On January 5, 1893, Mukunda Lal Ghosh was born in Gorakhpur, India. Later in his life, his name would change to Paramahansa Yogananda, as he grew from student to teacher and yogi, not to mention one of the most prominent spiritual leaders of our time
Here, I share with you a video showcasing some of the wisdom of this great man:
Autobiography of a Yogi
The book can be found at the Self-Realization Fellowship, founded by Yogananda. You can also find Kindle and paperback versions on Amazon.
This book changed my life. There no other way to put it. I count myself in good company, as millions of people around the world can say the same thing. It is well known that Steve Jobs was very fond of this book. It is said that Autobiography of a Yogi was the only book Steve had on his iPad, and he read it every year.
I tell you, when I read this book, I knew I had found my way out of the forest and into the spiritual light for which I had been searching oh so many years. As I write this, I reflect back on why it had such a tremendous impact on my life. Everything about it just clicked in my mind. It made sense, all of it.
For me, I think it is Yogananda’s teachings on Jesus that really hit home. As a former Catholic, I had so many questions about Jesus, his life, and death. What Jesus taught, and what the church taught were so far removed from each other that it didn’t make sense and was very confusing. Once I left the church and ventured out on my own, (a very scary time, by the way-I’ll talk about that more in future posts), I began to see that the teachings of Jesus were more like those of Buddhist and Hindu teachings, than modern day christianity. So, when I read Autobiography of a Yogi, and what Yogananda teaches about Jesus, everything just fell into place for me. I was finally home
My next adventure with Yogananda
I have a 2 volume set of books, written by Yogananda, that I have been meaning to read for several years. Life just happens and gets in the way sometimes. The books are called:
The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You-
A revelatory commentary on the original teachings of Jesus.
Yogananda says:“In titling this work THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, I am not referring to a literal return of jesus to earth…A thousand Christs sent to earth would not redeem its people unless they themselves become Christlike by purifying and expanding their individual consciousness to receive therein the second coming of the Christ Consciousness, as was manifested in Jesus…Contact with the Consciousness, experienced in the ever new joy of meditation, will be the real second coming of Christ – and it will take place right in the devotee’s own consciousness.”
The description further says: “ In this unprecedented masterwork of inspiration, Paramahansa Yogananda takes the reader verse by verse through the four Gospels, illuminating the universal path of oneness with God taught by Jesus to his immediate disciples: ‘how to become like Christ, how to resurrect the Eternal Christ within one’s self’
…This landmark work by one of the most revered spiritual teachers of our time transcends divisive sectarianism to reveal a unifying harmony underlying all true religions.”
If you are on your own spiritual journey, I think you can agree, this is definitely something to read. But, they are very lengthy, as you can imagine, which is why I’ve put off reading them. My heart pulls me ever more to these books, and I can’t resist further. I hear in my heart and my head, that I must make time for these books, as they will bring even more clarity to my spiritual vision. So, despite my busy schedule, these will be added in. Somehow, some way, I’ll make time.
Just FYI- Total pages together, there are approximately 2400 pages to read. I will chronicle my progress and thoughts in posts on occasion. They can pop up at any time or day, so keep on the lookout for them.
