Autobiography of a Yogi

Paramhansa Yogananda was the first great master of India to live in the West for an extended period. Sent to America in 1920, he introduced tens of thousands of Americans to yoga. This is his autobiography.

Paramhansa Yogananda was the first great master of India to live in the West for an extended period. Sent to America in 1920, he introduced tens of thousands of Americans to yoga. This is his autobiography.

A Spiritual Classic That Has Inspired Millions First published in 1946, Autobiography of a Yogi is the life story of Paramahansa Yogananda, one of the first Indian spiritual masters to bring the teachings of yoga and meditation to the West. Blending mystical experiences with candid personal reflections, this book offers a rare window into the spiritual traditions of India and the universal truths that transcend religion. Through his encounters with saints, sages, and seekers, Yogananda introduces readers to a world where the divine is tangible, miracles are real, and the purpose of life is self-realization. From his childhood in Bengal to his spiritual mission in America, every chapter is filled with insight, humor, and profound wisdom. Themes Explored The Journey of Self-Realization: Explore the soul's quest for truth, freedom, and union with the Divine. East Meets West: Delve into Yogananda's mission to bridge Indian spirituality with Western understanding. Guru-Disciple Relationship: Examine the sacred bond between teacher and student in the spiritual path. Mysticism and Miracles: Encounter stories of divine visions, saints with supernatural powers, and the deeper laws of the universe. Universal Spirituality: Discover a message that transcends religion and emphasizes love, meditation, and inner awakening. Why This Book Matters Translated into dozens of languages and read by millions. Recommended by icons like Steve Jobs and George Harrison. A gateway to understanding India's spiritual heritage and yogic science. Inspires inner transformation and a deeper connection to life's purpose.

An autobiographical account of an early nineteenth-century yogi as he reaches self-realization, identification with his larger self, mankind, and union with his God.

An autobiographical account of an early nineteenth-century yogi as he reaches self-realization, identification with his larger self, mankind, and union with his God.

Autobiography of a Yogi is one of the 20th century's best-loved spiritual classics. This book is the original edition first published in 1946. It details the life of Paramahansa Yogananda - one of India's Spiritual guru's, who is often referred to particularly in the West as, the Father of Yoga. Yogananda chronicles his life's journey and his many encounters with spiritual luminaries such as Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Therese Neumann, and many more. The result is wondrous, and profoundly inspiring." On meeting Gandhi Yogananda observed.... "The tiny 100-pound saint radiated physical, mental, and spiritual health. His soft brown eyes shone with intelligence, sincerity, and discrimination; this statesman has matched wits and emerged the victor in a thousand legal, social, and political battles. No other leader in the world has attained the secure niche in the hearts of his people that Gandhi occupies for India's millions. In 1935 Yogananda travelled to Bavaria to meet Therese Neumann, the famous Catholic Mystic who was also a stigmatic. It is said that Neumann survived without food or water and her only intake was one consecrated sacred Host a day. At his meeting with Neumann, Yogananda asked.... "Don't you eat anything?" I wanted to hear the answer from her own lips. "No, except a consecrated rice-flour wafer, once every morning at six o'clock." "How large is the wafer?" "It is paper-thin, the size of a small coin." She added, "I take it for sacramental reasons; if it is unconsecrated, I am unable to swallow it." "Certainly you could not have lived on that, for twelve whole years?" "I live by God's light." How simple her reply, how Einsteinian "I see you realize that energy flows to your body from the ether, sun, and air." A swift smile broke over her face. "I am so happy to know you understand how I live." "Your sacred life is a daily demonstration of the truth uttered by Christ: 'Man shall not live by bread, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.'" In his foreword, Walter Evans-Wentz, the co-editor and translator of The Tibetan Book of the Dead observe; "The value of Yogananda's autobiography is greatly enhanced by the fact that it is one of the few books in English about the wise men of India which has been written, not by a journalist or foreigner, but by one of their own race and training - in short, a book about yogis by a yogi. As an eyewitness account of the extraordinary lives and powers of modern Hindu saints, the book has importance both timely and timeless. To its illustrious author, whom I have had the pleasure of knowing both in India and America, may every reader render due appreciation and gratitude. 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.

Autobiography of a Yogi is one of the 20th century's best-loved spiritual classics. This book is the original edition first published in 1946. It details the life of Paramahansa Yogananda - one of India's Spiritual guru's, who is often referred to particularly in the West as, the Father of Yoga. Yogananda chronicles his life's journey and his many encounters with spiritual luminaries such as Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Therese Neumann, and many more. The result is wondrous, and profoundly inspiring." On meeting Gandhi Yogananda observed.... "The tiny 100-pound saint radiated physical, mental, and spiritual health. His soft brown eyes shone with intelligence, sincerity, and discrimination; this statesman has matched wits and emerged the victor in a thousand legal, social, and political battles. No other leader in the world has attained the secure niche in the hearts of his people that Gandhi occupies for India's millions. In 1935 Yogananda travelled to Bavaria to meet Therese Neumann, the famous Catholic Mystic who was also a stigmatic. It is said that Neumann survived without food or water and her only intake was one consecrated sacred Host a day. At his meeting with Neumann, Yogananda asked.... "Don't you eat anything?" I wanted to hear the answer from her own lips. "No, except a consecrated rice-flour wafer, once every morning at six o'clock." "How large is the wafer?" "It is paper-thin, the size of a small coin." She added, "I take it for sacramental reasons; if it is unconsecrated, I am unable to swallow it." "Certainly you could not have lived on that, for twelve whole years?" "I live by God's light." How simple her reply, how Einsteinian "I see you realize that energy flows to your body from the ether, sun, and air." A swift smile broke over her face. "I am so happy to know you understand how I live." "Your sacred life is a daily demonstration of the truth uttered by Christ: 'Man shall not live by bread, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.'" In his foreword, Walter Evans-Wentz, the co-editor and translator of The Tibetan Book of the Dead observe; "The value of Yogananda's autobiography is greatly enhanced by the fact that it is one of the few books in English about the wise men of India which has been written, not by a journalist or foreigner, but by one of their own race and training - in short, a book about yogis by a yogi. As an eyewitness account of the extraordinary lives and powers of modern Hindu saints, the book has importance both timely and timeless. To its illustrious author, whom I have had the pleasure of knowing both in India and America, may every reader render due appreciation and gratitude. 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.

One of the Top 100 Spiritual Books of the Twentieth Century. New Bonus Materials added to this edition include: the last chapter that Yogananda wrote covering the years 1946-1951 that was not available in the original edition, the eulogy that Yogananda wrote for Gandhi, a new afterword by Swami Kriyananda, one of Yogananda's closest disciples.This is a new edition, featuring previously unavailable material, of true spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi one of the best-selling eastern philosophy titles of all-time, with millions of copies sold, named one of the best and most influential books of the 20th century.This highly prized verbatim reprinting of the original 1946 edition is the ONLY one available free from textual changes made after Yogananda's death.This updated edition contains bonus materials, including a last chapter that Yogananda himself wrote in 1951, five years after the publication of the first edition. It is the only version of this chapter available without posthumous changes.Yogananda was the first yoga master of India whose mission it was to live and teach in the West. His first-hand account of his life experiences includes childhood revelations, stories of his visits to saints and masters in India, and long-secret teachings of Self-realization that he made available to the Western reader.