Paramhansa
Yogananda
 Paramhansa
Yogananda (1893-1952, often misspelled 'Paramahansa' 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 United States on what he called his ‘spiritual
campaigns’. His enthusiastic audiences filled the largest halls
in America. Hundreds of thousands came to see the yogi from India.
Yogananda continued to lecture and write up to his passing in 1952.
Yogananda's
initial impact was truly impressive. But his lasting impact has
been even greater. Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi (left), first
published in 1946, helped launch a spiritual revolution in the West.
His message was nonsectarian and universal. Yogananda’s teacher
sent him to the West with the admonition, “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.”
The Path
of Self-Realization
“The
true basis of religion is not belief, but intuitive experience.
Intuition is the soul’s power of knowing God. To know what
religion is really all about, one must know God.”
— Paramhansa Yogananda from The Essence of Self-Realization |
Yogananda brought
to the West the path of Self-Realization. He said that “Self-Realization
is the knowing in all parts of body, mind, and soul that you are now
in possession of the kingdom of God; that you do not have to pray
that it come to you; that God’s omnipresence is your omnipresence;
and that all that you need to do is improve your knowing.”
The path of
Kriya Yoga, which Yogananda called the ‘jet-airplane’
route to God, consists of ancient yoga techniques to hasten the
spiritual evolution of the student. Yogananda's techniques can be
learned through the Ananda
Kriya Ministry.
Ananda:
Fulfilling Yogananda’s Vision
Swami Kriyananda and Paramhansa Yogananda |
Swami Kriyananda,
a direct disciple of Yogananda, founded Ananda Village in 1968 to
fulfill Yogananda’s vision of ‘World Brotherhood Colonies’,
or spiritual cooperative communities. Yogananda envisioned a place
where all people, not just monastics, could devote themselves to
living a divine life, dedicated to practicing the teachings of yoga
in every aspect of their daily life.
Ananda Village
has over 300 adult members and children. Ananda Worldwide now includes
World Brotherhood Colonies in four American cities, and in Assisi,
Italy. All residents practice Yogananda’s teachings of meditation
and apply his principles to all facets of life in this world: business,
schools, relationships, healing, and much more. Ananda’s Expanding
Light retreat has been sharing these principles for over 25 years.
Paramhansa
Yogananda Resources
Ananda's Online Store has several books written by Yogananda,  audio
talks by Yogananda, and video footage of the Master. We also offer
many other resources, including books about Yogananda by several
direct disciples: Swami Kriyananda, Hare Krishna Ghosh (Yogananda's
nephew), Peggy Dietz, Meera Ghosh, Devi Mukherjee, and others.
"Yogananda
in Samadhi" Video
This video features never-before-available film footage of the great
master, Paramhansa Yogananda. Filmed during Yogananda's brief 1936
stopover in England, this is the only video you can buy in which
you can also him hear him speak.
World
Brotherhood Colonies
Learn all about Yogananda's dream of World Brotherhood Colonies,
including articles he wrote about them, quotes from lectures, personal
advice he gave, and more.
Swami
Kriyananda
Swami Kriyananda is a direct disciple of Yogananda who spent
four years being trained by the Master. Read about Kriyananda's
time with Yogananda in The Path, Kriyananda's autobiography (see
link below).
Streaming
Video Talk by Swami Kriyananda on Yogananda's Mission 
12 minutes
This talk touches on many important aspects of Yogananda's
mission.
Paramhansa
Yogananda Photo Album
Enjoy this online photo album. Many unusual photos, mostly from
his trip to India in 1935-6.
Direct
Disciples of Yogananda
A guide to books, videos, and resources involving other direct
disciples of Yogananda.
"Autobiography
of a Yogi" (1946 edition): the complete online edition
We are pleased to offer the original Autobiography of a Yogi,
online. Every word of text, all the footnotes, and all the original
photos, just as Yogananda first presented it. The print version
of the Autobiography of a Yogi is also available through Ananda's
Online Store.
"The
Path: One Man's Quest on the Only Path There Is" Complete
online edition,
by Swami Kriyananda
Many consider this book by Yogananda's disciple to be like a sequel
to the Autobiography of a Yogi. There are hundreds of stories and
personal experiences shared by Kriyananda about his Guru and spiritual
teacher.
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