Autobiography of a Yogi (Soft Cover)

by Paramahansa Yogananda

'Autobiography of a Yogi', one of the world's most acclaimed spiritual classics, celebrated in 2006 its 60th anniversary in continuous print. First published in December of 1946 and revised by the author before his passing in 1952 to include extensive additional material, Paramahansa Yogananda’s life story has touched the hearts and minds of millions of readers around the globe. It has served as an ambassador for India’s ancient science of Yoga, introducing hundreds of thousands of Westerners to the methods for attaining God-realization.

Alive with all the love, warmth, and joy that characterize Paramahansaji, this masterwork of religious literature provides an intimate account of his encounters with modern-day saints and illumined masters of India, and explains with scientific clarity the subtle but definite laws by which yogis perform miracles and attain self-mastery. It is an absorbing account of a singular search for Truth that encourages and inspires all who read its pages.

'Autobiography of a Yogi' continues to receive praise from around the world, appearing on best-seller lists from the Los Angeles Times to Amazon.com, and garnering recognition from academic, literary, and diplomatic communities, as well as by popular cultural figures from Paramahansaji’s time through the present.

With his characteristic wit, warmth, and wisdom, Paramahansa Yogananda — often referred to as the father of yoga in the West — recounts his remarkable childhood and coming of age in India; encounters with saints and sages during his youthful search for an enlightened spiritual teacher; ten years of training under his guru, the Christlike master Swami Sri Yukteswar; and the more than 30 years (1920–1952) of living and teaching in America. He also records his meetings with Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Luther Burbank, the Catholic stigmatist Therese Neumann, and many others.

'Autobiography of a Yogi' is at once an eloquently written account of an exceptional life and an illuminating introduction to the ancient science of Yoga and the practice of meditation. Recognizing the underlying unity of the great religions of East and West, the spiritual Master scientifically explains the subtle but definite laws by which people of all faiths can find harmony and oneness, experiencing the infinite resources of peace, love, and joy inherent in every soul.

A classic in its field, the book has been translated into more than 20 languages and is used as a text and reference work in colleges and universities throughout the world.

The classic introduction to the science and philosophy of yoga meditation. Includes an entire chapter on Kriya Yoga, as well as extensive material added by the author after the first edition in 1946, including a final chapter on the closing years of his life.

Reviews:

"A rare account." - The New York Times

"A fascinating and clearly annotated study." - Newsweek

"There has been nothing before, written in English or in any other European language, like this presentation of Yoga." - Columbia University Press

"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."