Books about life lessons

Autobiography of a Yogi

Autobiography of Paramahansa Yogananda

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda is a spiritual classic published in It recounts Yogananda's life, his search for his guru, and his teachings on Kriya Yoga. The book has introduced many to meditation and yoga and has been influential in both Eastern and Western spiritual circles.

It has been translated into over fifty languages and continues to be widely read. Notable admirers include Steve Jobs, George Harrison, and Elvis Presley.

Paramahansa Yogananda was born as Mukunda Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur, India, into a BengaliHindu family.[2]Autobiography of a Yogi recounts his life and his encounters with spiritual figures of the Eastern and the Western world.

The book begins with his childhood and family life, then finding his guru, becoming a monk and establishing his teachings of Kriya Yoga meditation. The book continues in when Yogananda accepted an invitation to speak at a religious congress in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He then travelled across the USA lecturing and establishing his teachings in Los Angeles, California.

In , he returned to India for a yearlong visit. When he returned to the USA he continued to establish his teachings, including writing this book.

The book is an introduction to the methods of attaining God-realization and the spiritual wisdom of the East, which had only been available to a few before The author claims that the writing of the book was prophesied by the nineteenth-century master Lahiri Mahasaya (Paramguru of Yogananda).

The book has been in print for seventy-five years and translated into over fifty languages by the Self-Realization Fellowship,[3] a spiritual society established by Yogananda. It has been acclaimed as a spiritual classic, being designated by Philip Zaleski, while he was under the auspices of HarperCollins Publishers, as one of the " Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century."[4][5][6] It is included in the book 50 Spiritual Classics: Timeless Wisdom from 50 Great Books of Inner Discovery, Enlightenment and Purpose by Tom Butler-Bowdon.[7] According to Project Gutenberg, the first edition is in the public domain, [8] at least five publishers are reprinting it and four post it free for online reading.

Overview

Autobiography of a Yogi examines the life and spiritual development of Paramahansa Yogananda. The book describes Yogananda's childhood family life, his search for his guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri,[9] the establishment of his first school, Yogoda Satsanga Brahmacharya Vidyalaya,[10] and his journey to America where he lectured to thousands,[11] established Self-Realization Fellowship[12] and visited Luther Burbank,[13] a renowned botanist to whom the book is dedicated.

The book then describes Yogananda's return visit to India in , where he encountered leading spiritual figures such as Therese Neumann[14][15] in Bavaria, the Hindu saint Ananda Moyi Ma,[16]Mahatma Gandhi,[17]Rabindranath Tagore,[18]Nobel Prize-winning physicist Sir C.

V. Raman,[19] and Giri Bala, "the woman yogi who never eats."[20] Finally, Yogananda describes his return to the West, where he continued to establish his teachings in America, including the writing of the Autobiography.

The preface was written by anthropologist Walter Evans-Wentz, a writer who was a pioneer in the study of Tibetan Buddhism in the west, most notably through his translations of The Tibetan Book of the Dead and Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa. In the preface he wrote, "His unusual life-document is certainly one of the most revealing of the depths of the Hindu mind and heart, and of the spiritual wealth of India, ever to be published in the West."[21]

Yukteswar Giri, Yogananda's guru, told him about a significant prediction made by Lahiri Mahasaya, Yukteswar's guru.[22] Yukteswar heard him say, "About fifty years after my passing," he said, "my life will be written because of a deep interest in yoga which the West will manifest.

The yogic message will encircle the globe, and aid in establishing that brotherhood of man which results from direct perception of the One Father." In , fifty years after Lahiri Mahasaya's passing in , the Autobiography was complete and ready for publication.

Influence

In , Autobiography of a Yogi was designated one of the " Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century" by a panel of theologians and luminaries convened by HarperCollins publishers.[4] According to Philip Goldberg, who wrote American Veda, "&#;the Self-Realization Fellowship, which represents Yogananda's Legacy, is justified in using the slogan, 'The Book that Changed the Lives of Millions.' It has sold more than four million copies and counting&#;"[23]Autobiography of a Yogi is the most popular of Yogananda's books and SRF has published the book in over fifty languages.[24]

Autobiography of a Yogi has introduced meditation and yoga to many Westerners since its publication.[25] Its success has also made Yogananda a distinguished figure in India, where commemorative stamps were issued in to honor him.[26]

The book has many famous advocates, particularly in the business and entertainment communities.

One of the most famous advocates of the book was Steve Jobs, the co-founder, and formerly Chairman and CEO of Apple Inc. Jobs "first read Autobiography of a Yogi as a teenager, then re-read [the book] once a year ever since."[27]Marc Benioff, CEO of , told his story of attending Steve Jobs' memorial service, where the attendees were handed a small brown box on their way out.

"This is going to be good," he thought. "I knew that this was a decision he made, and whatever it was, it was the last thing he wanted us all to think about." The box contained a copy of the book.[28]

George Harrison, lead guitarist of the Beatles, received his first copy of Autobiography of a Yogi from Ravi Shankar in and, according to Shankar, "that was where his (George Harrison's) interest in Vedic culture and Indian-ness began."[29]Gary Wright, who wrote the song Dream Weaver, wrote: "In , my friend George Harrison invited me to accompany him on a trip to India.

A few days before we left, he gave me a copy of the book Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. Needless to say the book inspired me deeply, and I became totally fascinated with Indian culture and philosophy. My trip was an experience I will never forget."[30]

Elvis Presley was introduced to Autobiography of a Yogi in by his hair dresser-turned-guru, Larry Geller.[31] Elvis continued to study the book throughout the s.

He left a copy of the book behind in a Nashville hotel room on 21 January Later on this book was auctioned off with a letter of authenticity[32]

The actress Mariel Hemingway says that she was introduced to the Autobiography of a Yogi by Peter Evans, a direct disciple of Yogananda. She was "mesmerized by the Autobiography of a Yogi and loved the whole great Hindu tradition of spiritual seeking&#;"[33]

The actor Dennis Weaver gave a copy of the book to Linda Evans, saying that it had changed his life.

Evans says that, "Because of Dennis, I took the first step in what would become a life long spiritual journey."[34]

Andrew Weil, director of the program in integrative medicine at University of Arizona, wrote the book Eating Well for Optimum Health. He mentioned reading the Autobiography of a Yogi, which he said, "awakened in me an interest in yoga and Indian religious philosophies." He continued, "It is filled with wondrous tales from an exotic land, none more amazing than that of Giri Bala, 'a woman yogi who never eats.'"[35]

The work has also attracted less favourable comments.

Srinivas Aravamudan has described its contents as "miracle-infested territory" whose "single most memorable feature&#; is a repetitive insistence on collocating the miraculous and the quotidian.&#; The autobiography is an eclectic directory of sorts that might be dubbed a hitchhiker's guide to the paranormal galaxy." Aravamudan notes the "aggressive marketing" of the Yogoda Satsang and Self-Realization Fellowship, that Yogananda himself "worked the mass media" and used a technique described as "Guru English".

He notes that Yogananda was the collator of the testimonials that purport to validate the miracles described, which appear at a rate of around one per page.[36]

According to Chris Welch and the liner notes on the album, Tales From Topographic Oceans, a concept album recorded by Yes, the progressive rock group, was inspired by "a lengthy footnote on page 83" of Autobiography of a Yogi.

The footnote describes four Shastricscriptures that cover religion, art, social life, medicine, music and architecture. On 3 March , Jon Anderson was given a copy of Autobiography of a Yogi by Jamie Muir at Bill Bruford's wedding. Anderson became particularly fascinated by the footnote on page 83, which inspired him to write much of the material for Tales from Topographic Oceans.[37]

Cholo-goth icon Rafael Reyes credits the book with saving his life and opening him to spiritual self-awareness.[38]

James Dudley, in his book Library Journal: Autobiography of a Yogi, wrote: "Yogananda's masterly storytelling epitomizes the Indian oral tradition with its wit, charm, and compassionate wisdom."[39]

Phil Goldberg, in his book The Life of Yogananda, states that Autobiography of a Yogi is "the book that changed the lives of millions".[40]

Today, reading Autobiography of a Yogi has become an unofficial prerequisite for prospective students of the Self-Realization Fellowship's "Lessons for Home Study", a set of lessons, reflections, and assignments that one may read and apply before being initiated into Kriya Yoga.[41]

Editions

The Autobiography of a Yogi was first printed in December by Philosophical Library, who printed it until In October , Self-Realization Fellowship, Yogananda's organization, acquired the rights to the book and have been printing the book ever since, including translating it into over fifty languages.[24][42] According to Project Gutenberg, the first edition of Autobiography of a Yogi is in the public domain in the USA.[8]

Many editions of Autobiography of a Yogi have been printed, including the following.[43]

Philosophical Library

The first four editions in the United States were published by the Philosophical Library.

  • Autobiography of a Yogi (1st&#;ed.). New York: The Philosophical Library. pages. LCCN&#;
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (2nd&#;ed.). New York: The Philosophical Library.
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (3rd, enlarged&#;ed.). New York: The Philosophical Library.

    OCLC&#;

  • Autobiography of a Yogi (4th&#;ed.). New York: The Philosophical Library. OCLC&#;
Self-Realization Fellowship / Yogoda Satsanga Society of India

Self-Realization Fellowship has published the book in the United States since the fifth edition in

  • Autobiography of a Yogi (5th&#;ed.).

    Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship. pages. OCLC&#;

  • Autobiography of a Yogi (6th&#;ed.). Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship. pages.

    Yudkowsky autobiography of a yogi My responsibility was mostly cooking their meals so that they could work uninterruptedly! Additionally, he highlights the importance of a holistic education system, something he launched back in the s, something that is required in the present. Read the book on yss. To his surprise, the package was not candy, but a book — Autobiography of a Yogi.

    OCLC&#;

  • Autobiography of a Yogi (7th&#;ed.). Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship. pages. OCLC&#;
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (8th&#;ed.). Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship. pages. LCCN&#;
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (9th&#;ed.). Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship.

    pages. LCCN&#;

  • Autobiography of a Yogi (10th&#;ed.). Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship. pages. LCCN&#;
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (11th&#;ed.). Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship. pages. ISBN&#;. LCCN&#;
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (12th&#;ed.).

    Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship. pages. ISBN&#;. LCCN&#;

  • Autobiography of a Yogi (Anniversary&#;ed.). Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship. pages. ISBN&#;. LCCN&#;
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (13th&#;ed.). Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship. pages.

    Autobiography of a yogi in tamil: Support SRF Today! Please see your browser settings for this feature. During a conversation he mentioned Hindu philosophy. Additionally, he highlights the importance of a holistic education system, something he launched back in the s, something that is required in the present.

    ISBN&#;. LCCN&#;

  • Autobiography of a Yogi. India: Yogoda Satsanga Society of India. pages. ISBN&#;.
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (Collector's&#;ed.). India: Yogoda Satsanga Society of India. pages. ISBN&#;.
Jaico

An Indian edition has been published by Jaico.

  • Autobiography of a Yogi. Bombay: Jaico. pages. OCLC&#;
Rider

British editions have been published by Rider since

  • Autobiography of a Yogi (1st London&#;ed.). London, New York: Rider. pages. OCLC&#;
  • Autobiography of a Yogi.

    London, New York: Rider. pages. LCCN&#; OCLC&#;

  • Autobiography of a Yogi (2nd&#;ed.). London: Rider. pages. ISBN&#;. OCLC&#;
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (3rd&#;ed.). London: Rider.

    Autobiography of a yogi ebook In I read his copy of Autobiography of a Yogi , which Paramahansaji had given him. The world would know our blessed Master through this sublime ambassador. Though Guruji never dwelt on his own importance, he certainly did believe in the great value of what he wrote — because he knew he was writing Truth. In addition to revising and updating portions of the text, and deleting some passages describing organizational activities and plans that were no longer current, Paramahansa Yogananda added a final chapter — one of the longest in the book — covering the years —

    pages. OCLC&#;

  • Autobiography of a Yogi (4th&#;ed.). London: Rider. pages. OCLC&#;
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (5th&#;ed.). London: Rider. pages. OCLC&#;
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (6th&#;ed.). London: Rider.
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (7th&#;ed.).

    London: Rider.

  • Autobiography of a Yogi (New&#;ed.). London: Rider. pages. ISBN&#;. LCCN&#;
  • Autobiography of a Yogi. London: Rider. ISBN&#;.
  • Autobiography of a Yogi. London: Rider. pages. OCLC&#;
  • Autobiography of a Yogi (New&#;ed.). London: Rider.

    pages. ISBN&#;. OCLC&#;

Reprints of the first edition

The first edition, which is in the public domain according to Project Gutenberg,[8] has more recently been reprinted by a number of publishers.

Adaptations and translations

The Autobiography is now available in a Kindle edition.[44] An unabridged audio book (15 CDs) version narrated by Ben Kingsley and published by Self-Realization Fellowship () is available in English and German (ISBN&#;).

It is also offered as a download from iTunes.

Self-Realization Fellowship has translated the book into over fifty languages.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^"Catalog entry ". U.S. Library of Congress.

  2. 10 books that changed my life
  3. Most life-changing books to read
  4. Life changing books reddit
  5. Best books to read for successful life

  6. ^"Autobiography of a Yogi". Yogoda Satsanga Society of India. Archived from the original on 29 December Retrieved 29 December
  7. ^"Translations Around the World". Self-Realization Fellowship. Archived from the original on 9 October Retrieved 30 August
  8. ^ ab"HarperCollins Best Spiritual Books of the Century".

    Archived from the original on 9 January Retrieved 9 January

  9. ^"HarperCollins Best Spiritual Books of the Century". Archived from the original on 9 October Retrieved 26 August
  10. ^"HarperSanFrancisco, edited by Philip Zaleski Best Spiritual Books of the 20th Century".

    Archived from the original on 22 February Retrieved 26 August

  11. ^Butler-Bowdon, Tom (). 50 Spiritual Classics: Timeless Wisdom from 50 Great Books of Inner Discovery, Enlightenment and Purpose. Nicholas Brealey Publishing. ISBN&#;.
  12. ^ abcAutobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda.

    1 February Archived from the original on 27 January Retrieved 28 August &#; via Project Gutenberg. (see "Bibrec" tab)

  13. ^Chapter 10 – I Meet my Master, Sri Yukteswar
  14. ^Chapter 27 – Founding of a Yoga School at Ranchi
  15. ^"End of Series". The Washington Post.

    20 February p.&#;F4.

  16. ^Chapter 37 - I Go to America
  17. ^Chapter 38 – Luther Burbank, A Saint Amidst the Roses
  18. ^Chapter 39 – The Catholic Stigmatist of Bavaria
  19. ^Yogananda, Paramahansa (). The Second Coming of Christ / Volume I / Jesus Temptation in the wilderness / Discourse 8 / Mattew .

    Self-Realization Fellowship. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.

  20. ^Chapter 45 – The Bengali "Joy-Permeated Mother"
  21. ^Chapter 44 – With Mahatma Gandhi at Wardha
  22. ^Chapter 29 – Rabindranath Tagore and I Compare Schools
  23. ^Chapter 41 - An Idyl in South India
  24. ^Chapter 46 - Giri Bala - The woman Yogi Who Never Eats
  25. ^Evans-Wentz, W.

    Y. Preface

  26. ^Chapter 32 – Rama is Raised from the Dead
  27. ^Goldberg, Philip (). American Veda. Harmony; 1 edition (2 November ):
  28. ^ abc"Translations of Autobiography of a Yogi around the World".

    Yogoda Satsanga Society of India.

    Yudkowsky autobiography of a yogi bear It was with inexpressible joy that we sat at his feet to meditate in the wee hours of the morning. He opened to a few pages, saving for last the illustration of Mahavatar Babaji. It took me a whole additional year of learning English before I was able to read that book. The solutions to all your problems lie right there in front of you, all around you.

    Archived from the original on 18 February Retrieved 30 August

  29. ^Bowden, Henry Warner (). Dictionary of American Religious Biography. Greenwood Press. ISBN&#; p.
  30. ^Virk, Rizwan (). Wisdom of a Yogi. Bayview Books. pp.&#;xiii–xiv. ISBN&#;.
  31. ^Isaacson, Walter (). Steve Jobs: A Biography.

    Simon & Schuster. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

  32. ^Farber, Dan (10 September ). "Marc Benioff explains Steve Jobs' spirituality and chides Apple". San Francisco: CNET News. Archived from the original on 27 December Retrieved 11 September
  33. ^O'Mahony, John (3 June ). "A Hodgepodge of Hash, Yoga and LSD&#;– Interview with Sitar giant Ravi Shankar".

    The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 August Retrieved 14 August

  34. ^Wright, Gary (). Dream Weaver: A Memoir; Music, Meditation, and My Friendship with George Harrison. TarcherPerigee.
  35. ^Stearn, Jess ().

    Yudkowsky autobiography of a yogi cat Even though touched by the gift, Brother did not immediately feel inclined to read it. Texts Video icon An illustration of two cells of a film strip. But from the beginning, Autobiography of a Yogi has been a haven for me, a healing balm for my soul The moment I started reading that book, it did something to me that I can't describe.

    Elvis: His Spiritual Journey - p. Walsworth Pub Co. ISBN&#;.

  36. ^"ELVIS PRESLEY OWNED AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI". 8 December Archived from the original on 8 December Retrieved 8 December
  37. ^Hemmingway, Mariel (). Finding My Balance. Simon & Schuster.

    ISBN&#;.

  38. ^Evans, Linda (). Recipes for Life: My Memories. Vanguard Press. pp.&#; ISBN&#;.
  39. ^Weil, Dr. Andrew (). Eating Well for Optimum Health. Random House Large Print. ISBN&#;.
  40. ^Aravamudan, Srinivas ().

  41. Autobiography of a yogi in tamil
  42. Yudkowsky autobiography of a yogi dog
  43. Autobiography of a yogi free pdf

    44. Guru English: South Asian Religion in a Cosmopolitan Language. Princeton University Press. pp.&#;60–61, ISBN&#;.

  44. ^Welch, Chris (). Close to the Edge: The Story of Yes. Omnibus Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  45. ^mikemaxwellart (29 August ). "Live Free Podcast #62 W/Guest Mr Rafael "Baby Boy" Reyes &#; Mike Maxwell Art Blog".

    Archived from the original on 6 January Retrieved 30 May

  46. ^Dudley, James (). Library Journal: Autobiography of a Yogi. Cahners Magazine Division of Reed Publishing.
  47. ^Goldberg, Phil (). The Life of Yogananda. Carlsbad, California: Hay House. ISBN&#;.
  48. ^"Paramahansa Yogananda's SRF Lessons for Home Study".

    . Archived from the original on 9 October Retrieved 22 September

  49. ^"Autobiography of a Yogi, Yogananda's Wishes for Later Editions (scroll down to Affidavit)". October Archived from the original on 20 December Retrieved 23 October
  50. ^"Search Results for "Autobiography of a Yogi" -- 1 - 23 of 23 from the Library of Congress".

    U.S. Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 9 October Retrieved 29 December

  51. ^Autobiography of a Yogi (Complete Edition) [Kindle Edition]. Self-Realization Fellowship. 22 April Archived from the original on 18 February Retrieved 30 August

Further reading

Free online editions of first edition