Thoughts on ' The Autobiography of a Yogi'

[ajay00]

Hi All,

Since yesterday was Paramahamsa Yogananda's birthday, I have been thinking about creating a thread about inspirational and insightful sayings of his book, 'The autobiography of a Yogi'. This is a book that inspired me a lot and continues to do so.

Here is a favourite saying of mine from the book, taken from the speech of the famous scientist and botanist-physicist Jagadish Chandra Bose.

High success comes from rigid exactitude.

This means that high attention to detail is needed for attaining success.

The same is echoed by the enlightened master Dr. Frederick Lenz ( also known as Zen Master Rama) as part of his sayings on career success :

There is the flash in the pan, the sudden success. But continued success is dependent upon tremendous attention to detail.


It is attention to detail that ensures precision and perfection in the work, and this trait constitutes a part of good work habits.

Do point out any of your own favourite sayings or chapters in this book, for contemplation or discussion.

[Shivani Devi]

Namaste.

Okay, I'll post - seeing as how I wasn't going to, but the thread will see no replies if I do not.

In my honest opinion, Autobiography of a Yogi was nowhere near Yogananda's best works, like Whispers From Eternity and Awake In The Cosmic Dream.

His autobiography fell a bit short of the mark and was geared towards a western audience and I personally feel that a lot of stuff was dumbed down or left out and references were made to other things which shouldn't have been - but wait, it's not my autobiography.

I don't know why, but it smacks of 'Hinduism 101' for those people who want a good book on the subject, written from a personal account and in that regard, the book fully delivers. For one already on that path and read the book after knowing all that stuff, it's like "okay...yeah....meh....next book".

I have read Autobiography of a Yogi twice and listened to Ben Kingsley's rendition of it on audio cassette - yeah, an audio cassette is a small reel-to reel analogue audio tape device which preceded Compact Disks and the Digital Age (for anybody under 30 reading this). lol

Anyway, my favourite part of any tale is when the 'hero' has an epiphany.

In regards to Autobiography, that would be when Swami Yukteshwar Giri struck Yogananda in the Heart Chakra and the scenes Yogananda described after having that done to him.

Another part I liked was about the strawberries...when Yogananda was given some in his youth and spat them out saying they tasted disgusting...then Yukteshwar Giri said "there will be a time in the future where you will learn to love them" and in America, Yogananda was served fresh strawberries and cream and Yukteshwar Giri's prediction bore out.

There were many good stories about all the people he met along the way, but too much time was devoted to this, at the expense of his own spiritual experiences.

“You go often into the silence, but have you developed anubhava?” He was reminding me to love God more than meditation. “Do not mistake the technique for the Goal.”
― Paramahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi

Aum Namah Shivaya

[ajay00]

AOY was a hit in the East as well, and entrenched many in the spiritual quest over there.

It was written with a western audience in mind, as Sri Yukteshwar had sent Yogananda to the west as a teacher, and he had spend a considerable amount of time over there.

I don't think Yogananda's book is something like any other spiritual book. It's probably the only book other than the Gita I had read a couple of times over, for its superb description of the astral worlds, coming from Sri Yukteshwar.

That is something I have not seen or read in any other book.

It was a great source of solace and contentment for me, like the Gita, as I realized that human relationships does not end with physical death.

I was an atheist-materialist as a teenager, and the material world as a fundamental reality, as Marx put it, looked quite bleak, mechanical and ugly to me, with its philosophies of 'Survival of the Fittest' , and overdue emphasis on knowledge, wealth, power, ruthlessness and machiavellian competitiveness.

So the AOY was a much needed morale booster at that point of time for me. And I have come across a couple of other people as well who felt the same.

[Miss Hepburn]

I just saw this thread! What a great idea. I'm sure younger people
have not read it. Yet, someone called it a gateway book for everyone he knows.
The heart and sincerity and, then, the daily spiritual lessons he learned along his Path
are those of a sometimes goofy, young man that blossoms into a unwavering man connected to his Beloved
Creator 24/7.

From memory, I loved that he could remember many past lives; many
as a yogi meditating in the mountains.
Yet, the life he grew the most spiritually was as a single mother
with (many) children.
I believe he mentions having to feed them when she was in such poverty.
`````
I also loved his simple little story of loving food, lol, yet, his first
trip away from home by train he sits and sits and sits outside a
'temple' under a tree meditating and sure enough someone inside brings him food.
But, it was his reaction and joy that was so darling as a boy.

I'm sorry I don't remember details like who the temple was for, I'm sure it was significant to him.

For years, it was the book I most gave to people. I still have an extra 2
just in case. ;)
````````
Ha, And how he missed his beloved Guru's death...yet, how Yukteswar
came to him and Paramahansa clung to him! Just clung for so long..

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

For years, it was the book I most gave to people.

I too have often given that very inspirational book to people.... particularly but not exclusively to novices on the path.

It's well worth reading !

[peteyzen]

For me, the most important moment in the book was when Krishna appeared before him.