Today Yoga has spread to every corner of the world. Do you know who is the Father of Yoga in the western world. Swami Viveknanand ? Wrong. BKS Iyengar ? Wrong. This credit can be given to one and only one person. Paramhans Yoganand. The Los Angeles Times even called him “the 20th century’s first superstar guru”. The story of his life is extraordinary and fascinating. You will enjoy this Video.
Although he is famous for writing the best selling spiritual book called “Autobiography Of A Yogi”, his real claim to fame should be to introduce Indian heritage and Yoga to the West.
It is now well known that Steve Jobs- the pioneer of Apple company and Products – died of Cancer.
He left behind an instruction that all those who attended his memorial service will be given a gift box when leaving. It contained a book titled “Autobiography of a Yogi” written by Paramhans Yoganand. That’s the only book he had on his iPad and he read it once every year.
Paramahansa Yogananda was born in1893 in Gorakhpur, India as Mukunda Lal Ghosh.
He served at the feet of his Guru Swami Yukteswar Giri for many years till he was asked by him to go to USA to spread worldwide the teachings based on India’s ancient practices and philosophy of Yoga and Meditation.
He arrived on American soil in 1920 at the young age of 27 with practically no money in his pocket.
Over the next few years he spoke to packed audiences, dressing his ancient teachings in a practical and modern form called self-realization.
From 1924 to1935, Yogananda traveled and lectured widely to capacity audiences in many of the largest auditoriums in America — from New York’s Carnegie Hall to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Auditorium.
The newspaper Los Angeles Times reported: “The Auditorium presents the extraordinary spectacle of thousands being turned away an hour before the opening of the talk with the 3000-seat hall filled to its full capacity.”
He was also hosted by the then US President Calvin Coolidge.
Yoganand set up an Ashram in California where he wrote his famous “Autobiography of a Yogi” and other writings. With a flair not typical among spiritual teachers, he once said, “I don’t use religion for business but I use business principles in religion.”
Paramhans Yoganand stood out for several reasons. He was the first major Guru to make America his home. He was the best-known Indian spiritual teacher from 1920 to the late 1950s in the West. He was the first Indian Guru to spend all his working life overseas and not in India. He only came to India for one year after he landed in USA in 1920
On his only visit from USA to India, he met with Mahatma Gandhi and initiated him into the technique of Kriya Yoga as Gandhi expressed his interest in it.
Paramahansa Yogananda took the knowledge of yoga and meditation to millions across the globe, not only through his public lectures and classes but also through his prolific writings and the centres he established around the world.
After nearly 100 years of its publication “Autobiography’ Of a Yogi” is still the best known spiritual book of modern times.
The world should be grateful to Paramhans Yoganand as millions today benefit from Yoga and Meditation on a daily basis.
In my view, he deserves the Bharat Ratna award as much as any other Indian.That’s all for now. Till we meet again.