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Paramhansa
Yogananda
Paramhansa
Yogananda (1893-1952, often misspelled 'Paramahansa' Yogananda) was the
first yoga master of India to take up permanent residence in the West.
Yogananda arrived in America in 1920, and traveled throughout the United
States on what he called his ‘spiritual campaigns’. His enthusiastic
audiences filled the largest halls in America. Hundreds of thousands came
to see the yogi from India. Yogananda continued to lecture and write up
to his passing in 1952.
Yogananda's initial
impact was truly impressive. But his lasting impact has been even greater.
Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi (left), first published in 1946, helped
launch a spiritual revolution in the West. His message was nonsectarian
and universal. Yogananda’s teacher sent him to the West with the
admonition, “The West is high in material attainments, but lacking
in spiritual understanding. It is God’s will that you play a role
in teaching mankind the value of balancing the material with an inner,
spiritual life.”
The
Path of Self-Realization
“The true basis
of religion is not belief, but intuitive experience. Intuition is the
soul’s power of knowing God. To know what religion is really all
about, one must know God.”
— Paramhansa Yogananda from The Essence of Self-Realization
Yogananda brought to the West the path of Self-Realization. He said that
“Self-Realization is the knowing in all parts of body, mind, and
soul that you are now in possession of the kingdom of God; that you do
not have to pray that it come to you; that God’s omnipresence is
your omnipresence; and that all that you need to do is improve your knowing.”
The path of Kriya
Yoga, which Yogananda called the ‘jet-airplane’ route to God,
consists of ancient yoga techniques to hasten the spiritual evolution
of the student. Yogananda's techniques can be learned through the Ananda
Kriya Ministry.
Ananda-
Fulfilling Yogananda’s Vision
Swami Kriyananda
Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Yogananda, founded Ananda Village
in 1968 to fulfill Yogananda’s vision of ‘World Brotherhood
Colonies’, or spiritual cooperative communities. Yogananda envisioned
a place where all people, not just monastics, could devote themselves
to living a divine life, dedicated to practicing the teachings of yoga
in every aspect of their daily life.
Ananda Worldwide now
includes World Brotherhood Colonies in four American cities, and in Assisi,
Italy. All residents practice Yogananda’s teachings of meditation
and apply his principles to all facets of life in this world: business,
schools, relationships, healing, and much more. Ananda’s Expanding
Light retreat has been sharing these principles for over 25 years.
Ananda
East is part of this worldwide
movement based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. Ananda Worldwide
was founded in 1968 by one of Yogananda’s direct disciple, Swami
Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters). Kriyananda has devoted his life to carrying
on Yogananda’s work through books, music, and the establishment of
World Brotherhood Colonies. Ananda Worldwide now includes World Brotherhood
Colonies in four American cities, and in Assisi, Italy. All residents practice
Yogananda’s teachings of meditation and apply his principles to all
facets of life in this world: business, schools, relationships, healing,
and much more. Paramhansa Yogananda's teachings emphasize direct inner experience
of God, which he called Self-Realization. Yogananda’s
teachings of yoga and meditation are nondenominational and nonsectarian,
and offer practical solutions to the challenges of modern life. They describe
the underlying truths common to all religions, with particular emphasis
on the mystical teachings of Christ and Krishna.
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