The life of Paramahansa Yogananda

According to the gurus of Paramahansa Yogananda’s spiritual lineage, he was destined to spread the message of yoga to the world. Not only did he do this but he brought spirituality into the mainstream of society. In 1920 he travelled from India to America, taking with him the centuries-old teachings on yoga and spirituality. That an Indian, from India, could spread the supposedly “mysterious” teachings of the East and be so well received in the West was an amazing achievement for the time, and perhaps just what the increasingly materialistic post-war society needed.

Yogananda is best known for Kriya yoga. This, however, does not refer to the asanas or postures many of us are familiar with. Instead, it consists of scientific techniques of meditation used to still the mind and attain a direct, personal experience of God. This connection and experience of self-realisation let us become aware of the joy, happiness and divine nature of the soul within us all.

Even though it has almost been 60 years since Yogananda’s death, he is still recognised as a pre-eminent spiritual figure of modern times. Yogananda’s teachings are diverse and cover all areas of spiritual living. Underlying it all, Yogananda shows how meditation can be used to live a more meaningful and spiritual life.

Early life

Mukunda Lal Ghosh was born in 1893 in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, northeast India. When Mukunda assumed his spiritual name some years later, he would become known to the world as Paramahansa Yogananda.

It was clear that he was far from an ordinary child. At a young age he displayed remarkable spiritual awareness, including the ability to recall his past life incarnations as a yogi in the Himalayas; he also had visions, such as one that foretold his beloved mother’s death.

Yogananda’s parents were disciples of the guru Lahiri Mahasaya, who revived the science of Kriya yoga. Mahasaya knew what the future held for Yogananda and took a special interest in his birth.

In his youth, Yogananda sought out many of India’s spiritual masters and modern-day saints in the hope of finding a teacher to guide him on his spiritual journey. These encounters are detailed in his book, Autobiography of a Yogi.

He eventually met his guru, Sri Yukteswar, when he was 17. Although he hoped to immediately follow the path of his master, Yogananda’s father and Sri Yukteswar wanted him to finish schooling and enter college. Sri Yukteswar and the spiritual masters before him, Lahiri Mahasaya and Babaji, had prophesised that Yogananda would go to the West and spread the message of yoga. “The West is high in material attainments but lacking in spiritual understanding,” said Sri Yukteswar to Yogananda. “It is God’s will that you play a role in teaching mankind the value of balancing the material with an inner, spiritual life.”

In 1915, Yogananda was initiated as a monk of the swami order after completing his university degree. He chose his spiritual name of Yogananda meaning “bliss” (ananda) through divine union (yoga). Paramahansa was later added as a title of respect.

Indeed, what Yogananda’s masters had foretold came true. Yogananda set up a boys’ school in Ranchi, India, and in 1920 left for America. He embarked on a series of lecture tours before founding the Self-realization Fellowship (SRF) and setting up headquarters in Los Angeles and a hermitage in Encinitas, California, to make the teachings of Kriya yoga available to all. The society aims to provide people of all cultures and religions with scientific techniques so they may realise and express the divinity of the human spirit by attaining direct, personal experience of God and experiencing the evolution of the soul into God consciousness.

What is Kriya yoga?

In Yogananda’s many writings and lectures he spoke of the techniques of Kriya yoga, which were passed down to him through his line of gurus. Yogananda’s master, Sri Yukteswar, received the teachings from Lahiri Mahasaya, who received them from Mahavatar (Great Incarnation) Babaji, who reclaimed the practice after it was lost in the dark ages. Kriya yoga was a revival of the same practice Lord Krishna gave to Prince Arjuna in the Hindu religious text, Bhagavad GÄ«tā. Yogananda says the practice was also known to Christ and his disciples. Consequently, many of his lectures and teachings stressed the underlying unity between religions of East and West.

Essentially, Kriya yoga is an advanced Raja yoga technique of pranayama (life energy control). Brother Brahmananda has been a member of the monastic community of Paramahansa Yogananda’s Self-realization Fellowship since 1965 and currently serves at the international headquarters in Los Angeles. He describes Kriya yoga as a practice which “reinforces and revitalises subtle currents of life energy in the body, enabling the normal activities of heart and lungs to slow down naturally”.

“We teach specific techniques that deal with energy and consciousness, and the drawing of that energy and consciousness into the spine and brain, allowing one to reach an interiorised state where he or she can deeply feel the joy and peace of the soul,” explains Brother Brahmananda.

These include techniques of energisation, concentration and meditation, which the SRF offers in a series of home lessons to prepare one for Kriya yoga. If students wish, they can just practise these methods without receiving Kriya yoga. However, Kriya is seen as the path to reach the highest state of awareness and initiation establishes one within the sacred guru–disciple relationship.

Ultimately, these techniques work to still the senses. By fixing the gaze on the third eye, one secures an additional supply of life force (prana) and thus learns life-force control. “As a result, the consciousness is drawn to higher levels of perception,” says Brother Brahmananda, “gradually bringing about an inner awakening more deeply satisfying than any of the experiences that the mind, the senses or the ordinary human emotions can give.”

Achieving inner peace through scientific techniques of meditation allows one to accelerate their spiritual awareness and reach self-realisation, meaning to know we are one with God and to become fully aware of the transcendent joy that is the intrinsic, divine nature of the soul.

Knowing God

Yogananda’s teachings are significant as they are accessible to people of all belief systems and aim to show the unity between religions in the paths and goals they ultimately seek. Yogananda refers to the idea of knowing God, saying, however, that this is possible through self-effort and not necessarily dependent on theological beliefs or a “cosmic dictator”.

Divinity can be found within ourselves and we can tap into this through meditation. Each of us carries a portable paradise within. Brother Brahmananda further elaborates on this, saying it is through the teachings of Yogananda and practice of meditation that we start to feel a deep inner peace. Underlying this will be the experience of a profound joy and unity throughout our entire beings.

Yogananda tells us this is the greatest proof of the presence and existence of God and our unity with Him. This is self-realisation. This connection with God is a personal experience. Commonly, it is often associated with a feeling of bliss and the removal of suffering. Through yoga and in the experience of self-realisation, you become fully aware of the divine in your life and the transcendent joy and happiness that is the intrinsic nature of the soul. This is the essence of all human beings. We are the soul. We are divine.

“In other words, the soul is one with Spirit, whose essence is joy,” Brother Brahmananda says. “We are the soul, our essence is joy and all we have to do, as Yogananda says, is ‘improve our knowing’.” We can further tap into this by applying the teachings and techniques in our lives and thus evolve and progress spiritually.

Living a spiritual life

Yogananda’s teachings are significant as he demystified yoga. He spoke of using spiritual wisdom to conquer adversity and cultivate joy and happiness in all areas of life. Thus, spirituality was understood as something that could be found everywhere and in everything.

So why are Yogananda’s teachings significant in our modern age? “As we move further into the 21st century, we are faced with a proliferation of technical devices, communications and social networks,” says Brother Brahmananda. Although it seems like these advances are making our lives more efficient, they are in fact creating a frenetic population. We are overworked, constantly multi-tasking and always on the move. It’s no surprise that stress builds up to a great level and many feel an absence of meaning and purpose in their lives. “As a result, people are more and more yearning for peace of mind and balance in their lives,” he adds.

The foundation of Kriya yoga and meditation lies in stilling the mind, looking within and discovering your true nature, offering an effective framework you can apply to your daily life to achieve the balance that is so needed. Along with ultimately achieving self-realisation and understanding your divine purpose, this calm and collected state of mind has a range of other benefits across many aspects of daily life. These non-sectarian teachings on spiritual living are extensive, ranging from how to achieve unity to living a joyful life in an ever-changing world.

The right action

Yogananda taught that the most important thing in life is to find God. The techniques of yoga help you look within. When you feel peace and joy inside, you feel God’s presence. Therefore, regular meditation in daily life is essential. To start off, Brother Brahmananda advises to try meditating for 5–10 minutes twice a day, focusing deeply on the thought of God, divinity and the soul. Then, try to feel this presence throughout your day and see it in others as well.

“True spiritual living requires an ongoing effort over a long time,” says Brother Brahmananda. As commitment is needed to truly progress spiritually, Brother Brahmananda recommends reading Autobiography of a Yogi or one of Yogananda’s anthologies such as Man’s Eternal Quest to gain a comprehensive understanding of the teachings and to see if the path is right for you. The SRF home study lessons are also available to all and offer techniques in meditation. However, Yogananda also provided some basic instructions for beginners:

1. Assume the meditation posture, either on a chair or seated on the floor.  Begin with a prayer to express devotion and ask for blessings.

2. Relax the entire body. Release any stress and let breath flow naturally

3. Bring your focus to the eyebrow centre and focus on the spiritual eye. The depth of calmness and concentration necessary for this is further developed through the SRF’s practices including Hong-Sau technique and Aum meditation.

4. Continue this focus and take an affirmation or prayer and add your own devotional yearning. Maintain your focus until you feel complete peace and inner joy.

5. Continue daily practice to help prepare for deeper practices of meditation, including Kriya yoga.

To complement this, the right activity is also needed. These instructions are outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, offering guidelines on spiritual living and conduct. The first of the Sutras, the Yamas, are codes for moral conduct, including non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, freedom from desire and non-covetousness. The Niyamas are observances such as purity of body and mind, contentment, self-discipline, self-study and devotion to God and guru. Performing the right activity with the intention of serving mankind and consciousness centred in God help one find greater meaning and purpose in life.

Affirmations

“Say you are angerless and you are. Say you are peaceful and you are.”

Yogananda taught the power of harnessing concentrated thought for the purposes of health and healing, conquering adversity and creating success in your life. This, however, isn’t the monetary principle many of us define success by but rather the idea of achieving true peace and happiness. Yogananda offered a range of affirmations across areas such as overcoming anger, awakening wisdom and building confidence.

In Scientific Healing Affirmations, Yogananda offers instructions for affirmations. Affirmations are most effective when practised just after waking or before sleep. An affirmation should be chosen according to your particular needs. It should first be repeated aloud and gradually softer and slower until your voice becomes a whisper. Then continue to affirm it mentally. Deeper delving and continued focus on the affirmation will allow you to attain a greater sense of calmness, happiness and peace.

Affirmations essentially work as powerful tools for self-transformation. They draw on positive thinking and can be used during any part of your day to remind you of what’s truly important. In Yogananda’s writings and lectures he offered many affirmations, some of which included:

For Happiness: Beginning with the early dawn, I will radiate my cheer to everyone I meet today. I will be the mental sunshine for all who cross my path this day.

For Courage: Today I forgive all those who have ever offended me. I give my love to all thirsty hearts, both to those who love me and to those who do not love me.
For Forgiveness: There is a right solution to every problem. I have within me the wisdom and intelligence to see this solution and the courage and energy to carry it through.

Note the detail in these affirmations and that they are much more than simply saying “I am happy” but involve visualising what it means to be happy (or courageous, or forgiving and so on) and how it will involve others.

Relationships and moods

“Remain centred in yourself, in the good qualities of your soul and continuously give understanding to people.”

Negative moods such as anger, fear and restlessness disturb the soul and its true nature. This is particularly relevant in our day and age. We have all experienced these negative moods, many of which are heightened due to stress. Most of the time, we succumb to them. When you express anger or negativity to others, you give in to these moods and let them dominate you. At a talk given at the Encinitas hermitage, Yogananda discusses how freedom from negative moods can be found in inner calmness.

Yogananda advises that you take a moment to summon willpower and positive thoughts to quickly control your moods. He refers to this as the “thought sword”, which allows you to conquer negative moods with spiritual wisdom. Make the resolve to do away with moods and remain calm and happy. Self-reflection here is effective. When negativity arises, think about the cause that brought it on (was it stress?) and do something constructive about it (meditate!). Self-analysis also helps you better understand yourself and allows you to better develop your true nature’s finest qualities.

There are other benefits to this as well. “If you control your own attitude,” says Yogananda, “you will get along with everyone.” Ultimately, carry out your daily activity with calmness and love and treat others as you’d like to be treated and they will respond. Freeing yourself from moods by looking within will help you tap into your true nature and further your spiritual growth.

Health and healing

“Mind has much greater power than medicine.”

Yogananda’s lectures and writings have much to say on the subject of health and healing. Again, the power of the mind is intrinsic in this. Yogananda discusses achieving health through proper eating, cleansing the body with herbs and occasional fasting as a means of protecting against disease. However, significant potential also lies in one’s mind and soul. When you finds the power of God and discover the joy within, you attract a greater supply of the cosmic life energy. Thus, the happy individual is less prone to disease. Smile from the inside and outside and become a “smile-millionaire”, says Yogananda.

Yogananda also makes a special point on the topic of nervousness as a significant cause of imbalance. The antidote to this is calmness. In Man’s Eternal Quest, Yogananda talks about living by the triangular guide of calmness, sweetness and happiness at the base. Meditating daily, holding onto the after-effects and sending out positive thoughts can help one find bliss, calmness and unity. This can offer liberation from physical disease, mental disharmony and spiritual ignorance.

Simple living

“It isn’t what you own but what you can acquire at will that is real prosperity.”

According to Yogananda, material possessions ultimately lead to unhappiness and worry. This message of detachment is a common lesson that’s also taught by many other spiritual masters. In a compilation of Yogananda’s writings from 1930 to 1942, he advises to avoid becoming a slave to money and attached to material objects. This happiness is merely “sense-based” and can eventually turn to sorrow. On the other hand, those who find contentment in simple living and are able to give up these supposed needs are able to find happiness naturally in their hearts and minds.

Yogananda advises you to concentrate on your real needs as opposed to your wants. Boil down your needs, such as food, shelter and health, to specific things so they can be easily fulfilled. Focus your attention on one “need” at a time. Through regular meditation, people can begin to carry out duties with greater awareness. This creates an enhanced appreciation of existence and adds balance to your spiritual and material life. The essence of spiritual living through meditation can help one reduce the stresses and imbalance a materially dominant life can bring.

Simply adopt a positive and grateful mindset and you will find yourself becoming more attuned to the Beauty and joys that arise from simple living and achieve real happiness as opposed to the “successes” that come with making money.

Spiritual development

We often lose sight of who we are, why we are here and where we are going. The journey of life itself offers opportunities for spiritual growth but for most people it is a slow process. Many of us miss out on experiencing something bigger than ourselves, such as the divine joy and awareness of our true purpose that can come with meditation.

By taking the time to look within we can interiorise and feel divinity and God’s presence every day, both in ourselves and in others. Ultimately, as Yogananda says, it comes down to self-effort. Peace, prosperity and spiritual growth, not just for oneself, but for the world, start with every one of us.

Veronica Joseph is a writer based in Sydney, Australia. Veronica is passionate about all things yoga, travel and food.

Photo credit: Self-Realisation Fellowship, Los Angeles, Calif