guru, who believed that misery and disease were necessary for humanity's spiritual growth.
• She lived in a remote village and received visitors by appointment only. Her life inspired many people and attracted pilgrims from far and wide.
• The author, Mr. Wright, visited Giri Bala in 1936 with the help of a local guide and wrote about his experience in his travel diary.
• The author is happy to teach yoga in England, where there is no political unrest.
• In September 1936, the author fulfills a promise to lecture in London and attracts large crowds.
• English students organize a Self-Realization Fellowship center after the author's departure.
• The author visits historical sites in England and sails to America.
• Annual Christmas festivities at the Los Angeles center include an eight-hour meditation and a banquet.
• Gifts from around the world are exchanged during Christmas celebrations.
• Mr. Dickinson, a beloved disciple, receives a silver cup he had waited for since childhood.
• The author meets Swami Vivekananda in Chicago in 1893 and is told that a teacher with a silver cup will come later.
• Mr. Dickinson prays for a guru and receives the silver cup from the author during Christmas celebrations.
• Paramhansa Yogananda arrived in the United States on February 23, 1927.
• He founded the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) and the Self-Realization Church of All Religions (SRC) to promote world brotherhood and self-realization.
• The SRF and SRC established centers in various cities across the United States, including Encinitas, Hollywood, San Diego, Boston, New York, Washington D.C., and others.
• Yogananda emphasized the importance of world citizenship and encouraged people to look beyond their local pride and consider themselves as part of a global community.
• He envisioned creating a miniature world colony in Encinitas to serve as a symbolic spot for a world colony, where delegates from all lands could gather for conferences and Congresses of Religion.
• Yogananda planned to open a Yoga Institute in Encinitas to teach Kriya Yoga and promote self-realization.
• He believed that by stressing spiritual values and creating communities founded on spiritual principles, humanity could overcome its ills and usher in an era of peace.

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Autobiography Of A Yogi By Paramahansa Yogananda

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Autobiography of a Yogi  is an  autobiography  of  Paramahansa Yogananda  (5 January 1893–7 March 1952) first published in 1946. Paramahansa Yogananda was born as Mukunda Lal Ghosh in  Gorakhpur, India , into a  Bengali   Hindu  family.

Autobiography of a Yogi  introduces the reader to the life of Paramahansa Yogananda and his encounters with spiritual figures of both the Eastern and the Western world. The book begins with his childhood family life, to finding his guru, to becoming a monk and establishing his teachings of  Kriya Yoga  meditation. The book continues in 1920 when  Yogananda  accepts an invitation to speak in a religious congress in  Boston, Massachusetts ,  USA . He then travels across America lecturing and establishing his teachings in  Los Angeles, California . In 1935, he returns to India for a yearlong visit. When he returns to America, he continues to establish his teachings, including writing this book.

The book is an introduction to the methods of attaining God-realization and to the spiritual wisdom of the  East , which had only been available to a few in 1946. The author claims that the writing of the book was prophesied long ago by the nineteenth-century master  Lahiri Mahasaya  (Paramguru of Yogananda) also known as the  Yogiraj  and  Kashi baba . Before becoming a yogi, Lahiri Mahasaya's actual name was  Shyama Charan Lahiri .

It has been in print for seventy years and translated into over fifty languages by  Self-Realization Fellowship . [2]  It has been highly acclaimed as a spiritual classic including being designated by  Philip Zaleski , while he was under the auspices of HarperCollins Publishers, as one of the "100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century." [3] [4] [5]  It is included in the book  50 Spiritual Classics: Timeless Wisdom from 50 Great Books of Inner Discovery, Enlightenment and Purpose  by  Tom Butler-Bowdon . [6]  According to Project Gutenberg, the first edition is in public domain and at least five publishers are reprinting it and four post it free for online reading.

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