Beginnings; We are Wiser than We Know

Season 2; Episode 1. These talks are based on the book: The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita by Paramhansa Yogananda as remembered by his disciple, Swami Kriyananda. Rarely in a lifetime does a new spiritual classic appear that has the power to change people’s lives and transform future generations. This is such a book. The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita Explained by Paramhansa Yogananda shares the profound insights of Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi, as remembered by one of his close and direct disciples, Swami Kriyananda. This revelation of India’s best-loved scripture approaches it from an entirely fresh perspective, showing its deep allegorical meaning and also its down-to-earth practicality. The themes presented are universal, including: how to achieve victory in life in union with the divine; how to prepare for life’s “final exam,” death, and what happens afterward; and how to triumph over all pain and suffering. This book is itself a triumph. Swami Kriyananda worked with Paramhansa Yogananda in 1950 while the Master completed his commentary. At that time Yogananda commissioned him to disseminate his teachings worldwide. During his lifetime, Kriyananda lectured, taught, and wrote more than 140 books based on Yogananda’s teachings. The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, Kriyananda’s eighty-sixth book, was one of the crowning achievements of his highly productive life. In this, his masterpiece, he declared, “Yogananda’s insights into the Gita are the most amazing, thrilling, and helpful of any I have ever read.”