Paramahansa Yogananda | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal | |
| Born | Mukunda Lal Ghosh January 5, 1893[1] |
| Died | March 7, 1952 (aged 59) |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Alma mater | University of Calcutta (B.A.) |
| Signature |  |
| Organization | |
| Order | Self-Realization Fellowship Order |
| Founder of | Self-Realization Fellowship /Yogoda Satsanga Society of India |
| Philosophy | Kriya Yoga |
| Religious career | |
| Guru | Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri |
Disciples | |
| Literary works | Bibliography |
"You are walking on the earth as in a dream. Our world is a dream within a dream; you must realize that to find God is the only goal, the only purpose, for which you are here. For Him alone you exist. Him you must find." – from the book The Divine Romance
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Paramahansa Yogananda (born Mukunda Lal Ghosh; January 5, 1893 – March 7, 1952) was an Indian-American Hindu monk, yogi and guru who introduced millions to meditation and Kriya Yoga through his organization, Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) / Yogoda Satsanga Society (YSS) of India – the only one he created to disseminate his teachings. A chief disciple of the yoga guru Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, he was sent by his lineage to spread the teachings of yoga to the West. He immigrated to the US at the age of 27[2] to prove the unity between Eastern and Western religions and to preach a balance between Western material growth and Indian spirituality.[3] His long-standing influence in the American yoga movement, and especially the yoga culture of Los Angeles, led him to be considered by yoga experts as the "Father of Yoga in the West". He lived his last 32 years in the US.[4][5][6]
Yogananda was the first major Indian teacher to settle in the US, and the first prominent Indian to be hosted in the White House (by President Calvin Coolidge in 1927);[7] his early acclaim led to him being dubbed "the 20th century's first superstar guru" by the Los Angeles Times.[8] Arriving in Boston in 1920, he embarked on a successful transcontinental speaking tour before settling in Los Angeles in 1925. For the next two and a half decades, he gained local fame and expanded his influence worldwide: he created a monastic order and trained disciples, went on teaching tours, bought properties for his organization in various California locales, and initiated thousands into Kriya Yoga.[5] By 1952, SRF had over 100 centers in both India and the United States. As of 2012[update], they had groups in nearly every major American city.[8] His "plain living and high thinking" principles attracted people from all backgrounds among his followers.[5]
He published his Autobiography of a Yogi in 1946 to critical and commercial acclaim. It has sold over four million copies, with Harper San Francisco listing it as one of the "100 best spiritual books of the 20th Century".[9][8][10] Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs ordered 500 copies of the book, for each guest at his memorial to be given a copy.[11] It was also one of Elvis Presley's favorite books, and one he gave out often. The book has been regularly reprinted and is known as "the book that changed the lives of millions".[12][13] A documentary about his life commissioned by SRF, Awake: The Life of Yogananda, was released in 2014.[14] He remains a leading figure in Western spirituality. A biographer of Yogananda, Phillip Goldberg, considers him "the best known and most beloved of all Indian spiritual teachers who have come to the West".[15]
- ^ "Yogi of Yogis Sri Paramahansa Yogananda visited our city". Star of Mysore. June 20, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ "About Yogoda Satsanga Society of India". Yogoda Satsanga Society of India. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
autob2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Wadhwa, Hitendra (June 21, 2015). "Steve Jobs's Secret to Greatness: Yogananda". Inc.com. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c Meares, Hadley (August 9, 2013). "From Hip Hotel to Holy Home: The Self-Realization Fellowship on Mount Washington". KCET. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ "Paramahansa Yogananda". Yogoda Satsanga Society of India. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ^ Chidan, Rajghatta (June 19, 2019). "In America and across the world, India reclaims its yoga heritage". The Times of India. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c Goldberg, Philip (March 7, 2012). "The Yogi Of The Autobiography: A Tribute To Yogananda". HuffPost. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ "Autobiography of a Yogi". Yogoda Satsanga Society of India. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
- ^ "Harper San Francisco, edited by Philip Zaleski 100 Best Spiritual Books of the 20th Century".
- ^ Segall, Laurie (September 10, 2013). "Steve Jobs' last gift". CNNMoney. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ Goldberg, Philip (2018). The Life of Yogananda. Hay House, Inc. ISBN 978-1-4019-5218-1.
- ^ Bowden, Henry Warner (1993). Dictionary of American Religious Biography. Greenwood Press. p. 629. ISBN 0-313-27825-3.
- ^ Linden, Sheri (October 10, 201). "Awake: The Life of Yogananda: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- ^ Roy, Abhik (September 9, 2018). "Yogi and the USA". The Statesman. Retrieved June 19, 2020.