Autobiography of a Yogi

One of my favorite magazines, Pure Inspiration, often features the writings of Paramahansa Yogananda, a twentieth-century Indian yogi who founded the Self-Realization Fellowship in the United States.

When I was a teacher in Encinitas, California, Iwould often pass by the Self-Realization temple where Yogananda lived and wrote his autobiography. It always seemed so mysterious to me.

Lately, I've felt called to learn more about him, so I was led to his book, Autobiography of a Yogi. About half-way through reading it, I attended Sunday service at our local Unity church, where - unbeknowst to me - the guest speaker was from the local Self-Realization group.

He spoke about the commandments in the Bhagavad Gita, translated as pleasure, prosperity, duty and liberation. When I got back home and started back up with reading the autobiography, Yogananda was discussing those very same commandments! There are no coincidences. Call it Synchro-Divinity!

I thought I'd share with you some of the widsom of Paramahansa Yogananda:

• "A man who has reformed himself will remform thousands."
• "The law of miracles is operable by anyone who has realized that the essence of creation is light."
• "The deeper the self-realization of a man, the more he influences the whole universe by his subtle spiritual vibrations, and the less he himself is affected by the phenomenal flux."
• "The more man realizes his unity with Spirit, the less he can be dominated by matter. The soul is ever free."
• "The goal of yoga is to calm the mind, that without distortion, it may hear the infallible counsel of the Inner Voice."
• "The Spirit of God is exhaustless Bliss. His body is countless tissues of Light."
• "A master - one who has realized himself as the omnipresent soul, not the body or ego - perceived in all men a striking similarity."
• "That hard core of ego is difficult to dislodge except rudely. With its departure, the Divine finds at last an unobstructed channel."