Paramahansa Yogananda recounts his search for a spiritual teacher in early twentieth-century India, leading to his apprenticeship under the swami Sri Yukteswar Giri. The narrative details his encounters with various Himalayan saints and explains the mechanics of Kriya Yoga, a specific meditation technique intended to accelerate human evolution. Yogananda describes the laws of karma and reincarnation through the lens of Vedic philosophy. He provides accounts of physical miracles, such as materialization and telepathy, portraying them as applications of subtle natural laws rather than supernatural occurrences.
Readers interested in the intersection of Eastern mysticism and Western science study this text to understand Indian ascetic traditions. Practicing yogis and students of metaphysics turn to these chapters to find specific instructions on the relationship between breath control and mental stillness. The book provides a historical record of the Kriya Yoga lineage and the spread of meditation practices to the United States. A reader finishes the work with a structural overview of the spiritual hierarchy in the Hindu tradition and a technical explanation of how meditation affects the nervous system.
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative and clear-cut; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1946
- Language
- EN
