Autobiography of a Yogi Paramhansa Yogananda Autobiography of a Yogi Table of Contents Autobiography of a Yogi....................................................................................................................................1 Paramhansa Yogananda...........................................................................................................................1 PREFACE................................................................................................................................................2 AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................................................................................3 CHAPTER 1. MY PARENTS AND EARLY LIFE................................................................................3 CHAPTER 2. MY MOTHER'S DEATH AND THE MYSTIC AMULET..........................................10 CHAPTER 3. THE SAINT WITH TWO BODIES...............................................................................14 CHAPTER 4. MY INTERRUPTED FLIGHT TOWARD THE HIMALAYAS..................................18 CHAPTER 5. A “PERFUME SAINT” DISPLAYS HIS WONDERS.................................................26 CHAPTER 6. THE TIGER SWAMI.....................................................................................................32 CHAPTER 7. THE LEVITATING SAINT...........................................................................................37 CHAPTER 8. INDIA'S GREAT SCIENTIST, J.C. BOSE...................................................................41 CHAPTER 9. THE BLISSFUL DEVOTEE AND HIS COSMIC ROMANCE...................................46 CHAPTER 10. I MEET MY MASTER, SRI YUKTESWAR..............................................................51 CHAPTER 11. TWO PENNILESS BOYS IN BRINDABAN.............................................................57 CHAPTER 12. YEARS IN MY MASTER'S HERMITAGE................................................................63 CHAPTER 13. THE SLEEPLESS SAINT............................................................................................83 CHAPTER 14. AN EXPERIENCE IN COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS................................................87 CHAPTER 15. THE CAULIFLOWER ROBBERY.............................................................................92 CHAPTER 16. OUTWITTING THE STARS.......................................................................................99 CHAPTER 17. SASI AND THE THREE SAPPHIRES.....................................................................106 CHAPTER 18. A MOHAMMEDAN WONDER−WORKER............................................................110 CHAPTER 19. MY MASTER, IN CALCUTTA, APPEARS IN SERAMPORE..............................113 CHAPTER 20. WE DO NOT VISIT KASHMIR...............................................................................116 CHAPTER 21. WE VISIT KASHMIR...............................................................................................119 CHAPTER 22. THE HEART OF A STONE IMAGE........................................................................124 CHAPTER 23. I RECEIVE MY UNIVERSITY DEGREE................................................................128 CHAPTER 24. I BECOME A MONK OF THE SWAMI ORDER....................................................133 CHAPTER 25. BROTHER ANANTA AND SISTER NALINI.........................................................137 CHAPTER 26. THE SCIENCE OF KRIYA YOGA...........................................................................141 CHAPTER 27. FOUNDING A YOGA SCHOOL AT RANCHI.......................................................146 CHAPTER 28. KASHI, REBORN AND REDISCOVERED.............................................................151 CHAPTER 29. RABINDRANATH TAGORE AND I COMPARE SCHOOLS................................154 CHAPTER 30. THE LAW OF MIRACLES.......................................................................................157 CHAPTER 31. AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SACRED MOTHER................................................163 CHAPTER 32. RAMA IS RAISED FROM THE DEAD...................................................................170 CHAPTER 33. BABAJI, THE YOGI−CHRIST OF MODERN INDIA............................................175 CHAPTER 34. MATERIALIZING A PALACE IN THE HIMALAYAS.........................................179 CHAPTER 35. THE CHRISTLIKE LIFE OF LAHIRI MAHASAYA..............................................187 CHAPTER 36. BABAJI'S INTEREST IN THE WEST......................................................................195 CHAPTER 37. I GO TO AMERICA..................................................................................................201 CHAPTER 38. LUTHER BURBANK—A SAINT AMIDST THE ROSES......................................207 CHAPTER 39. THERESE NEUMANN, THE CATHOLIC STIGMATIST......................................211 CHAPTER 40. I RETURN TO INDIA...............................................................................................216 CHAPTER 41. AN IDYL IN SOUTH INDIA....................................................................................221 CHAPTER 42. LAST DAYS WITH MY GURU...............................................................................229 CHAPTER 43. THE RESURRECTION OF SRI YUKTESWAR......................................................238 CHAPTER 44. WITH MAHATMA GANDHI AT WARDHA..........................................................249 i Autobiography of a Yogi Table of Contents Autobiography of a Yogi CHAPTER 45. THE BENGALI “JOY−PERMEATED” MOTHER..................................................260 CHAPTER 46. THE WOMAN YOGI WHO NEVER EATS.............................................................264 CHAPTER 47. I RETURN TO THE WEST.......................................................................................271 CHAPTER 48. AT ENCINITAS IN CALIFORNIA..........................................................................273 ii Autobiography of a Yogi Paramhansa Yogananda This page copyright © 2003 Blackmask Online. http://www.blackmask.com • PREFACE • AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS • CHAPTER 1. MY PARENTS AND EARLY LIFE • CHAPTER 2. MY MOTHER'S DEATH AND THE MYSTIC AMULET • CHAPTER 3. THE SAINT WITH TWO BODIES • CHAPTER 4. MY INTERRUPTED FLIGHT TOWARD THE HIMALAYAS • CHAPTER 5. A “PERFUME SAINT” DISPLAYS HIS WONDERS • CHAPTER 6. THE TIGER SWAMI • CHAPTER 7. THE LEVITATING SAINT • CHAPTER 8. INDIA'S GREAT SCIENTIST, J.C. BOSE • CHAPTER 9. THE BLISSFUL DEVOTEE AND HIS COSMIC ROMANCE • CHAPTER 10. I MEET MY MASTER, SRI YUKTESWAR • CHAPTER 11. TWO PENNILESS BOYS IN BRINDABAN • CHAPTER 12. YEARS IN MY MASTER'S HERMITAGE • CHAPTER 13. THE SLEEPLESS SAINT • CHAPTER 14. AN EXPERIENCE IN COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS • CHAPTER 15. THE CAULIFLOWER ROBBERY • CHAPTER 16. OUTWITTING THE STARS • CHAPTER 17. SASI AND THE THREE SAPPHIRES • CHAPTER 18. A MOHAMMEDAN WONDER−WORKER • CHAPTER 19. MY MASTER, IN CALCUTTA, APPEARS IN SERAMPORE • CHAPTER 20. WE DO NOT VISIT KASHMIR • CHAPTER 21. WE VISIT KASHMIR • CHAPTER 22. THE HEART OF A STONE IMAGE • CHAPTER 23. I RECEIVE MY UNIVERSITY DEGREE • CHAPTER 24. I BECOME A MONK OF THE SWAMI ORDER • CHAPTER 25. BROTHER ANANTA AND SISTER NALINI • CHAPTER 26. THE SCIENCE OF KRIYA YOGA • CHAPTER 27. FOUNDING A YOGA SCHOOL AT RANCHI • CHAPTER 28. KASHI, REBORN AND REDISCOVERED • CHAPTER 29. RABINDRANATH TAGORE AND I COMPARE SCHOOLS • CHAPTER 30. THE LAW OF MIRACLES • CHAPTER 31. AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SACRED MOTHER • CHAPTER 32. RAMA IS RAISED FROM THE DEAD • CHAPTER 33. BABAJI, THE YOGI−CHRIST OF MODERN INDIA • CHAPTER 34. MATERIALIZING A PALACE IN THE HIMALAYAS • CHAPTER 35. THE CHRISTLIKE LIFE OF LAHIRI MAHASAYA • CHAPTER 36. BABAJI'S INTEREST IN THE WEST • CHAPTER 37. I GO TO AMERICA • CHAPTER 38. LUTHER BURBANK—A SAINT AMIDST THE ROSES • CHAPTER 39. THERESE NEUMANN, THE CATHOLIC STIGMATIST • CHAPTER 40. I RETURN TO INDIA Autobiography of a Yogi 1 Autobiography of a Yogi • CHAPTER 41. AN IDYL IN SOUTH INDIA • CHAPTER 42. LAST DAYS WITH MY GURU • CHAPTER 43. THE RESURRECTION OF SRI YUKTESWAR • CHAPTER 44. WITH MAHATMA GANDHI AT WARDHA • CHAPTER 45. THE BENGALI “JOY−PERMEATED” MOTHER • CHAPTER 46. THE WOMAN YOGI WHO NEVER EATS • CHAPTER 47. I RETURN TO THE WEST • CHAPTER 48. AT ENCINITAS IN CALIFORNIA [Frontispiece: PARAMHANSA YOGANANDA—see py.jpg] AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI By Paramhansa Yogananda WITH A PREFACE BY W. Y. Evans−Wentz, M.A., D.Litt., D.Sc. “EXCEPT YENSEEMSIGNS AND WONDERRS, YE WILL NOT BELIEVE.”−John 4:48. DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF LUTHER BURBANK An American Saint [Illustration: Map of India—see map.gif] PREFACE By W. Y. EVANS−WENTZ, M.A., D.Litt., D.Sc. Jesus College, Oxford; Author of THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD, TIBET'S GREAT YOGI MILAREPA, TIBETAN YOGA AND SECRET DOCTRINES, etc. The value of Yogananda's AUTOBIOGRAPHYis greatly enhanced by the fact that it is one of the few books in English about the wise men of India which has been written, not by a journalist or foreigner, but by one of their own race and training—in short, a book ABOUT yogis BY a yogi. As an eyewitness recountal of the extraordinary lives and powers of modern Hindu saints, the book has importance both timely and timeless. To its illustrious author, whom I have had the pleasure of knowing both in India and America, may every reader render due appreciation and gratitude. His unusual life−document is certainly one of the most revealing of the depths of the Hindu mind and heart, and of the spiritual wealth of India, ever to be published in the West. It has been my privilege to have met one