Autobiography of a Yogi

• ISBN13: 9788124805602
• Binding: Paperback
• Subject: English Literature
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd
• Publisher Imprint: Peacock Books
• Publication Date: July 10, 2024
• Pages: 480
• Original Price: INR 295.0
• Language: English
• Edition: N/A
• Item Weight: 400 grams
• BISAC Subject(s): N/A

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

First published in 1946, The Autobiography of a Yogi recounts the life of Paramahansa Yogananda, born as Mukunda Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur, India, into a Bengali Hindu family. From his humble beginnings and familial experiences to the quest for his guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, the narrative unfolds the establishment of Yogananda's first school, his transformative journey to America, encounters with luminaries such as Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore as well as his association with nineteenth-century master Lahiri Mahasaya, who had prophesied the writing of this book. It serves as a gateway to the spiritual wisdom of the East, detailing the methods of achieving God-realization and the transformative power of Kriya Yoga. Having had a profound influence on well-known figures like Steve Jobs, George Harrison and Elvis Presley, the book emphasises the virtues of a life marked by self-respect, calmness, determination, a simple diet and regular exercise. The exploration of these teachings invites the readers to embark on a journey of self-discovery, inner peace and a deeper connection with the divine.

“A book that opens windows of the mind and spirit.”

—India Journal

“A must read for all those who are brave enough to let their thoughts and ideologies be challenged.”

—Virat Kohli

Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952) was a revered spiritual leader, yogi and author who introduced the ancient teachings of yoga and meditation to the Western world. Born Mukunda Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur, India, Yogananda displayed a deep spiritual inclination from a young age. He trained under Sri Yukteswar as his disciple for the ten years (1910–1920) at his hermitages in Serampore and Puri, receiving initiation into the ancient Kriya Yoga tradition. In July 1915, a few weeks following his graduation from Scottish Church College, Calcutta, he formally embraced the monastic Swami order, and Sri Yukteswar granted him the autonomy to select his own name—Swami Yogananda Giri. Throughout his life, Yogananda tirelessly promoted the message of universal harmony and self-discovery through his teachings, lectures and establishment of the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India. He travelled extensively in India and the United States, spreading the teachings of Kriya Yoga and advocating for a balanced approach to physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Paramahansa Yogananda's profound spiritual legacy continues to resonate with millions of people around the globe, transcending cultural and religious boundaries.

Noteworthy works by Paramahansa Yogananda:
• The Divine Romance (1986)
• Journey to Self-realization (1997)
• Songs of the Soul (1923)
• Scientific Healing Affirmations (1924)
• The Science of Religion (1925)

• Preface........................................................................................................................ v
• Author’s Acknowledgments ........................................................................................vii
• 1. My Parents and Early Life.......................................................................................... 1
• 2. My Mother’s Death and the Mystic Amulet ................................................................13
• 3. The Saint with Two Bodies .......................................................................................20
• 4. My Interrupted Flight toward the Himalayas............................................................. 27
• 5. A “Perfume Saint” Displays His Wonders .................................................................41
• 6. The Tiger Swami ......................................................................................................49
• 7. The Levitating Saint ..................................................................................................58
• 8. India’s Great Scientist, J.C. Bose ...............................................................................64
• 9. The Blissful Devotee and his Cosmic Romance .........................................................74
• 10. I Meet My Master, Sri Yukteswar ..............................................................................82
• 11. Two Penniless Boys in Brindaban ...........................................................................93
• 12. Years In My Master’s Hermitage ............................................................................103
• 13. The Sleepless Saint ...............................................................................................135
• 14. An Experience in Cosmic Consciousness ...............................................................142
• 15. The Cauliflower Robbery ........................................................................................150
• 16. Outwitting the Stars ...............................................................................................162
• 17. Sasi and the Three Sapphires ................................................................................173
• 18. A Mohammedan Wonder-Worker.......................................................................... 179
• 19. My Master, in Calcutta, Appears in Serampore .......................................................185
• 20. We Do Not Visit Kashmir .......................................................................................189
• 21. We Visit Kashmir ..................................................................................................194
• 22. The Heart of a Stone Image ....................................................................................204
• 23. I Receive My University Degree ...............................................................................212
• 24. I Become a Monk of the Swami Order .....................................................................219
• 25. Brother Ananta and Sister Nalini ............................................................................228
• 26. The Science of Kriya Yoga ......................................................................................234
• 27. Founding a Yoga School at Ranchi .........................................................................243
• 28. Kashi, Reborn and Rediscovered ...........................................................................252
• 29. Rabindranath Tagore and I Compare Schools........................................................ 258
• 30. The Law of Miracles............................................................................................... 263
• 31. An Interview with the Sacred Mother....................................................................... 275
• 32. Rama is Raised from the Dead ...............................................................................285
• 33. Babaji, The Yogi-Christ of Modern India................................................................. 294
• 34. Materializing a Palace in the Himalayas ................................................................303
• 35. The Christlike Life of Lahiri Mahasaya ....................................................................315
• 36. Babaji’s Interest in the West ..................................................................................328
• 37. I go to America ......................................................................................................339
• 38. Luther Burbank—A Saint Amidst the Roses .............................................................348
• 39. Therese Neumann, The Catholic Stigmatist ............................................................354
• 40. I Return to India .....................................................................................................363
• 41. An Idyl in South India .............................................................................................371
• 42. Last Days with My Guru ..........................................................................................384
• 43. The Resurrection of Sri Yukteswar ..........................................................................400
• 44. With Mahatma Gandhi at Wardha .........................................................................420
• 45. The Bengali “Joy-Permeated” Mother .....................................................................439
• 46. The Woman Yogi Who Never Eats ..........................................................................445
• 47. I Return to the West ...............................................................................................457
• 48. At Encinitas in California .......................................................................................462
• 49. The years 1940-1951 ..............................................................................................466