Autobiography of a Yogi

by Paramahansa Yogananda, W. Y. Evans-Wentz (Preface by)

Overview

At once a riveting account of an extraordinary life and a remarkably accessible introduction to a little-known spiritual science, Yogananda's Autobiography is something of a publishing phenomenon.

When it first appeared in print in 1946, Newsweek called it "fascinating". The New York Times hailed it as a "rare account". Continuously in print for over fifty years, the Autobiography, remains a seminal work in the field of Eastern religion, and still appears on best-seller lists in relevant marketing categories.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780876120798
Publisher:	Self-Realization Fellowship
Publication date:	12/01/1978
Pages:	608
Sales rank:	17,838
Product dimensions:	7.52(w) x 4.62(h) x 1.02(d)

About the Author

Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda was born in Gorakhpur to a devout Bengali family. In 1920, Yogananda went to the United States as India’s delegate to an International Congress of Religious Liberals. That same year he founded the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) to disseminate worldwide his teachings on India’s ancient practices and philosophy of yoga and its tradition of meditation. In 1924, he embarked on a cross-continental speaking tour. During this time, he attracted numerous celebrity followers, including soprano Amelita Galli-Curci, tenor Vladimir Rosing and Clara Clemens Gabrilowitsch, the daughter of Mark Twain. Yogananda was the first Hindu teacher of yoga to spend a major portion of his life in America. Paramahansa Yogananda entered mahasamadhi in March 1952. His mausoleum is in Palo Alto, California.

Editorial Reviews

There has been nothing before, written in English or any other language, like this presentation of Yoga.

Columbia University Press

Keeps the reader spellbound. . .A vicarious journey through the mystical path taken by Yogananda.

Noetic Sciences Review

Fascinating. . . .ingenuously described in the lush style of the Orient.

Newsweek

The original text of Yogananda's classic introduction to Eastern mysticism.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The work is enduringly popular because it introduces millions of readers to Eastern spiritual thought. Yogananda's masterly storytelling epitomizes the Indian oral tradition with its wit, charm, and compassionate wisdom. The yogi begins by showing how his childhood experiences in turn-of-the-century India produced a spiritual youth in search of an enlightened teacher, continues with an account of his years of training in the hermitage of a revered master, and concludes with the highlights of a period, beginning in 1920, during which he lived and taught in America. Yogananda sensitively interprets not only his own spiritual evolution but also his relationship with elements of the West's spiritual tradition, such as the story of Adam and Eve, providing a penetrating look at the ultimate mysteries of human existence. Bibliographical footnotes, which would have interrupted Kingsley's magnificent narration, are thoughtfully included in an accompanying booklet. -- James Dudley, Copiague, New York

Library Journal

There has been nothing before, written in English or any other language, like this presentation of Yoga.

Columbia Univ. Press