Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda is a truly life-changing book, a classic and one of the best spiritual books in the world.
Some of the most influential people have recommended this book, including Steve Jobs, George Harrison, Carlos Santana, and many others.
But why is it so famous? Why should you read it?
Well, let me share some of my favorite quotes and why I think this book is so unique and life-changing.
How Autobiography of a Yogi led me to India
I discovered this book back in 1999, when I joined a yoga school in Ecuador, founded by a Catholic priest who practiced meditation, Padre Cesar Dávila.
He had been initiated into the Kriya Yoga lineage of Paramahansa Yogananda. So Autobiography of a Yogi was, of course, one of their main reading materials.
As soon as I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. I was fascinated by it.
All those incredible stories of Indian yogis and their mystical powers were more than inspiring. Everything in this book resonated deeply with me.
And when I read him quoting the Bhagavad Gita, my very first yoga philosophy book, I knew I had to read Autobiography of a Yogi from cover to cover.
It became my introduction to the life of the Indian yogis, and it’s probably one of the main reasons why I decided to follow this path. It awakened a deep connection within me, perhaps from past lives.
But not only that, Yogananda’s writing is so vivid that I was constantly taken back in time to the spiritual India of more than 100 years ago.
I started dreaming of traveling to India, to see it with my own eyes. I dreamed of learning yoga from great masters and having a real ashram life experience, as Yoganandaji did.
Eventually, in 2005, that dream finally came true. It marked the beginning of a journey that I later described in my article: How I Ended up in India After Quitting My First Job
Why is Autobiography of a Yogi so famous?
Autobiography of a Yogi is the life story of a real Indian yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952). It tells the story of his search for self-realization, his quest for profound spiritual experiences, and his search for a true master.
“Clear recollections came to me of a distant life, a yogi amidst the Himalayan snows. These glimpses of the past, by some dimensionless link, also afforded me a glimpse of the future.”
One of the reasons this book is so famous is that Yogananda tells incredible and almost unbelievable stories about the many different yogis and saints he met in India.
He talks about their different powers or spiritual attainments, like the swami who fought tigers with his bare hands, the yogi who materialized food from the ether, or the sleepless saint.
“The body is literally manufactured and sustained by mind. Through pressure of instincts from past lives, strengths or weaknesses percolate gradually into human consciousness. They express as habits, which in turn manifests as a desirable or an undesirable body.” The Tiger Swami
He also recounts his extraordinary first meeting with his guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, whom he had seen in dreams, and the beautiful years he spent at his ashram in Serampore to receive his instruction.
One evening, after Paramahansa Yogananda restrained himself from killing a mosquito, motivated by Patanjali’s moral rule ahimsa or non-violence, Sri Yukteswar commented:
“Why didn’t you finish the job?” “Master! Do you advocate taking life?” “No; but the deathblow already had been struck in your mind.” “I don’t understand.” “Patanjali’s meaning was the removal of desire to kill.” Sri Yukteswar had found my mental processes an open book.
Yoganandaji even learned to interpret the teachings of the Bible thanks to his guru’s discerning wisdom.
“..Genesis is deeply symbolic, and cannot be grasped by a literal interpretation - he [Sri Yukteswar] explained... The ‘serpent’ represents the coiled-up spinal energy that stimulates the sex nerves. ‘Adam’ is reason, and ‘Eve’ is feeling. When the emotion or Eve-consciousness in any human being is overpowered by the sex impulse, his reason or Adam also succumbs.”
Paramahansa Yogananda not only takes us on an inner spiritual journey but also on a pilgrimage across India, visiting the most remarkable Indian sages and holy sites.
This is another reason why this book is so famous. Some of the most highly regarded Indian gurus of his time appear in this book
Yogananda knew it was important for Westerners to see evidence of his experiences. That’s why we can see photos of him with Ramana Maharshi, Anandamayi Ma, Mahatma Gandhi, with his own guru Swami Sri Yukteswar, and many others.
After reading this book, I felt that somehow I had visited India and that I’d had the privilege to get to know the best of it, its spiritual greatness.
Many years later, I had the opportunity to visit many of the places that Yogananda talks about in his book (see the last section below).
“YOU ARE THE FIRST Westerner, Dick, ever to enter that shrine. Many others have tried in vain.” At my words, Mr. Wright looked startled, then pleased. We had just left the beautiful Chamundi Temple in the hills overlooking Mysore in southern India.
Why Yogananda wrote an autobiography
Yogananda’s intention to write his autobiography was to create a messenger that would introduce the path of yoga to the West and attract interested students to learn the meditation and kriya yoga techniques that he taught through weekly lessons.
After finishing writing the book, he exclaimed:
“All done; it is finished. This book will change the lives of millions. It will be my messenger when I am gone.”—Introduction to Autobiography of a Yogi.
This is yet another reason why this book is so famous. Yogananda was right. His book fulfilled that promise. It has been translated into more than fifty languages and has sold millions of copies since it was first published in 1946, inspiring countless seekers to follow his teachings.
The bi-weekly lessons are delivered by post to every corner of the world, by the school that he founded in the US, Self Realization Fellowship, and in India, Yogoda Satsanga Society of India.
Through these lessons, Yogananda’s disciples learn the Hong-sau meditation technique, Kriya Yoga, yoga philosophy, and principles to achieve a fulfilling life in all aspects: material, mental, and spiritual.
Why should you read Autobiography of a Yogi?
If you ever plan to visit India, then this book should definitely be on your reading list.
By reading Autobiography of a Yogi, you’ll have the opportunity to travel back in time, together with Yogananda, and discover India as it was more than 100 years ago.
You’ll learn about the culture, customs, food, and most importantly, the spiritually vibrant life that still pervades this land today.
You'll be inspired and filled with awe by reading mystical and transcendental stories that tell us of a higher reality beyond what we can see with our eyes.
Some of these stories can be so extraordinary that they can change your life by changing the way you see the world.
You’ll discover what yoga truly is, and you’ll learn about meditation and the kriya yoga technique. You might then decide to sign up for the lessons if you feel aligned with, or inspired by, Paramahansa Yogananda and his gurus.
You can find out more about this book on Amazon.com. You can also listen to it for free if you try Audible.com. With your subscription, you’ll get two free Audible books
Following in Paramahansa Yogananda’s steps in India
During several different visits to India, I’ve had the opportunity to follow in Guruji’s footsteps by visiting many of the places he mentions in his autobiography.
In 2011, after spending some time in an ashram in Rishikesh, I traveled up north, near Ranikhet. I visited the Yogoda Satsanga Sakha Ashram in Dwarahat and the cave of Mahavatar Babaji.
In 2016, I decided to visit Yogoda Satsanga Math, Guruji’s ashram in Kolkata, the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Serampore, and his house at 4 Garpar Road. This was my second time making that pilgrimage. The first time was back in 2005.
In 2020, I visited Lahiri Mahasaya and Babaji's cave temple in Varanasi.
If you are a Kriyaban and a follower of Yoganandaji, I can definitely recommend visiting some or all of these places. Follow the links for more information to help you plan your own pilgrimage.
Don’t forget to also visit my article 10 Yoga Philosophy Books That Will Change Your Life for more book recommendations like this one. I’m sure you’ll find books that you’ve never heard about before.
Also, don’t forget to visit my detailed packing list for India. It includes everything you could possibly need when traveling to India.
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