PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA
The Father of Yoga in the West
Paramahansa Yogananda was one of the prominent spiritual figures in the twentieth century. Born Mukunda Lal Ghosh in 1893 in Gorakhpur, India, he received years of spiritual training following a Hindu tradition descending from a long line of Indian spiritual masters. In 1915, Yogananda became a monk of the ancient Swami Order.
Five years later, at the age of 27, he embarked from India for the United States of America where he had been invited, as India’s representative, to take part in an inter-religious congress in Boston.
The young swami arrived in Boston in September 1920. His first speech, made to the International Congress of Religious Liberals, was on “The Science of Religion,” and was enthusiastically received.
That same year, he founded Self-Realization Fellowship to disseminate worldwide his teachings on India’s ancient science and philosophy of Yoga and its time-honored tradition of meditation.
Yogananda traveled and lectured widely, speaking to capacity audiences in many of the largest auditoriums in America — from New York’s Carnegie Hall to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Auditorium.
Yogananda emphasized the underlying unity of the world’s great religions, and taught universally applicable methods for attaining direct personal experience of God. To serious students of his teachings he taught the
soul-awakening techniques of Kriya Yoga, initiating more than 100,000 men and women during his thirty years in the West.
Under his direction, the personal guidance and instruction that he had given to students of his classes was arranged into a comprehensive series of Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons for Home Study. These Lessons are available today, as during his lifetime, by subscription.
Paramahansa Yogananda’s final years were spent largely in seclusion, as he labored intensely to complete his writings — including his voluminous commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita and the teachings of Jesus Christ in the four Gospels, and revisions of earlier works such as Whispers from Eternity and the Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons. He also worked extensively with Sri Daya Mata, Mrinalini Mata, and a few other of his closest disciples, imparting the spiritual and organizational guidance that would enable them to carry on his worldwide work after he would be gone.
On March 7, 1952, the great guru entered mahasamadhi, a God‑illumined master’s conscious exit from the body at the time of physical death.
Read more about Paramahansa Yogananda's life on the official Self-Realization Fellowship Website:
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI
Autobiography of a Yogi is one of the world's most acclaimed spiritual classics.
Named one of the 100 Best Spiritual Books of the Twentieth Century, Paramahansa Yogananda’s remarkable life story takes you on an unforgettable exploration of the world of saints and yogis,
science and miracles, death and resurrection.
With soul-satisfying wisdom and endearing wit, he illuminates the deepest secrets of life and the universe — opening our hearts and minds to the joy, beauty, and unlimited spiritual potentials that exist in the lives of every human being.
This book has touched the hearts and minds of millions around the globe. Translated into over fifty languages, it has served as an ambassador for India's ancient science of Yoga, introducing countless readers to the methods for attaining God-realization that are India's unique and lasting contribution to world civilization.
Autobiography of a Yogi is a great introduction to Paramahansa Yogananda life's work and teachings.
Read more about the book on the Self-Realization Fellowship official website:
https://yogananda.org/autobiography-of-a-yogi---introduction
Printed copies as well as ebook copies of the Autobiography are available through the
Ottawa Public Library (free of charge):
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/22742026_autobiography_of_a_yogi
Purchase the Autobiography of a Yogi at the Self-Realization Fellowship bookstore
or borrow it from our library:
OTHER BOOKS BY
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA
Paramahansa Yogandan was a prolific author. Below is a list of some of his best introductory titles. For a complete collection of his work, visit the official Self-Realization Fellowship website:
MAN'S ETERNAL QUEST
Paramahansa Yogananda’s Collected Talks and Essays present in-depth discussions of the vast range of inspiring and universal truths that have captivated millions in his Autobiography of a Yogi. Readers will find these talks alive with the unique blend of all-embracing wisdom, practical encouragement, and love for humanity that have made the author one of our era’s most revered and trusted guides to the spiritual life.
Man’s Eternal Quest is a book about God: about God’s place in man’s life; in his hopes, will, aspirations, accomplishments. Life, man, achievement — all are but manifestations of the one omnipresent Creator, as inseparably dependent on Him as the wave is dependent on the ocean. Paramahansa Yogananda explains why and how man was created by God, and how he is immutably a part of God, and what this means to each one personally. Realization of the oneness of man and his Creator is the whole essence of Yoga. An understanding of man’s inescapable need for God, in every aspect of living, removes the otherworldliness from religion and makes knowing God the basis of a scientific and practical approach to life.
Also available for purchase on Amazon.
THE DIVINE ROMANCE
The second book in a trilogy, which includes, Man’s Eternal Quest and Journey to Self-realization — each of which are packed with information covering a vast range of spiritual topics — The Divine Romance speaks to the deepest needs of the human soul. The great master reveals how we can meet the daily challenges to our physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being — by awakening our divine nature, the neglected reality at the core of our being.
Yogananda said, “The greatest romance you can have is the romance with God….He is the Lover and our souls are the beloved, and when the soul meets the greatest Lover of the universe, then the eternal romance begins. The love that you have been seeking for incarnations through all human loves is at last yours.”
Also available for purchase on Amazon.
LIVING FEARLESSLY
Living Fearlessly teaches us how to break the shackles of fear and reveals how we can overcome our own psychological stumbling blocks.
Filled with life-transforming counsel and proven yoga techniques for tuning out fear, this concise book features informal talks and personal anecdotes complemented by parable and prayer. Living Fearlessly is a testament to what we can become if we but have faith in the divinity of our true nature as the soul.
Also available for purchase on Amazon.
THE LAW OF SUCCESS
“Is there a force that we can call upon to give health, happiness, and spiritual enlightenment? The saints and sages of India teach that there is such a power.” — Paramahansa Yogananda from The Law of Success
The faster the world moves, the more important it becomes to slow down and look within for what makes us truly happy. If you measure success by the quality of your life rather than just by material achievements, then the timeless wisdom of this book will speak directly to your heart and soul.
Filled with sensible down-to-earth wisdom, The Law of Success explores the spiritual sources of creativity, positive thinking, and dynamic will, as well as the success-producing power of self-analysis and meditation. It shows how each one of us can naturally attract happiness and harmony.
Also available for purchase on Amazon.
DOCUMENTARY
AWAKE: THE LIFE OF YOGANANDA
The award-winning documentary film that has introduced Paramahansa Yogananda and his yoga meditation teachings to a new generation of seekers around the globe, Awake: The Life of Yogananda follows Paramahansaji’s monumental achievement in making ancient Indian spirituality accessible to a modern audience. Written and produced by CounterPoint Films with the cooperation of Self-Realization Fellowship, Awake features much rare archival footage. The film is narrated using Yogananda’s own words and first person accounts by those who knew him, as well as commentary from journalists, scientists, scholars, and yogis.
Directed by Paola di Florio and Lisa Leeman.
Read more about the film on the official Self-Realization Fellowship website:
https://yogananda.org/awake-the-life-of-yogananda
"Practice meditation. You'll find that you are carrying within your heart a portable paradise."