I am student and I started reading this book few weeks ago and as of now i am on chapter 4 , so I want to know that what kind of knowledge and wisdom will I get after reading the whole book ? This book’s knowledge is respected by the people around the globe but still I am not able to figure out what sort of knowledge and wisdom I'll get apart from kriya yoga and experiencing inner self ?
—Henil, India
Dear Friend,
You are indeed a student and you are asking practical questions related to your goal of education. Well done!
Many years ago when I first met Swami Kriyananda (a direct disciple of Yogananda and the founder of Ananda worldwide), I heard him say in a public talk he gave that “Faith is the most practical thing of all.” At the time, I was “fresh” from college (a euphemism, merely; I was happy to be done with college) and very much in the mindset that you express. And it is good to ask questions like this.
First of all, rest assured that Autobiography of a Yogi (AY) is saturated with knowledge both of this world and of the subtler worlds. It is a distillation of India’s ancient knowledge and is drawn from direct, personal perception and not just book learning. It is saturated, also, with “how-to-live” wisdom and expresses faith in the unseen truths that operate this world invisibly, subtly but inexorably. In short, it has changed the lives of millions of people.
Often, the change is a delayed reaction. For many, the AY plants seeds of faith. These seeds may sprout later in life when the person is ready to water these seeds so that they blossom into flowers of wisdom and yield the fruit of Self-realization.
However, your question is wise because what you are seeking cannot be found in a book; it cannot be found outside yourself; it cannot be found without diligent effort. Like a miner who is deep underground digging for gold buried in the dark rocks of the subconscious mind, you will have to earn it for yourself. The AY shows what is possible if you make the right effort. (It will not make the effort for you.)
Wisdom is not of the mind; it is of the heart. Wisdom is not in the skies but lies buried deep in the earth of your Being.
So, you are right to question but right also to keep on reading. Just as your studies will benefit the rest of your years on earth, so too will the AY if you receive it in your heart.
May the Light of Wisdom shine before you,
Nayaswami Hriman
