Self-Realization Fellowship
ParamahansaYogananda founded Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) in 1920 to make available the universal teachings of Kriya Yoga, a sacred spiritual science originating millennia ago in India. These nonsectarian teachings embody a complete philosophy and way of life for achieving all-round success and well-being, as well as methods of meditation for achieving life's ultimate goal — union of the soul with Spirit.
The teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda are made available, today as during his lifetime, through the Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons for Home Study.
Through its worldwide service and teachings, Self-Realization Fellowship seeks to awaken greater understanding of the harmony underlying all true religions and a fuller expression in this world of the love that unites all people when they realize their oneness in God (read SRF's Aims and Ideals below).
In accord with its founder’s wishes, the work of Self-Realization Fellowship is guided by the monastic order that Paramahansaji established along the lines of the ancient swami tradition of India. The monks and nuns of SRF take formal vows of renunciation; and are responsible for serving the spiritual needs of Self-Realization Fellowship members and friends around the world.
Today, Self-Realization Fellowship has grown to include more than 600 temples and centers around the world and has members in over 175 countries. In India and surrounding countries, Paramahansa Yogananda's work is known as Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS), which has more than 200 centers, retreats, and ashrams.
Spiritual Lineage
The teachings of Self-Realization Fellowship are founded upon the original Christianity of Jesus Christ and the original Yoga of Bhagavan Krishna. The spiritual lineage of SRF consists of these two great avatars and a line of exalted masters of contemporary times: Mahavatar Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Sri Yukteswar, and Paramahansa Yogananda (last in the line of SRF Gurus). Each of these Great Ones played a role in Self-Realization Fellowship's mission of bringing to the modern world the spiritual science of Kriya Yoga. Visit the SRF's official website to learn more about its spiritual lineage.
Aims and ideals
of
Self-Realization Fellowship
As set forth by Paramahansa Yogananda, Founder
Brother Chidananda, President
*To disseminate among the nations a knowledge of definite scientific techniques for attaining direct personal experience of God.
*To teach that the purpose of life is the evolution, through self-effort, of man’s limited mortal consciousness into God Consciousness; and to this end to establish Self-Realization Fellowship temples for God-communion throughout the world,
and to encourage the establishment of individual temples of God in the homes and in the hearts of men.
*To reveal the complete harmony and basic oneness of original Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ and original Yoga as taught by Bhagavan Krishna; and to show that these principles of truth are the common scientific foundation of all true religions.
*To point out the one divine highway to which all paths of true religious beliefs eventually lead: the highway of daily, scientific, devotional meditation on God.
*To liberate man from his threefold suffering: physical disease, mental inharmonies, and spiritual ignorance.
*To encourage “plain living and high thinking”; and to spread a spirit of brotherhood among all peoples by teaching the eternal basis of their unity: kinship with God.
*To demonstrate the superiority of mind over body, of soul over mind.
*To overcome evil by good, sorrow by joy, cruelty by kindness, ignorance by wisdom.
*To unite science and religion through realization of the unity of their underlying principles.
*To advocate cultural and spiritual understanding between East and West, and the exchange of their finest distinctive features.