Paramhansa Yogananda: A Biography with Personal Reflections and Reminiscences - Softcover

Kriyananda, Swami

Softcover

ISBN 10: 156589264X ISBN 13: 9781565892644

Publisher: Crystal Clarity Publishers, 2012

Synopsis

Paramhansa Yogananda's classic Autobiography of a Yogi was more about the saints Yogananda met than about himself―in spite of the fact that Yogananda was much greater than many he described.
Now, one of Yogananda's few remaining direct disciples, Swami Kriyananda, author of award winning book The New Path, tells the untold story of this great spiritual master and world teacher: his teenage miracles, his challenges in coming to America, his national lecture campaigns, his struggles to fulfill his world-changing mission amid incomprehension and painful betrayals, and his ultimate triumphant achievement. Kriyananda's subtle grasp of his great guru's inner nature reveals Yogananda's many-sided and extraordinary greatness. Includes many never-before-published anecdotes.

About this title

Review:

Paramhansa Yogananda: A Biography expresses Swami Kriyananda’s sincere devotion to one whom he calls 'master' and 'avatar' and in whom he sees the image and likeness of God. But Yoganandaji was also a human being, and Kriyananda reveals this humanity in a way that speaks directly to every reader, whether a devotee or just a seeker. I thank the author for not retelling episodes already narrated in Yogananda’s own Autobiography of a Yogi. What a reader does not find in one book, he or she may find in the other. The voices of disciple and master sing in counterpoint, in which dissonant passages are resolved in harmonious cadences. Other voices need to be heard, since Yogananda’s contribution to humankind cannot be confined between the covers of two or three books. Peter Heehs, author of The Lives of Sri Aurobindo, has offered us a model of historical research, both scholarly and reverent, into a great Indian master, who was a distant cousin of Yogananda. When the archives currently kept under lock and key are finally opened, the scholarly study of them will surely enhance our understanding of Paramhansa Yogananda’s life and teaching. In the meantime, Swami Kriyananda’s biography is, and will remain, a primary source for knowing him who was the twentieth century’s greatest yogi. (Camaldolese-Benedictine, author of Yoga and the Jesus Prayer Tradition September, 2011)

Paramhansa Yogananda is one of the stalwarts who brought yoga to the West in its original form. While Autobiography of a Yogi is a book on Paramhansa Yogananda very difficult to be outdone, personal interactive information presented in Paramhansa Yogananda: A Biography with Personal Reflections and Reminiscences brings out information on Paramhansa from a vantage point most of his followers would cherish. Many early age events in Yogananda’s life are helpful to see how those elements already in his life manifested later into his stature. This book will help many who are inclined spiritually to connect events in their lives to their higher pursuits. (Bal Ram Singh, director, Center for Indic Studies, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth September, 2011)

I devoured Swami Kriyananada's anticipated biography of Paramhansa Yogananda like a hungry devotee in order to come closer to the great master of Kriya Yoga. I highly recommend this book to all spiritual seekers, and with heartfelt gratitude to Swami Kriyananada for sharing the life of such a Great Soul with poetic candor and factual imagery. I love the way this book is written like a historical novel, in which one who was so near and dear to our beloved Yogananda has shared with intimate detail, remembering every word of the Great Master's dialogues so that those conversations came alive for me. Ananda Moyi Ma devotees around the world, as myself, will be thrilled with this intimate portrait of Paramhansa Yogananda, who we so greatly love and regard. (Swami Ramananda Maharaj, president of the Nevada Institute of Asian Study; author of Bliss Now September, 2011)

His holiness Paramhansa Yoganandaji continues and will ever continue to lead us on our spiritual path. His Autobiography of a Yogi is already a sourcebook of inspiration for all of us. This new biography of his holiness by an eminent disciple like Swami Kriyanandaji will add to the inspirational treasure of Yogananda’s life.Long live Paramhansa Yogananda and his immortal and universal message! (Ram Karan Sharma, author of Researches in Indian and Buddhist Philosophy September, 2011)

Where did we come from, why are we here, and where does this life lead to? Swami Kriyananda is the most experienced philosopher that could help us understand how his guru answers these questions. Through this biography of Paramhansa Yogananda, people will discover their divine nature and potential. (Bikram Choudhury, founder of Bikram’s Yoga College of India; author of Bikram Yoga September, 2011)

Swami Kriyananda’s book, Paramhansa Yogananda: A Biography is a unique look at one of the greatest spiritual masters ever to live in America. The book is filled with hundreds of new stories and alive with luminous insights. It is not just a biography, but a window onto the nature of reality, the spiritual quest, and the life and teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. (Jyotish Novak, Spiritual Director of Ananda Worldwide, author of “How to Meditate” September, 2011)

A deeply insightful look into the life of one of the greatest spiritual figures of our time, by one of his most accomplished, yet last-remaining living disciples. Like the life it depicts—this book is a gem! (Walter Cruttenden, author of The Lost Star of Myth and Time, August 2010 September, 2011)

This new biography of Paramhansa Yogananda will pave the path of perfection in the spiritual journey of each individual. I like this book. It is a masterpiece that serves as a guide in daily life. Through the stories of his life and the unfolding of his destiny, Yogananda’s life story will inspire the reader and flower a spiritual awakening in every heart. (Dr. Vasant Lad September, 2011)

Millions of people have started their spiritual journey by reading Autobiography of a Yogi written by Paramhansa Yogananda. Although that book contains a lot of personal information and stories about this great master from India, it also leaves out a lot. It was published in 1946 and he lived until 1952. This new biography fills in some of the gaps and gives a much more complete picture of the life and teachings of Yogananda. Swami Kriyananda is one of only a few living disciples who had personal, daily contact with Yogananda and this book gives insight into some of the personality, teachings, miracles, and mystery that surrounded him. Not only are many enlightening stories shared but there are a lot of principles and ideals that can be applied to the reader’s life. Like Autobiography of a Yogi, this book can be enjoyed as simply a book of wonderful stories. Or it can be experienced at the deeper level of being a spiritual handbook that can guide one on their spiritual journey. Either way, this biography is destined to be a spiritual classic treasured by many people for years to come. (Krysta Gibson, New Spirit Journal September 2011)

About this edition

• Publisher: Crystal Clarity Publishers
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 156589264X
• ISBN 13: 9781565892644
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 344