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Autobiography of a Yogi
This acclaimed autobiography presents a fascinating portrait of one of the great spiritual figures of our time. With engaging candor, eloquence, and wit, Paramahansa Yogananda narrates 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.
Autobiography of a Yogi is at once a beautifully written account of an exceptional life and a profound introduction to the ancient science of Yoga and its time-honored tradition of meditation. 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 thus becomes the background for a penetrating and unforgettable look at the ultimate mysteries of human existence.
Considered a modern spiritual classic, the book has been translated into more than twenty languages and is widely used as a text and reference work in colleges and universities. A perennial bestseller since it was first published sixty years ago, Autobiography of a Yogi has found its way into the hearts of millions of readers around the world.
Autobiography of a Yogi is at once a beautifully written account of an exceptional life and a profound introduction to the ancient science of Yoga and its time-honored tradition of meditation. 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 thus becomes the background for a penetrating and unforgettable look at the ultimate mysteries of human existence.
Considered a modern spiritual classic, the book has been translated into more than twenty languages and is widely used as a text and reference work in colleges and universities. A perennial bestseller since it was first published sixty years ago, Autobiography of a Yogi has found its way into the hearts of millions of readers around the world.
503 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1946
19.6k people are currently reading
82.3k people want to read
About the author
Paramahansa Yogananda
715 books2,006 followersParamahansa Yogananda (Bengali: পরমহংস যোগানন্দ Pôromohôngsho Joganondo, Sanskrit: परमहंस योगानंद Paramahaṃsa Yogānaṃda), born Mukunda Lal Ghosh (Bengali: মুকুন্দ লাল ঘোষ Mukundo Lal Ghosh), was an Indian yogi and guru who introduced many westerners to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his book,
Autobiography of a Yogi
.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,604 reviews
June 21, 2019
Pretext: There are some self-satisfied people in the reviews section who thought it better to belittle this book. You crazy ones, do you even know what an autobiography means? It means sharing one's experiences, life-lessons, episodes and whatever you lived. Why are people craving for this one to be a book on Yoga, spirituality and then crying like wolves when they find it full of wonders and surprises. How can you experience what the author experienced? Are you close enough to give yourself up to a world which is away of the confusions and connections that we have made today?
This book is a journey of Swami Paramhansa Yogananda Ji's life and his experiences. He writes about his beginnings, his Gurus, the wonders he saw and the wonders he experienced. Already transformed the lives of many, this book simply inspires one to begin to open for wonders in life - the wonders of joy. If you remain in your shell and not allow any miracle to happen, you will always be self-satisfied and in pain of your being. Life has become horrendous if we don't look for an out. At least reading this one will transport you to other dimensions for some time.
Post Script: I will only reply to sane comments.
This book is a journey of Swami Paramhansa Yogananda Ji's life and his experiences. He writes about his beginnings, his Gurus, the wonders he saw and the wonders he experienced. Already transformed the lives of many, this book simply inspires one to begin to open for wonders in life - the wonders of joy. If you remain in your shell and not allow any miracle to happen, you will always be self-satisfied and in pain of your being. Life has become horrendous if we don't look for an out. At least reading this one will transport you to other dimensions for some time.
Post Script: I will only reply to sane comments.
November 25, 2012
After painfully wading through fifty odd pages of what I consider to be lies or, at best, delusions of a (typical Bengali :P) megalomaniac, I decided to put this book down. I don't know what else I was expecting from a book of this genre. It was a mistake to pick it up in the first place.
I absolutely fail to understand how learned, intelligent people can like this book so much. People apparating in and out of thin air! Someone willing himself out of photographs! Are you fucking kidding me! Am I supposed to take these things on face value? Does Mukunda Ghosh mean us to take these miracles literally at all? If so, shouldn't I be seeking wisdom from someone less delusional? If not, are these stories supposed to have some hidden lessons? (I am yet to decipher any) Is the world as it is not beautiful and spiritually rich enough for him? Even if we leave the miracles out of the discussion for a moment, which is pretty difficult considering that they appear in the book at the rate of at least one per page, what IS the message that is hidden in this treasure of a book?
Before you berate me for being close-minded, I do understand that there is a wonderful world outside of science. I appreciate beauty and art and wonder. I would even appreciate spirituality, but I have to hear about it from a person who can be honest about it to himself and to me.
I absolutely fail to understand how learned, intelligent people can like this book so much. People apparating in and out of thin air! Someone willing himself out of photographs! Are you fucking kidding me! Am I supposed to take these things on face value? Does Mukunda Ghosh mean us to take these miracles literally at all? If so, shouldn't I be seeking wisdom from someone less delusional? If not, are these stories supposed to have some hidden lessons? (I am yet to decipher any) Is the world as it is not beautiful and spiritually rich enough for him? Even if we leave the miracles out of the discussion for a moment, which is pretty difficult considering that they appear in the book at the rate of at least one per page, what IS the message that is hidden in this treasure of a book?
Before you berate me for being close-minded, I do understand that there is a wonderful world outside of science. I appreciate beauty and art and wonder. I would even appreciate spirituality, but I have to hear about it from a person who can be honest about it to himself and to me.
October 20, 2016
This has become my favorite book and since reading it, I have been reading and fully immersed in other books by Yogananda. Everyone would benefit by reading this book with an open mind, no matter what religious or spiritual beliefs you have, or even if you have no belief at all. Everything is possible! I bought this book at special price from here:
https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-...
https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-...
August 15, 2010
This is not Yoga!!
The first prerequisite for Yoga is to have Vidya, or an intellectual base arrived at by reasoning, though in the final culmination Vidya is left behind. Yoga is an intelligent search for the truth. It doesnt depend on fanciful fables and claims.
And Yogananda really does stretch our credulity!! It starts with him remembering himself as a fetus when he knew all languages and finally selected the one he was hearing as his mother tongue and his first memories right after he was born. The claims keep getting more and more astonishing, beginning with minor miracles like controlling his kite as a child, to fantastical claims like Yogis who never eat, become invisible, fly through the air and do just about anything that Superman does, and much more! There's a photograph of Yogananda standing alone with a caption, "Yogananda standing with his master, who did not care to be photographed, so he made himself invisible." It requires a very strong gullibility to accept this. If anyone wants to become invisible or fly, they should go, not to a Yoga teacher, but to David Copperfield.
I am amazed that people in the West still seem to like this book. Many reviewers write about how they have learned about a 'different culture' and a 'different way of thinking' from this book, as if in India we are quite used to seeing our Yogis flying through the air and so on.
I must make it clear that I am not belittling the book in entirety, it has a childlike purity which makes it a compelling read. Yogananda's transparent sincerity, ability to laugh at himself and his genuine love for god and his thirst for spirituality is all too apparent, and his account of his spiritual quest is often touching and revelatory. This is what gives the book its charm and power. Some of the passages deserve to be counted among the most illuminating accounts of mystical experience ever. But all too often, his eagerness to discover god and people on the spiritual path strays into descriptions of fantastical and unbelievable anecdotes.
It would be quite natural for anyone who first comes into contact with Yoga through this book to develop a strong cynicism about Hinduism and its practises, including Yoga. But this is not Yoga at all. To learn about Yoga, I would recommend reading Swami Vivekananda and Ramkrishna Paramahansa, these were great teachers who also achieved relevatory experiences through Yoga but certainly never made such incredible claims. Yoga is not all about magic and fable that this book makes it out to be.
I am sorry if this review offends anyone who has found this book inspiring. I can understand people being inspired by Yogananda's profound love of God which is so transparent in this book, and which did not fail to move me, but I would like to make my own stand for reason in following the path of Yoga.
The first prerequisite for Yoga is to have Vidya, or an intellectual base arrived at by reasoning, though in the final culmination Vidya is left behind. Yoga is an intelligent search for the truth. It doesnt depend on fanciful fables and claims.
And Yogananda really does stretch our credulity!! It starts with him remembering himself as a fetus when he knew all languages and finally selected the one he was hearing as his mother tongue and his first memories right after he was born. The claims keep getting more and more astonishing, beginning with minor miracles like controlling his kite as a child, to fantastical claims like Yogis who never eat, become invisible, fly through the air and do just about anything that Superman does, and much more! There's a photograph of Yogananda standing alone with a caption, "Yogananda standing with his master, who did not care to be photographed, so he made himself invisible." It requires a very strong gullibility to accept this. If anyone wants to become invisible or fly, they should go, not to a Yoga teacher, but to David Copperfield.
I am amazed that people in the West still seem to like this book. Many reviewers write about how they have learned about a 'different culture' and a 'different way of thinking' from this book, as if in India we are quite used to seeing our Yogis flying through the air and so on.
I must make it clear that I am not belittling the book in entirety, it has a childlike purity which makes it a compelling read. Yogananda's transparent sincerity, ability to laugh at himself and his genuine love for god and his thirst for spirituality is all too apparent, and his account of his spiritual quest is often touching and revelatory. This is what gives the book its charm and power. Some of the passages deserve to be counted among the most illuminating accounts of mystical experience ever. But all too often, his eagerness to discover god and people on the spiritual path strays into descriptions of fantastical and unbelievable anecdotes.
It would be quite natural for anyone who first comes into contact with Yoga through this book to develop a strong cynicism about Hinduism and its practises, including Yoga. But this is not Yoga at all. To learn about Yoga, I would recommend reading Swami Vivekananda and Ramkrishna Paramahansa, these were great teachers who also achieved relevatory experiences through Yoga but certainly never made such incredible claims. Yoga is not all about magic and fable that this book makes it out to be.
I am sorry if this review offends anyone who has found this book inspiring. I can understand people being inspired by Yogananda's profound love of God which is so transparent in this book, and which did not fail to move me, but I would like to make my own stand for reason in following the path of Yoga.
April 11, 2017
Tell me anything better than this and I will read that quick! This was an amazing book, in fact, the most amazing one I have ever read. How the life moves and how we lean things in life are perfectly reflected in this great autobiography. You need to read this one of Yogananda ji to understand his life even better.
December 27, 2020
The idiom 'Never Judge a Book By its Cover' truly suits this book. The author takes his readers on a journey, which has witty instances, insightful stories, and wisdom. Read the complete review here https://wp.me/p6rxcY-1R.
September 3, 2015
Written with supreme confidence, there is an exceptional clarity of thought that runs throughout this book which will appeal to a man who's kept his mind open to possibilities beyond the realm of the usual. Anyway, the text of the book is peppered with miracles that will sound bizarre and will blow your mind wide open. There is also a chapter which describes 'life' after death (the progression of the soul)in vivid detail. All this will be difficult to digest for the man of science, but Paramahansa Yogananda is self-assuredly convincing and consistent. He woos the scientific man by defining the subtle laws at work behind the extraordinary events we term as miracles couched in scientific terms such as the theory of relativity.
It is a wonderful beginner's guide to Indian philosophy, not to deride the complexities of issues addressed in the book, but in the sense that it gently and lovingly guides the reader along the 'path', giving ample time for introspection, an essential prerequisite for true understanding.
Mainly written to 'sell' Eastern mysticism to the West without placing them on unfamiliar ground (he spent a solid chunk of his life in California), his ultimate goal is to point out how the religions of the world are talking about the same goddamn thing. He does this by coming up with Vedic interpretations of the Bible and drawing pretty convincing analogies with the Upanishadas and other major Hindu philosophical texts.
The book is certainly worth reading for a peek into world-views that aren't strictly scientific. And for those who don't take his theories to heart like I did, it can alternatively be read as an extremely imaginative and engrossing work of fiction. As for me, it left me deeply disturbed and yet strangely at peace.
Life-altering read. Check.
It is a wonderful beginner's guide to Indian philosophy, not to deride the complexities of issues addressed in the book, but in the sense that it gently and lovingly guides the reader along the 'path', giving ample time for introspection, an essential prerequisite for true understanding.
Mainly written to 'sell' Eastern mysticism to the West without placing them on unfamiliar ground (he spent a solid chunk of his life in California), his ultimate goal is to point out how the religions of the world are talking about the same goddamn thing. He does this by coming up with Vedic interpretations of the Bible and drawing pretty convincing analogies with the Upanishadas and other major Hindu philosophical texts.
The book is certainly worth reading for a peek into world-views that aren't strictly scientific. And for those who don't take his theories to heart like I did, it can alternatively be read as an extremely imaginative and engrossing work of fiction. As for me, it left me deeply disturbed and yet strangely at peace.
Life-altering read. Check.
December 30, 2015
This is another of my favorite books and one that greatly influenced my life as well.
I think the Yogis (and Yoginis!) of India hold a lot of secrets for humanity...ancient knowledge if you will...So I loved reading this particular book and learning some powerful insights...
As a footnote, this was Steve Jobs' favorite book and the only book he ever downloaded to his iPad...
I think the Yogis (and Yoginis!) of India hold a lot of secrets for humanity...ancient knowledge if you will...So I loved reading this particular book and learning some powerful insights...
As a footnote, this was Steve Jobs' favorite book and the only book he ever downloaded to his iPad...
October 1, 2007
Of all the books by and about spiritual leaders that I have read, this is the one I come back to again and again. Paramhansa Yogananda does not come from ego or judgment when he writes about his spiritual experience. He is not above feeling emotions such as grief and joy, nor does he believe that emotions are something to be surmounted or tamed. This is the only "saint" I have ever been able to digest and trust.
January 5, 2019
ریویو آپدیت شد ...
هیچ وقت فکرش رو نمیکردم روزی کتابی بخونم که سرتاسرش پر از برکت و نور و آگاهی باشه و برای عده ای خاص مفهومش در هاله ای از داستان و زندگی نامه ای زیبا به نمایش در بیاد و اگاهی نویسنده از هر کلمه ای به جان و دل و روح تزریق بشه و نیلوفر هزار برگ رو در درون تاج سر ادمی بشکفته و بزرگ ترش کنه ... خیلی زیباست که میشه از طریق کتاب ها چیزهایی رو خوند که آدمی رو از پایه و اساسش تغییر میده و اماده ی بیداری و سامادی/سامادهی میکنه . اگر اگاهی درونی بالایی دارید یا در حال بیدار شدن به حقیقت درون خویش هستید حتما این کتاب رو بخونید و اگر برای شما بی مفهوم و تخیلی و دروغی بود پس بار دیگر در سالهای اینده برگردید و بخوانیدش و ببینید چقدر رشد معنوی شما به فهم این کتاب و هضم داستان های شگفت انگیزش از زندگی یوگی های به اشراق رسیده ی هند کمک میکنه و ببینید که چقدر اگاهی شما بزرگ تر از قبل شده و تشنه ی مشرف شدن به حقیقت ذاتی خودتون هستید.
آپدیت ریویو ؛ کلیک کنید :
هیچ وقت فکرش رو نمیکردم روزی کتابی بخونم که سرتاسرش پر از برکت و نور و آگاهی باشه و برای عده ای خاص مفهومش در هاله ای از داستان و زندگی نامه ای زیبا به نمایش در بیاد و اگاهی نویسنده از هر کلمه ای به جان و دل و روح تزریق بشه و نیلوفر هزار برگ رو در درون تاج سر ادمی بشکفته و بزرگ ترش کنه ... خیلی زیباست که میشه از طریق کتاب ها چیزهایی رو خوند که آدمی رو از پایه و اساسش تغییر میده و اماده ی بیداری و سامادی/سامادهی میکنه . اگر اگاهی درونی بالایی دارید یا در حال بیدار شدن به حقیقت درون خویش هستید حتما این کتاب رو بخونید و اگر برای شما بی مفهوم و تخیلی و دروغی بود پس بار دیگر در سالهای اینده برگردید و بخوانیدش و ببینید چقدر رشد معنوی شما به فهم این کتاب و هضم داستان های شگفت انگیزش از زندگی یوگی های به اشراق رسیده ی هند کمک میکنه و ببینید که چقدر اگاهی شما بزرگ تر از قبل شده و تشنه ی مشرف شدن به حقیقت ذاتی خودتون هستید.
آپدیت ریویو ؛ کلیک کنید :
July 10, 2020
I read it many times and it comes up to you naturally... you don't have to force yourself in reading this book. Paramhansa Yogananda Ji has written about his experiences at different stages of his life and it can certainly inspire people to be honest to their becoming and acknowledge the changes around.
July 12, 2020
I would love to read this book again and again because it just lets me be free of all the assumptions and ideas for a while... Recommended!
August 12, 2024
How can Swami Paramahansa Yogananda not get 5 stars from me! If GR could allow me to give him 10 stars, I would have given the enlightened Master that and even more, yet it all would not be enough to replicate even 1% of the peace, tranquillity, wisdom, knowledge, spiritual direction and enlightenment that I have received through his Autobiography. And basically, anything with Mahavatar Babaji in it will always get 5 stars from me so that is a given!
More than anything else, this book has added to my knowledge and has managed to instruct me further about the direction which I have already undertaken to fulfill my 3 ministries in the Catholic Church as a Consecrated Virgin or as a religious. The spiritual direction received here in this book rivals that of all Spiritual Directors put together and it would still be not enough to encompass even a grain of the depth of this autobiography.
I got to meet Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri at last in this book whom I have heard about all my life along with Lahiri Mahasaya his revered guru whom my maternal uncle can never stop conversing about, not to mention many other mystics, masters, ascended masters, enlightened beings and holy men and women among others.
From all of them, I was fascinated by Giri Bala Ma the most because I am undergoing a similar situation like she did two centuries ago. Where she was taunted because of her overeating, I am also body-shamed everywhere I go because I am a plus size individual. When I am travelling on work anywhere in and out of Mumbai and stop by for a burger or sandwich, that is the time the body-shaming by the Indian public tends to be at its best. I am a heavy-duty power-walker (been so for the longest time) and can walk 6 miles for now without a sweat (these are the roads of Mumbai by the by) from my home and back, and all the way I am a target of the most vicious kind of body-shaming that one can ever imagine. It is tough being an independent Catholic woman religious, and after reading Swami Yogananda’s take on Ma Giri Bala, I have been given some well-grounded courage on my tough path forward.
In the same vein, the Stigmatist Therese Neumann and her meeting with Swami Yoganandaji took me by surprise and I’ll never forget the many lessons I learnt from her on that encounter. I’ve always been fascinated by Stigmatists and invariably all my favorite Catholic Saints tend to either be actual Stigmatists or carrying the invisible Stigmata of Christ.
I was taken up with the revered author’s stay at Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram in Gujarat and I have grown to love Bapu more than ever since my days at high school. I have my differences with the Mahatma over the topic of our Dalit brethren and his treatment of them and especially my Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar especially during the Poona Pact of 1932, but I revere Bapu nevertheless for truly being one among a million to bring freedom to more than a million! I hope now to re-read my copy of Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘My Experiments With Truth’ and to analyze it in the light of the reflections I gained from Swami Yoganandaji.
Most importantly, I realized that Swami Yogananda was as normal a human being, even as an enlightened master, like anyone else. He also tended to over-eat, got a bit overweight after he went to the USA, preferred travelling by an automobile instead of a bullock cart, sulked when scoffed at by Sri Yukteswar Giri (he is such a rascal, the Holy One!), was at times terribly rude with some of the most enlightened beings on the planet, etc. Even I found it amazing to read about Sri Yukteswar Giri tick with his nose which struck me as very down to earth and normal. That eased me a bit, because I have many ticks of my own and it is a task for me to stay still while seated or doing anything. I tend to be restless.
The book is an excellent spiritual tool to draw someone towards the Kriya Yoga path and the spiritual path to attain oneness with one’s God or to enter the Kingdom of God as Jesus mentioned several times in the Gospels. I shall memorize certain portions of it and dip into it daily so that I remain grounded in my steadfast service to my mission and the Church of Christ. The book is a spiritual book in the line of esotericism, which is a genre I adore, and which I love to indulge in right from the time I was a middle-school going girl.
My favourite scene in the book was obviously when Sri Yukteswar Giri resurrects and appears to Paramahansaji to relate to him about his new job in another astral planet, which was alluring and enlightening. This is a memoir par excellence, and I owe it to the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India for giving me this book at an affordable price many years ago, in 2014 precisely, though it was a 2009 copy. A must have for anyone on the spiritual path and in need of the Guru who never seems to arrive! A must have for believers in the Divine and even for those who are merely curious.
Sri Sri Paramahansa Yoganandaji is truly the very embodiment of what it means to have the best of the East and the West. Never have I seen a Yogi so attuned to the Divine Christ or Christos as seen in Master Jesus as well as in Bhagvan Krishna. I hope now to read his analysis and detailed commentaries on the Gospels of Christ as well as the Holy Bhagavad Gita Verses. I have most of his books in my physical library and I hope to buy them all in the near future. I don’t personally think Kriya Yoga is for me, but I don’t mind the Raja Yoga discourse spoken of by Swami Yoganandaji though briefly in the light of the writings of Swami Vivekananda who is another enlightened and ascended Master whom I adore. I have learnt Raja Yoga from him; it is difficult, but it gives you everything you could ever need and more. I’m serious.
I hope one day in this lifetime, I can be strong enough mentally to be initiated into Kriya Yoga, but I don’t think that will be possible. I am not a very advanced individual in the spiritual realm at all, I’m quite a plodder there. But I am a person of deeds, like the Jesuits of old, I try to live my talk than merely just talk. I love to serve people, comes natural to me. It has always been so, and I hope that counts in the development not only of myself but as it is mentioned in the book, the development of all.
Mesmerizing, par excellence, divine and a masterpiece is ‘The Autobiography of a Yogi’ by a person who walked the talk and who has truly though being a monk managed to have a family as large as two Americas put together. Though the world may seem a bit ‘off’ a bit, with a few still hanging on there to these ancient teachings of old during the latter-day early 20th century spiritual renaissance of India, I am sure we can regain our ‘equilibrium’ with the cosmos without and within ourselves soon. I will cherish this book for the rest of my remaining life, and I hope that one day even I am led to find my ultimate individuality in eternal communion with the Divine.
More than anything else, this book will be a prayer book for me because in my copy I have a number of footnotes on every page where the prayers, texts from various scriptures and esoteric books as well as the classics have been noted down for our reference and guide along the spiritual path of Kriya Yoga. So now this book is my prayer book as well. Mine is a leather-bound hardcopy published in 2009 as a collector’s item with gold edged pages. It is a treasure to hold and behold. My students have also been fascinated with it, but it takes more than that to influence Gen-Alpha and Gen-Z kids to read books these days! I also have a list of all the writings and synopses of Sri Sri Yoganandaji’s works and I have most by the Grace of God, now I shall procure the rest.
Thank you to my maternal uncle & God-father Blaise for introducing me at a very young age to these great souls. Thank you for the initiation. Will be in your debt for ages after, in the astral world & beyond. But even Bhagavan Krishna said once that one cannot repay the debt one owes to one's father. It is written several times in the Wisdom Books of the Bible too. My genetic father gave me birth, but you gave me life.
Pranam revered Mahavatar Babaji, if you are reading this by any chance – you will always get 5 stars from me!
More than anything else, this book has added to my knowledge and has managed to instruct me further about the direction which I have already undertaken to fulfill my 3 ministries in the Catholic Church as a Consecrated Virgin or as a religious. The spiritual direction received here in this book rivals that of all Spiritual Directors put together and it would still be not enough to encompass even a grain of the depth of this autobiography.
I got to meet Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri at last in this book whom I have heard about all my life along with Lahiri Mahasaya his revered guru whom my maternal uncle can never stop conversing about, not to mention many other mystics, masters, ascended masters, enlightened beings and holy men and women among others.
From all of them, I was fascinated by Giri Bala Ma the most because I am undergoing a similar situation like she did two centuries ago. Where she was taunted because of her overeating, I am also body-shamed everywhere I go because I am a plus size individual. When I am travelling on work anywhere in and out of Mumbai and stop by for a burger or sandwich, that is the time the body-shaming by the Indian public tends to be at its best. I am a heavy-duty power-walker (been so for the longest time) and can walk 6 miles for now without a sweat (these are the roads of Mumbai by the by) from my home and back, and all the way I am a target of the most vicious kind of body-shaming that one can ever imagine. It is tough being an independent Catholic woman religious, and after reading Swami Yogananda’s take on Ma Giri Bala, I have been given some well-grounded courage on my tough path forward.
In the same vein, the Stigmatist Therese Neumann and her meeting with Swami Yoganandaji took me by surprise and I’ll never forget the many lessons I learnt from her on that encounter. I’ve always been fascinated by Stigmatists and invariably all my favorite Catholic Saints tend to either be actual Stigmatists or carrying the invisible Stigmata of Christ.
I was taken up with the revered author’s stay at Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram in Gujarat and I have grown to love Bapu more than ever since my days at high school. I have my differences with the Mahatma over the topic of our Dalit brethren and his treatment of them and especially my Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar especially during the Poona Pact of 1932, but I revere Bapu nevertheless for truly being one among a million to bring freedom to more than a million! I hope now to re-read my copy of Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘My Experiments With Truth’ and to analyze it in the light of the reflections I gained from Swami Yoganandaji.
Most importantly, I realized that Swami Yogananda was as normal a human being, even as an enlightened master, like anyone else. He also tended to over-eat, got a bit overweight after he went to the USA, preferred travelling by an automobile instead of a bullock cart, sulked when scoffed at by Sri Yukteswar Giri (he is such a rascal, the Holy One!), was at times terribly rude with some of the most enlightened beings on the planet, etc. Even I found it amazing to read about Sri Yukteswar Giri tick with his nose which struck me as very down to earth and normal. That eased me a bit, because I have many ticks of my own and it is a task for me to stay still while seated or doing anything. I tend to be restless.
The book is an excellent spiritual tool to draw someone towards the Kriya Yoga path and the spiritual path to attain oneness with one’s God or to enter the Kingdom of God as Jesus mentioned several times in the Gospels. I shall memorize certain portions of it and dip into it daily so that I remain grounded in my steadfast service to my mission and the Church of Christ. The book is a spiritual book in the line of esotericism, which is a genre I adore, and which I love to indulge in right from the time I was a middle-school going girl.
My favourite scene in the book was obviously when Sri Yukteswar Giri resurrects and appears to Paramahansaji to relate to him about his new job in another astral planet, which was alluring and enlightening. This is a memoir par excellence, and I owe it to the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India for giving me this book at an affordable price many years ago, in 2014 precisely, though it was a 2009 copy. A must have for anyone on the spiritual path and in need of the Guru who never seems to arrive! A must have for believers in the Divine and even for those who are merely curious.
Sri Sri Paramahansa Yoganandaji is truly the very embodiment of what it means to have the best of the East and the West. Never have I seen a Yogi so attuned to the Divine Christ or Christos as seen in Master Jesus as well as in Bhagvan Krishna. I hope now to read his analysis and detailed commentaries on the Gospels of Christ as well as the Holy Bhagavad Gita Verses. I have most of his books in my physical library and I hope to buy them all in the near future. I don’t personally think Kriya Yoga is for me, but I don’t mind the Raja Yoga discourse spoken of by Swami Yoganandaji though briefly in the light of the writings of Swami Vivekananda who is another enlightened and ascended Master whom I adore. I have learnt Raja Yoga from him; it is difficult, but it gives you everything you could ever need and more. I’m serious.
I hope one day in this lifetime, I can be strong enough mentally to be initiated into Kriya Yoga, but I don’t think that will be possible. I am not a very advanced individual in the spiritual realm at all, I’m quite a plodder there. But I am a person of deeds, like the Jesuits of old, I try to live my talk than merely just talk. I love to serve people, comes natural to me. It has always been so, and I hope that counts in the development not only of myself but as it is mentioned in the book, the development of all.
Mesmerizing, par excellence, divine and a masterpiece is ‘The Autobiography of a Yogi’ by a person who walked the talk and who has truly though being a monk managed to have a family as large as two Americas put together. Though the world may seem a bit ‘off’ a bit, with a few still hanging on there to these ancient teachings of old during the latter-day early 20th century spiritual renaissance of India, I am sure we can regain our ‘equilibrium’ with the cosmos without and within ourselves soon. I will cherish this book for the rest of my remaining life, and I hope that one day even I am led to find my ultimate individuality in eternal communion with the Divine.
More than anything else, this book will be a prayer book for me because in my copy I have a number of footnotes on every page where the prayers, texts from various scriptures and esoteric books as well as the classics have been noted down for our reference and guide along the spiritual path of Kriya Yoga. So now this book is my prayer book as well. Mine is a leather-bound hardcopy published in 2009 as a collector’s item with gold edged pages. It is a treasure to hold and behold. My students have also been fascinated with it, but it takes more than that to influence Gen-Alpha and Gen-Z kids to read books these days! I also have a list of all the writings and synopses of Sri Sri Yoganandaji’s works and I have most by the Grace of God, now I shall procure the rest.
Thank you to my maternal uncle & God-father Blaise for introducing me at a very young age to these great souls. Thank you for the initiation. Will be in your debt for ages after, in the astral world & beyond. But even Bhagavan Krishna said once that one cannot repay the debt one owes to one's father. It is written several times in the Wisdom Books of the Bible too. My genetic father gave me birth, but you gave me life.
Pranam revered Mahavatar Babaji, if you are reading this by any chance – you will always get 5 stars from me!
February 28, 2011
If you were brought up Christian but had a lot of problems with the way the church, priests, pope etc. acted, or if you had a lot of frustration with the numerous holes and contradictions in the Bible, as I did, this book will be a breath of fresh air. Yogananda has several books where he talks about what Christ says and meant as portrayed in the Bible, where unfortunately he is often misquoted or poorly translated, if the quotes aren't outright fabrications. This is a great introduction to an amazing man who can help you understand your own religion and spiritual experiences.
...I'm reading the book for the second time and this is by far the best spiritual book I've ever read. Yogananda is completely honest, clear and direct, and he met so many incredible people it's mind-blowing. India has an incredibly rich spiritual tradition. Also I learned that Hinduism is at it's heart monotheistic. I can't say enough good things about this book!
...I'm reading the book for the second time and this is by far the best spiritual book I've ever read. Yogananda is completely honest, clear and direct, and he met so many incredible people it's mind-blowing. India has an incredibly rich spiritual tradition. Also I learned that Hinduism is at it's heart monotheistic. I can't say enough good things about this book!
July 11, 2020
This is a wonderful book... it will certainly change your life if you read it carefully and try to understand the life of Yogi ji rather than judging it.
November 26, 2020
Wonderful! I enjoyed reading it once again during the lockdowns and I truly believe that it can change lives of the readers.
March 9, 2012
What a crazy book!
I’ve read lots of yoga books. The type I usually pick are about the various forms of yoga that are taught in North America these days. A couple of them deal with the spiritual side of yoga as well as the physical.
Most of these books are great sources of information and thought.
This biography? I’m not so sure, even though it has a huge fan following.
The closest word I can come up with to describe this autobiography is fantasy. Yogananda was a yogi in India who was divinely inspired to come to the States. He started his “Self-Realization Fellowship” in California, which supposedly teaches all the secret “Kriyas” that transformed Yogananda’s life.
That much is clearly factual (although the divinely inspired bit might be an exaggeration).
The rest of the biography? Lots and lots of miracles. Photos of invisible people. People who can split themselves into two or more and be at two places at the same time. Women who never eat. Ever. They absorb the cosmic energies. A resurrected man returns from the astral plains and tells Yogananda about the many planes of existence for those beings who rise from life to life.
And the list goes on.
I read this book, bit by bit, and the cover of my edition is long worn off. I have to admit it. I enjoyed this book. It’s fun to venture into this dense forest of truths, part-truths, fantasy and lies. I didn’t try to distinguish between these levels of truth and non-truth.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspect of Yogananda’s ideas is his interest in joining Christianity and yogi ideas. At the end of the book, he claims to have seen Christ, who spoke gentle and private words to him which he decides not to disclose... hmmm. Yogananda talks about Christ and Krishna in the same sentence, suggesting that all religions are really the same.
If you want an unusual read full of miracles, go for this book. Supposedly countless people have been transformed by this book.
I wasn’t but you might be!
I’ve read lots of yoga books. The type I usually pick are about the various forms of yoga that are taught in North America these days. A couple of them deal with the spiritual side of yoga as well as the physical.
Most of these books are great sources of information and thought.
This biography? I’m not so sure, even though it has a huge fan following.
The closest word I can come up with to describe this autobiography is fantasy. Yogananda was a yogi in India who was divinely inspired to come to the States. He started his “Self-Realization Fellowship” in California, which supposedly teaches all the secret “Kriyas” that transformed Yogananda’s life.
That much is clearly factual (although the divinely inspired bit might be an exaggeration).
The rest of the biography? Lots and lots of miracles. Photos of invisible people. People who can split themselves into two or more and be at two places at the same time. Women who never eat. Ever. They absorb the cosmic energies. A resurrected man returns from the astral plains and tells Yogananda about the many planes of existence for those beings who rise from life to life.
And the list goes on.
I read this book, bit by bit, and the cover of my edition is long worn off. I have to admit it. I enjoyed this book. It’s fun to venture into this dense forest of truths, part-truths, fantasy and lies. I didn’t try to distinguish between these levels of truth and non-truth.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspect of Yogananda’s ideas is his interest in joining Christianity and yogi ideas. At the end of the book, he claims to have seen Christ, who spoke gentle and private words to him which he decides not to disclose... hmmm. Yogananda talks about Christ and Krishna in the same sentence, suggesting that all religions are really the same.
If you want an unusual read full of miracles, go for this book. Supposedly countless people have been transformed by this book.
I wasn’t but you might be!
November 21, 2008
After reading this I feel cheated by my American public school upbringing. Why are we so sheltered from Eastern religions? There is so much more out there - so many more experiences of God than the very limited and narrow interpreation of God in this culture. This book is really an eye-opener - I highly recommend it.
March 6, 2020
The book is an eye-opener and it tells the readers that miracles are very much possible if only you are willing to let them happen and observe... Yogi was a person who accomplished so many things but had boast about none.
January 22, 2008
I know this is a "classic" of "spiritual literature, but I wonder how many people so caught up in it realized the times in which Yogananda lived and wrote. The "spirituality" he brought to America was merely a continuation of the sanitized and de-racinated version "Sanatana Dharma" (AKA "Hinduism") brought to America by Swami Vivekananda, that it bore very little resemblance to what happened (and still happens) in India, and that it was also a further development of Emersonian enchantment with the Bhagavad Gita.
Moreover, if one reads the book closely, Yogananda's teacher, Yukteshwar, asked him to write a biography of his teacher, Lahari Mahasya. As great a master of Kriya Yoga and astrology Yukteshwar was acknowledged in his day and after, so much more so, his teacher Lahiri Mahasya. Instead, Yogananda wrote an autobiography filled with grand tales.
Finally, Kriya Yoga is an ancient and authentic discipline that takes years to master, as its secrets are revealed slowly. I can only wonder at what Yogananda so easily imparted resembles the real thing.
Moreover, if one reads the book closely, Yogananda's teacher, Yukteshwar, asked him to write a biography of his teacher, Lahari Mahasya. As great a master of Kriya Yoga and astrology Yukteshwar was acknowledged in his day and after, so much more so, his teacher Lahiri Mahasya. Instead, Yogananda wrote an autobiography filled with grand tales.
Finally, Kriya Yoga is an ancient and authentic discipline that takes years to master, as its secrets are revealed slowly. I can only wonder at what Yogananda so easily imparted resembles the real thing.
July 15, 2015
Autobiography of a Yogi is the autobiography of a spiritual leader, Paramahansa Yogananda, one of the most well-known Indian yogi-swamis of all times. The book begins with his childhood, in a Bengali family, to his various encounters with the famous spiritual masters of the time (his own guru being one of them), to finally becoming a monk, establishing Yoga centers throughout the world, and introducing Kriya Yoga teachings to the west for the first time. Kriya Yoga is an ancient Yoga system which “Krishna gave millenniums ago to Arjuna; and was later known to Patanjali, and to Christ, St. John, St. Paul, and other disciples” and was later revived for use in modern times.
I liked this book for some personal reasons. However, if you don't believe in mysticism and magic, chances are you won't like this book that much. It’s a recommended read for anyone who’s interested in Indian philosophy, especially Yoga meditation.
I liked this book for some personal reasons. However, if you don't believe in mysticism and magic, chances are you won't like this book that much. It’s a recommended read for anyone who’s interested in Indian philosophy, especially Yoga meditation.
January 29, 2023
এই অ-পূ-উ-উ-র-বো বইটিকে নিয়ে আগের প্রোফাইলে একটা রিভিউ লিখেছিলাম। বন্ধু মুহাম্মদ গতকাল মেসেজ করে বললো : "আবার লেখোনা ক্যান?"। কিন্তু এই বই নিয়ে আরেকবার গুছিয়ে লেখা আমার পক্ষে সম্ভব নয়। শুধু সামান্য কয়েকটা কথা :
"আত্মজীবনী" লেখার নাম করে এইরকম এক্সপোর্ট কোয়ালিটির গাঁজাখুরি কাহিনি রচনা করবার মতো সাহস, কল্পনাশক্তি এবং আত্মবিশ্বাস— পৃথিবীতে ভীষণ অল্পসংখ্যক মানুষের মধ্যে দেখা যায়। ইনি সেই ভীষণ অল্পসংখ্যক মানুষদের একজন। গাঁজাগল্প লেখার সময় অন্যরা গরুকে গাছে ওঠায়, নিজেরা নিচে দাঁড়িয়ে থাকে। এই ভদ্রলোক গরুর জন্যে অপেক্ষা করেননি, নিজেই গাছে উঠে পড়েছেন।
গরু ল্যাজ তুলে পালিয়েছে!
.
"আত্মজীবনী" লেখার নাম করে এইরকম এক্সপোর্ট কোয়ালিটির গাঁজাখুরি কাহিনি রচনা করবার মতো সাহস, কল্পনাশক্তি এবং আত্মবিশ্বাস— পৃথিবীতে ভীষণ অল্পসংখ্যক মানুষের মধ্যে দেখা যায়। ইনি সেই ভীষণ অল্পসংখ্যক মানুষদের একজন। গাঁজাগল্প লেখার সময় অন্যরা গরুকে গাছে ওঠায়, নিজেরা নিচে দাঁড়িয়ে থাকে। এই ভদ্রলোক গরুর জন্যে অপেক্ষা করেননি, নিজেই গাছে উঠে পড়েছেন।
গরু ল্যাজ তুলে পালিয়েছে!
.
October 16, 2019
A wonderful book... memories of a yogi that can stir all of us with an inspiration.
July 20, 2020
This is an autobiography which has been lived and lived upon by many souls in the world. Yogi Ji's spiritual experiences, his Yoga experiences, his simple experiences in life... everything seems close to you once you begin reading this wonderful work.
November 21, 2008
This book as supposedly changed lives... I'm not sure that it did anything for me. I thought that it dragged on enormously and felt like a very large pamphlet.
March 22, 2024
The book that TOTALLY changed my life.
I live my whole life based on the teachings of this book.
It helped me uncover SO MANY existential questions I held for many years.
It helped me grasp what life really is about, that there really is nothing to fear, not even death, that I am loved by God no matter what the world does to me, that true happiness lies only in self-realisation, and living in a state of complete surrender and 100% selfless service.
Must-read, must-read, must-read!
I live my whole life based on the teachings of this book.
It helped me uncover SO MANY existential questions I held for many years.
It helped me grasp what life really is about, that there really is nothing to fear, not even death, that I am loved by God no matter what the world does to me, that true happiness lies only in self-realisation, and living in a state of complete surrender and 100% selfless service.
Must-read, must-read, must-read!
September 1, 2016
I have seen this book for 40 years and wanted to read it, but somehow I never picked it up, even at the used book shops which often had dozens of copies displayed. Last year I finally bought a used copy and last month I began eagerly to read the life story of the man who brought Kriya Yoga to the attention of the Western world.
Unfortunately, my eagerness did not last long enough to get me past the two hundred page mark. I'm not sure why. I usually enjoy stories about a person becoming who they are meant to be, and this book certainly starts off with that in mind. Yogananda shares his life story and how rebellious he was as a teenager, wanting more than anything to become one with God. He ran away from home more than once: trying to get to the Himalayan mountains to become a hermit sage one year, visiting many known saints and gurus looking for the one who would become his guide.
I could appreciate his efforts, but perhaps I am too independent-minded to relate properly to the guru/student philosophy and all it involves. I could never bow down to another person that way, and although I could acknowledge a guru's wisdom, I have thought for myself too long to turn my life over to anyone. But that is just my Western Self. I understand that in the Orient there is traditionally nothing wrong with the idea. Odd that I can read about the same concept in Zen Buddhism and it seems fine, but in this book I had a mental echo all the time saying 'no, that just would not do for me, I could never live like that'.
This feeling became stronger after Yogananda met his guru Sri Yukteswar and began to spend time with him. The man seemed cruel and too fond of using his mental talents on other people just to create lessons for Yogananda. I may be completely missing the point, as the author says many people did when dealing with his guru. But I was more repelled than fascinated at this point and after struggling through a few more chapters I decided I would give up. I might come back to the book later, but that is a very large 'might'.
Unfortunately, my eagerness did not last long enough to get me past the two hundred page mark. I'm not sure why. I usually enjoy stories about a person becoming who they are meant to be, and this book certainly starts off with that in mind. Yogananda shares his life story and how rebellious he was as a teenager, wanting more than anything to become one with God. He ran away from home more than once: trying to get to the Himalayan mountains to become a hermit sage one year, visiting many known saints and gurus looking for the one who would become his guide.
I could appreciate his efforts, but perhaps I am too independent-minded to relate properly to the guru/student philosophy and all it involves. I could never bow down to another person that way, and although I could acknowledge a guru's wisdom, I have thought for myself too long to turn my life over to anyone. But that is just my Western Self. I understand that in the Orient there is traditionally nothing wrong with the idea. Odd that I can read about the same concept in Zen Buddhism and it seems fine, but in this book I had a mental echo all the time saying 'no, that just would not do for me, I could never live like that'.
This feeling became stronger after Yogananda met his guru Sri Yukteswar and began to spend time with him. The man seemed cruel and too fond of using his mental talents on other people just to create lessons for Yogananda. I may be completely missing the point, as the author says many people did when dealing with his guru. But I was more repelled than fascinated at this point and after struggling through a few more chapters I decided I would give up. I might come back to the book later, but that is a very large 'might'.
June 16, 2022
این چه سمممممی بود؟؟؟ چرا اینو خوندم؟ چرا باید به این کتاب امتیاز بدن آخه؟ یعنی تو گودریدز هم تعداد کسایی که به پرواز کردن و غیب شدن آدمها و این کلاه برداری و دروغها باور دارن انقدر زیاده؟ 😫😫😫😫😫😫
یوگارو تبدیل به معجزات الهی و معنویات دینی کرده این یوگاناندادای کلاه بردار
😤
گیتی خوشدل 🤒
یوگارو تبدیل به معجزات الهی و معنویات دینی کرده این یوگاناندادای کلاه بردار
😤
گیتی خوشدل 🤒
November 26, 2012
Reading "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda at the age of forty-two was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. From the beginning chapter, I felt like I had finally come home. This was the life I had always wished was possible but never dreamed it could be! After finishing it, I sent away to Self-Realization Fellowship, the organization Yogananda founded in 1920, for the three-and-a-half years’ worth of bi-monthly lessons on “right living” and follow Yogananda’s teachings today as part of my daily spiritual discipline.
I’ve listened to the audiobook version, read by Ben Kingsley, three times now and it never fails to thrill me. Everything in this book resonates in harmony with who I am and who I wish to become. I was already teaching spiritual classes by the time I encountered this book and was amazed at how much deeper it took me in my knowledge and practice.
Yogananda teaches that direct contact with God is possible through the application of scientific yoga principles. After practicing his techniques, which have been handed down for thousands of years by Indian saints, I have reached new heights of peace, happiness and alignment with what Yogananda’s guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, refers to as “that supreme intelligence which governs everything.”
May this wonderful book enrich your spiritual life as it has mine!
I’ve listened to the audiobook version, read by Ben Kingsley, three times now and it never fails to thrill me. Everything in this book resonates in harmony with who I am and who I wish to become. I was already teaching spiritual classes by the time I encountered this book and was amazed at how much deeper it took me in my knowledge and practice.
Yogananda teaches that direct contact with God is possible through the application of scientific yoga principles. After practicing his techniques, which have been handed down for thousands of years by Indian saints, I have reached new heights of peace, happiness and alignment with what Yogananda’s guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, refers to as “that supreme intelligence which governs everything.”
May this wonderful book enrich your spiritual life as it has mine!
November 27, 2020
What a remarkable book.
The book is a journey in itself. Read only when you believe there is a divine power that works for us. It's a journey of a true sage and his aesthetic lifestyle which inspires you to develop a deeper level of understanding into purpose of human life.
The book is a journey in itself. Read only when you believe there is a divine power that works for us. It's a journey of a true sage and his aesthetic lifestyle which inspires you to develop a deeper level of understanding into purpose of human life.
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