Autobiography of a Yogi - An Incredible Book

One of the most amazing books I have had the privilege of reading is “Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramhansa Yogananda. Paramhansa Yogananda was an Indian Yogi who left the shores of India in 1920 to teach God realization to people of the West. In this awesome book, he describes his meetings with miracle performing yogis in India such as the levitating saint, a tiger fighting swami, a yogi who bilocates and other great saints. With superb writing skills that will match that of a professional writer, Yogananda describes with characteristic humour, his childhood struggles towards attaining God realization and difficulties he faced with his family’s opposition to his spiritual pursuits. His description of running away to the Himalayas in his childhood in search of God cannot help but touch a chord in the reader’s heart. Yogananda also gives a good life sketch of his great guru Sri Yukteshwar who trained the former in Kriya Yoga and encouraged him to go to the West to spread the teachings to Yoga. The author’s vivid imagery of his experience in cosmic consciousness, the highest state of God realization, is to be read to be believed. I cannot write about it as I am incapable of it. Please read it yourself and you will realize how far far away we (I mean worldly people) are from the GREAT TRUTH !

The great yogi devotes on full chapter to the science of Kriya Yoga. This was the technique Lord Krishna taught to Arjuna and this Yoga has been revived in this age by the mysterious and immortal himalayan master Mahaavtar Babaji who also happens to be the Param Param Guru (Guru of Guru of Guru) of Paramhansa Yogananda. According to Paramhansa Yogananda, the practice of Kriya Yoga accelerates man’s evolution by leaps and bounds. It is the fastest of evolution and reaching Godhood. Another chapter describes the law of miracles. It details how light is the only true reality – something Albert Einstein did prove. The book also mentions details of Mahavtar Babaji and how he materialized an entire palace in the Himalayas to satisfy his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya’s desire. Many other fascinating incidents are also described in the book one of them is the resurrection of the ‘dead’ Sir Yukteshwar and his visitation to his beloved disciple Yogananda in a Bombay Hotel. In this chapter the resurrected Sri Yukteshwar vividly describes the astral world and its fascinating aspects and life in the astral planets.

The book though undoubtedly touches areas which the common man deems ‘otherwordly’ yet it is written with such crystal clarity and innocence that the reader for once finds God very much within his reach. Every page of this book enthralls and makes one ponder on the ultimate reality. Even the most skeptical reader will not doubt the contents of this book. The vibrations of the author are just too powerful. No wonder this book has become a spiritual classic and has changed the life of many people all over the world.

Paramhansa Yoganada is the founder of Self Realization Fellowship. The website is http://www.srf.org

For those in India the website is http://www.yssofindia.org

You can even subscribe to the monthly lessons from the society. These lessons are not exactly a correspondence course but teach the student the correct of living. Not one aspect of life has been left untouched in the lessons. The lessons (3 in number) will come every month for 5 years. They teach energization exercises, meditation techniques, etc. After successfully completing certain requisities, you can also get diksha for Kriya Yoga.

Please contact the organization for full details. I must mention that reading the ‘Autobiography of a Yogi” before subscribing to the lessons is very desirable.

You can also read the online version of the book at http://www.yogananda.net/ay/.

Best Regards
M Jaitly