Physiognomy, the science of face reading says that a person’s character, and the kind of emotions he or she has harbored can be known by studying the person’s eyes, forehead, shape of nose, texture of hair and other facial features. What was Yoganandji’s take on it? Has he said anything about it?
—Nina, India
Dear Nina,
I can find no reference to “Physiognomy” in Yogananda’s teachings.
However, I have heard Swami Kriyananda refer to the Masters or saints being able to read something of person’s character by looking at his or her face. This is especially true of one’s eyes, which Yogananda refers to as the “windows of the soul.”
Personally, I can almost always “see” from looking into a person’s eyes or face whether he or she meditates regularly or not. There is a certain energetic light there which is definitely observable.
In any case, it is my understanding that valid observations like these are more about vibrations, than about actual facial shapes or the physiological aspects, such as you have mentioned, and would be felt more by intuition than by seeing actual physical manifestations.
