Autobiography of a Yogi

by Paramhansa Yogananda

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:	9781774819500
Publisher:	Spirit Seeker Books
Publication date:	01/13/2024
Pages:	558
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.13(d)

About the Author

Born in 1893, Yogananda was the first yoga master of India to take up permanent residence in the West.Yogananda arrived in America in 1920 and traveled throughout the country on what he called his "spiritual campaigns." Hundreds of thousands filled the largest halls in major cities to see the yoga master from India. Yogananda continued to lecture and write up to his passing in 1952.Yogananda's initial impact on Western culture was truly impressive. His lasting spiritual legacy has been even greater. His Autobiography of a Yogi, first published in 1946, helped launch a spiritual revolution in the West. Translated into more than fifty languages, it remains a best-selling spiritual classic to this day.Before embarking on his mission, Yogananda received this admonition from his teacher, Swami Sri Yukteswar: "The West is high in material attainments but lacking in spiritual understanding. It is God's will that you play a role in teaching mankind the value of balancing the material with an inner, spiritual life."In addition to Autobiography of a Yogi, Yogananda's spiritual legacy includes music, poetry, and extensive commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita, the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, and the Christian Bible, showing the principles of Self-realization as the unifying truth underlying all true religions. Through his teachings and his Kriya Yoga path millions of people around the world have found a new way to connect personally with God.His mission, however, was far broader than all this. It was to help usher the whole world into Dwapara Yuga, the new Age of Energy in which we live. "Someday," Swami Kriyananda wrote, "I believe he will be seen as the avatar of Dwapara Yuga: the way shower for a new age."

Editorial Reviews

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

Columbia University Press

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

Newsweek

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

Noetic Sciences Review

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