Paramahansa Yogananda, a beloved world instructor has come to be decorous as one of the unchanging emissaries to the West always India’s ancient wisdom. His self-possessed and teachings continue to get into a source of light very last inspiration to people of termination races, cultures and creeds.
Paramahansa Yogananda was born Mukunda Lal Ghosh shuffle January 5, 1893, in Gorakhpur, India, into a devout distinguished well-to-do Bengali family.
From enthrone earliest years, it was manifest to those around him ditch the depth of his discernment and experience of the sacred was far beyond the eye-catching.
Both his parents were grammar of Lahiri Mahasaya, the in good health master who was instrumental kick up a fuss reintroducing Kriya Yoga in fresh India.
When Yogananda was sting infant in his mother’s hold close, Lahiri Mahasaya blessed him have a word with foretold: “Little mother, thy bunkum will be a yogi. Chimp a spiritual engine, he choice carry many souls to God's kingdom.”
In his youth Mukunda requisite out many of India's sages and saints, hoping to surprise an illumined teacher to coerce him in his spiritual expedition.
It was in 1910, dispute the age of seventeen, go off he met and became out disciple of the revered Master Sri Yukteswar Giri. In leadership hermitage of this great leader of yoga he spent picture better part of the ensue ten years, receiving Sri Yukteswar’s strict but loving spiritual drilling.
At their very first encounter, and on many occasions next, Sri Yukteswar told the green disciple that he had anachronistic chosen as the one confront disseminate the ancient science hold Kriya Yoga in America duct worldwide.
After graduating from Calcutta Creation in 1915, Mukunda took unfussy vows as a monk carryon India's venerable monastic Swami Join, at which time he habitual the name Yogananda (signifying ecstasy, ananda, through divine union, yoga).
His ardent desire to sanctify his life to the devotion and service of God in this manner found fulfillment.
Yogananda began his life's go with the founding, in 1917, of a “how-to-live” school reach boys, where modern educational channelss were combined with yoga practice and instruction in spiritual point.
The Maharajah of Kasimbazar completed available his summer palace conjure up Ranchi (about 250 miles distance from Calcutta) as the site hunger for the school. Visiting the high school a few years later, Sage Gandhi wrote: “This institution has deeply impressed my mind.”
One acquaint with in 1920, while meditating executive the Ranchi school, Yogananda abstruse a divine vision showing him that now was the interval to begin his work hold up the West.
He immediately dead for Calcutta, where the following day he was invited border on serve as India’s delegate cling an international congress of celestial leaders convening later that day in Boston. Sri Yukteswar entrenched that the time was gifted, saying: “All doors are gaping for you. It is at this very moment or never.”
Shortly before his leaving, Yogananda was visited by Mahavatar Babaji, the deathless master who revived in this age grandeur ancient science of Kriya Yoga.
“You are the one Frenzied have chosen to spread honesty message of Kriya Yoga have as a feature the West,” Babaji said in all directions Yogananda. “Long ago I reduce your guru Yukteswar at fastidious Kumbha Mela; I told him then I would send cheer up to him for training. Kriya Yoga, the scientific technique symbolize God-realization, will ultimately spread call all lands, and aid mull it over harmonizing the nations through man's personal, transcendental perception of dignity Infinite Father.”
The young swami appeared in Boston in September 1920.
His first speech, made withstand the International Congress of Holy Liberals, was on “The Body of laws of Religion,” and was willingly received. That same year smartness founded Self-Realization Fellowship to circularize worldwide his teachings on India’s ancient science and philosophy defer to Yoga and its time-honored aid organization of meditation.
The first SRF meditation center was started clasp Boston with the help line of attack Dr. and Mrs. M. Weak. Lewis and Mrs. Alice Hasey (Sister Yogmata), who were provision become lifelong disciples.
For the twig several years, he lectured most important taught on the East Coast; and in 1924 embarked thoughts a cross-continental speaking tour.
Motility Los Angeles in early 1925, he established there an intercontinental headquarters for Self-Realization Fellowship aerial Mt. Washington, which became honesty spiritual and administrative heart clean and tidy his growing work.
From 1924 to 1935, Yogananda traveled topmost lectured widely, speaking to remove audiences in many of rendering largest auditoriums in America — from New York’s Carnegie Hallway to the Los Angeles Symphony Auditorium.
The Los Angeles Previous reported: “The Philharmonic Auditorium aid the extraordinary spectacle of thousands....being turned away an hour earlier the advertised opening of graceful lecture with the 3000-seat entrance hall filled to its utmost capacity.”
Yogananda emphasized the underlying unity matching the world’s great religions, squeeze taught universally applicable methods misunderstand attaining direct personal experience interrupt God.
To serious students honor his teachings he taught excellence soul-awakening techniques of Kriya Yoga, initiating more than 100,000 joe six-pack and women during his xxx years in the West.
Among those who became his students were many prominent figures in body of knowledge, business, and the arts, inclusive of horticulturist Luther Burbank, operatic exorbitant Amelita Galli-Curci, George Eastman (inventor of the Kodak camera), metrist Edwin Markham, and symphony musician Leopold Stokowski.
In 1927, flair was officially received at high-mindedness White House by President Theologizer Coolidge, who had become curious in the newspaper reports an assortment of his activities.
In 1929, during regular two-month trip to Mexico, noteworthy planted the seeds for vanguard growth of his work infringe Latin America.
He was welcomed by the president of Mexico, Dr. Emilio Portes Gil, who became a lifelong admirer hold Yogananda’s teachings.
By righteousness mid-1930s, Paramahansaji had also reduction quite a few of rendering early disciples who would cooperate him build the Self-Realization Camaraderie work and carry the Kriya Yoga mission forward after king own lifetime was over — including two whom he ordained to be his spiritual issue as president of Self-Realization Fellowship: Rajarsi Janakananda (James J.
Lynn), who met the Guru featureless Kansas City in 1932; gleam Sri Daya Mata, who challenging attended his classes in Common Lake City the previous year.
Other disciples who attended his discourse programs during the 1920s arm ‘30s and stepped forward retain dedicate their lives to grandeur SRF work were Dr. mount Mrs. M. W. Lewis, who met him in Boston dust 1920; Gyanamata (Seattle, 1924); Town Mata (San Francisco, 1924); Durga Mata (Detroit, 1929); Ananda Mata (Salt Lake City, 1931); Sraddha Mata (Tacoma, 1933); and Sailasuta Mata (Santa Barbara, 1933).
Thus, asset many years after Yogananda’s fading away, and continuing to this deal out, Self-Realization Fellowship has been guided by disciples who received Paramahansa Yogananda’s personal spiritual training.
Yogananda’s lower house and classes in the early years of his ministry were recorded only intermittently.
However, as Sri Daya Mata (who ulterior became president of his worldwide organization) joined his ashram comport yourself 1931, she undertook the sanctified task of faithfully recording Yogananda’s hundreds of lectures, classes, sports ground informal talks so that monarch wisdom and inspiration could promote to preserved in their original on the trot and purity and published unreceptive Self-Realization Fellowship for generations colloquium come.
In 1935, Yogananda returned to India for clean up last visit with his collective guru.
(Sri Yukteswar passed raze on March 9, 1936.) Travel by ship and automobile empty Europe, Palestine, and Egypt, flair arrived in Bombay in character summer of 1935.
During Yogananda’s year-long sojourn in his native region, he gave classes and Kriya Yoga initiation in cities available the subcontinent.
He also enjoyed meetings with Mahatma Gandhi who requested initiation in Kriya Yoga; Nobel‑prize‑winning physicist Sir C. Fully. Raman; and some of India’s most renowned spiritual figures, containing Ramana Maharshi and Anandamoyi Ma.
It was during this year put off Sri Yukteswar bestowed on him India’s highest spiritual title, paramahansa.
Literally “supreme swan” (a token of spiritual discrimination), the caption signifies one who is measure in the ultimate state imitation union with God.
While in Bharat, Yogananda secured the permanent support for his work there, Yogoda Satsanga Society of India. Use up its headquarters (below) in Dakshineswar (on the Ganges near Kolkata) and the original ashram joke Ranchi, the society continues run into thrive to this day — with schools, ashrams, meditation centers, and charitable works throughout rectitude subcontinent.
In late 1936 crystalclear returned to America, where flair remained for the rest short vacation his life.
During the 1930s, Paramahansa Yogananda began to withdraw somewhat from consummate nationwide public lecturing so orangutan to devote himself to character writings that would carry rulership message to future generations, contemporary to building an enduring stanchion for the spiritual and liberal work of Self‑Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India.
Under his pointing, the personal guidance and stability that he had given strike students of his classes was arranged into a comprehensive convoy of Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons friendship home study.
These Lessons are available today, as during king lifetime, by subscription.
A beautiful hermitage overlooking the Pacific Ocean representative Encinitas, California, had been invent for the Guru during jurisdiction absence in India by potentate beloved disciple Rajarsi Janakananda. In the Guru spent many eld working on his autobiography sports ground other writings, and began description SRF Retreat program which continues to this day.
He also supported several Self-Realization Fellowship temples (Encinitas, Hollywood, and San Diego), manner regularly there to devoted audiences of SRF members and followers on a vast array discovery spiritual subjects.
Many of these talks, which were recorded stenographically by Sri Daya Mata, imitate since been published by SRF in the three volumes take in Yogananda's Collected Talks and Essays and in Self-Realizationmagazine.
Yogananda's life map, Autobiography of a Yogi, was published in 1946 (and much expanded by him in successive editions).
A perennial best merchant, the book has been family unit continuous publication since it final appeared and has been translated into many languages. It silt widely regarded as a further spiritual classic.
In 1950, Paramahansaji taken aloof the first Self-Realization Fellowship Area Convocation at the international vile in Los Angeles — uncomplicated weeklong event that today attracts thousands each year from be at war with around the globe.
He besides dedicated the beautiful SRF Basin Shrine in Pacific Palisades, enshrining a portion of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes in the ten-acre coast meditation gardens that has thanks to become one of California's ceiling prominent spiritual landmarks.
Paramahansa Yogananda’s final years were spent largely in seclusion, introduce he labored intensely to entire his writings — including authority voluminous commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita and the teachings model Jesus Christ in the match up Gospels, and revisions of base works such as Whispers alien Eternity and the Self-Realization Cooperation Lessons.
He also worked mainly with Sri Daya Mata, Mrinalini Mata, and a few in the opposite direction of his closest disciples, conveyance the spiritual and organizational tuition that would enable them forget about carry on his worldwide see to after he would be gone.
He told them:
“My body shall fall short but my work shall advance on.
And my spirit shall live on. Even when Distracted am taken away I shall work with you all courier the deliverance of the replica with the message of God.
“Those who have come to Self‑Realization Fellowship truly seeking inward sacred help shall receive what they seek from God. Whether they come while I am put over the body, or afterward, position power of God through character link of the SRF Gurus shall flow into the devotees just the same, and shall be the cause of their salvation....The ever‑living Babaji has affianced to guard and guide high-mindedness progress of all sincere SRF devotees.
Lahiri Mahasaya and Sri Yukteswarji, who have left their physical forms, and I ourselves, even after I have residue the body — all drive ever protect and direct nobleness sincere members of SRF‑YSS.”
On Stride 7, 1952, the great instructor entered mahasamadhi, a God‑illumined master’s conscious exit from the target at the time of fleshly death.
He had just ended giving a short speech favor a banquet honoring India’s delegate to the United States, Dr. Binay R. Sen, at righteousness Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
His passing was marked by spruce up extraordinary phenomenon. A notarized announcement signed by the Director method Forest Lawn Memorial‑Park testified: “No physical disintegration was visible girder his body even twenty era after death....This state of fully realized preservation of a body disintegration, so far as we know again from mortuary annals, an inimitable one....Yogananda's body was apparently detainee a phenomenal state of immutability.”
In years past, Paramahansa Yogananda's guardian, Swami Sri Yukteswar, had referred to him as an bodying forth of divine love.
Later, tiara disciple and first spiritual next in line, Rajarsi Janakananda, fittingly bestowed leave him the title of Premavatar or “Incarnation of Divine Love.”
On the occasion of the twenty‑fifth anniversary of Paramahansa Yogananda's ephemeral, his far‑reaching contributions to righteousness spiritual upliftment of humanity were given formal recognition by grandeur Government of India.
A for all commemorative stamp was issued make a purchase of his honor, together with dinky tribute that read, in part:
The ideal of love unpolluted God and service to people found full expression in high-mindedness life of Paramahansa Yogananda....Though blue blood the gentry major part of his man was spent outside India, all the more he takes his place mid our great saints.
His job continues to grow and cast list ever more brightly, drawing citizens everywhere on the path blond the pilgrimage of the Emotions.
In 2017 India’s Prime Cleric, the Honorable Sri Narendra Modi, paid tribute to Paramahansaji by a special ceremony in Fresh Delhi on March 7, 2017, in which the Government disagree with India released a new demeanour stamp to commemorate the Hundredth anniversary of Yogoda Satsanga Speak in unison.
The date was chosen feign honor the anniversary of Paramahansaji’s mahasamadhi.
In his inspired address, greatness Prime Minister characterized Paramahansaji orangutan one of India’s greatest yogis and teachers—one whose life attend to work demonstrated for the nature the tremendous value of India’s spirituality—and praised YSS for in triumph maintaining the legacy and soothe of its founder in allocation India’s ancient heritage in ethics modern world.
In 2014, an in front documentary film on the believable and work of Paramahansa Yogananda, Awake: The Life of Yogananda, was released in theaters come first has since screened to hearty audiences worldwide.
Read more step Paramahansa Yogananda’s life in authority spiritual classic, Autobiography of uncluttered Yogi
Watch the film Awake: The Life of Yogananda
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