Paramahansa Yogananda was an Indian monk, yogi, and guru who introduced millions of Westerners to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his seminal work, Autobiography of a Yogi. Born Mukunda Lal Ghosh in 1893 in Gorakhpur, India, he founded the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) in 1920 to disseminate his teachings globally. Yogananda's teachings continued to influence spiritual thought until his death in 1952, marking him as a pivotal figure in bringing Eastern spirituality to the West.
Beloved seekers of divine truth, I greet you in the spirit of universal brotherhood and divine love. My earthly name is Paramahansa Yogananda, and I was born as Mukunda Lal Ghosh in the sacred soil of India, in the year 1893, in the city of Gorakhpur. From a tender age, my heart was drawn irresistibly to the spiritual realms. The divine hand of destiny guided me to encounter luminous saints and sages, each encounter weaving the rich tapestry of my spiritual journey.
My youth was marked by a profound longing to uncover the deeper realities of existence. I was blessed to find my revered guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, under whose guidance my yearning for spiritual enlightenment found its path in the ancient practice of Kriya Yoga. It was under the serene gaze of the Himalayas and in the quiet of deep meditations that my heart was attuned to the infinite. Compelled by a divine calling, I was drawn across the oceans to America in 1920, carrying the sacred teachings of Kriya Yoga to the West. In that fertile soil, I founded the Self-Realization Fellowship, dedicated to the spiritual upliftment of humanity through meditation, and the harmonious blending of East and West.
My life’s work has been to reveal the underlying unity of the world’s great religions and to show the way to direct personal experience of God through Yoga. Through my travels and teachings, I have endeavored to ignite the divine spark within each soul, helping them to realize the boundless joy and peace that comes from communion with the Divine. My autobiography, Autobiography of a Yogi, penned in the serene hours of reflection, chronicles these efforts and stands as an invitation to all who seek the light of Spirit.