| Paramahansa Yogananda was born in Gorakphur India | | | | Indian Yoga systems to promote spiritual and physical |
| January 5th 1893. Gorakphur is in the north of India | | | | well being. Mahatma Gandhi visited the school and |
| and is associated with the great saint Gorakshanath | | | | was moved to say: |
| who lived in the 10th - 12th Century. Yogananda was | | | | "This institution has deeply impressed my mind." |
| brought up in a devout loving Hindu family. At an | | | | Increasingly Paramahansa Yogananda felt a call to |
| early age Yogananda's mother passed away and this | | | | travel to America and with his Guru's blessings |
| pushed the young Mukunda (as he then was) into a | | | | Yogananda left India for America in 1920 as a |
| deep grief. However this experience encouraged | | | | delegate to an international congress of religious |
| Yogananda to seek beyond the world and practise | | | | leaders in Boston. In 1924 he returned to America to |
| spiritual discipline. | | | | begin a lecture tour in which he offered the highest |
| In his famous autobiography of a Yogi he explains | | | | spiritual ideals of Vedanta in a format appropriate for |
| how his early life was filled with visiting various the | | | | modern American audiences. It was also in 1924 that |
| various saints of Bengal and seeking to learn from | | | | Yogananda founded the Self Realisation Fellowship an |
| their spiritual wisdom. One of these early teachers | | | | organisation dedicated to promoting the ideals of |
| was Master Mahasaya who was a direct disciple of | | | | Yogananda and providing an opportunity for seekers |
| Sri Ramakrishna and wrote the Gospel of Sri | | | | to practise his teachings. |
| Ramakrishna. Yogananda's interest in spiritual studies | | | | Over the next 20 years the teachings of Yogananda |
| did not however extend to academic studies and his | | | | prospered and many sincere seekers were attracted |
| book explains how he sought to do as little academic | | | | to the yoga system and teachings he offered. |
| work as possible. In fact at one point he left home | | | | Therefore Yogananda sought to establish a spiritual |
| to go on a pilgrimage to the Himalayas. His family | | | | community or ashram in Los Angeles. This has now |
| however disapproved of his tendency to "renounce | | | | become the headquarters of the Self Realisation |
| the world" and he was found by his brother and | | | | Fellowship. |
| bought back. At the age of 17 years Yogananda met | | | | In 1935 Yogananda returned to India for 18 months. |
| his Spiritual Master Sri Yukteswar. Sri Yukteswar was | | | | Here he embarked on another tour meeting many of |
| a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya who in turn had received | | | | India's great saints of the days. These included |
| initiation from the immortal Babaji in the Himalayas. On | | | | Mahatma Gandhi, Ramana Maharshi and Sri |
| becoming a disciple of Sri Yukteswar Yogananda | | | | Anandamayi Ma. And are recounted in his best selling |
| spent most of his time in the ashram of his Master | | | | book "Autobiography of a Yogi". |
| where he practised meditation for many hours | | | | After returning to America Yoganada retreated |
| eventually attaining a glimpse of the cosmic | | | | somewhat from public life seeking to spend more |
| consciousness. | | | | time in meditation and writing spiritual guidance for |
| In 1917 Yogananda started work as a teacher in a | | | | the future when he was no longer living. On March |
| school in Ranchi. The school was a special combination | | | | 7th 1952 Yogananda entered mahasamadhi (which is |
| of modern educational methods and the ancient | | | | a Yogi's conscious decision to leave the body). |