The Gospel of Yogananda

"Autobiography of a Yogi" is a book by Paramahansa Yogananda, one of the earliest Hindu gurus to establish himself in the United States. The book has been translated into 25 languages and is distributed by the Self-Realization Fellowship, the organization (based in California) founded by Yogananda himself. Their teachings are known as Kriya Yoga.

I haven't read the entire book (yet), but so far, I don't think "autobiography" is the right word for it. The work is rather a devotional and an exposition of the Kriya Yoga teachings. In a sense, it could be called the Gospel of Yogananda. Indeed, the author's teachings seem to be a blend of Hinduism and Christianity, with Theosophy and New Thought features. (I also read some of the treatises in Yogananda's voluminous work "The Second Coming of Christ").

A large part of "The Autobiography of a Yogi" consists of miracle tales, often similar to those found in the Gospels. People are raised from the dead, Yogananda's guru Sri Yukteswar is resurrected with a physical body (although it was previously cremated), and one chapter is entitled "The Christlike life of Lahiri Mahasaya". Other themes are more Hindu, as when the clairvoyant Yogananda manages to find his dead and re-incarnated friend Kashi. There are also stories about a mysterious cosmic being called Babaji who lives in the Himalayas and never dies...

Another large portion of the book contains Yogananda's impressions of famous people he encountered during his journeys. Among others, he met Gandhi, Tagore and the Catholic stigmatic Theresa Neumann. He even describes one of Neumann's trances. His meeting with U.S. president Coolidge is only mention in passing, however. A humorous photo shows the president peeking out of a White House window during a Yogananda photo-op!

OK, I admit I was fascinated. ;-)

The defining feature of Paramahamsa Yogananda seems to be his reverential attitude towards Jesus Christ as an avatar of the Divine. He seems to take the virgin birth, crucifixion and physical resurrection quite seriously and literally, even to the point of using the KJV, while nevertheless attempting to integrate Jesus into an essentially Hindu worldview with karma, reincarnation, maya, lila, etc. Interestingly, the author does allow for at least some bad karma to be forgiven, either by Jesus or by an accomplished Hindu master.

I will probably continue reading this book. Five stars.