Autobiography of a Yogi: 1946-2006

When Autobiography Of a Yogi first appeared in 1946, it was acclaimed as a landmark work in its field. With engaging candour, eloquence and wit, Paramahansa Yogananda narrates the inspiring chronicle of his life - the experiences of his remarkable childhood, encounters with many saints and sages during his youthful search throughout India for an illumined teacher, ten years of training in the hermitage of a revered yoga master and the thirty years that he lived and taught in America. He records as well his meetings with Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Luther Burbank, the Catholic stigmatist, Therese Neumann and other celebrated spiritual personalities of East and West. Also included is extensive material that he added after the first edition came out in 1946, with a final chapter on the closing years of his life. Autobiography Of a Yogi is at once a delightful account of an exceptional life and a profound introduction to the ancient science of Yoga and its tradition of meditation. Clearly explaining the subtle but definite laws behind the natural events of everyday life as well as the extraordinary events considered miraculous, the author reveals the scientific foundation underlying the great religious paths of both East and West. His absorbing life story thus becomes the background for a penetrating and unforgettable look at the ultimate mysteries of human existence. Considered a modern spiritual classic, this book has been translated into eighteen languages and is used as a text and reference work in numerous colleges and universities. A perennial best-seller since it was first published sixty years ago, it has found its way into the hearts of millions of readers around the world.