Original 1946 Edition

Named one of the "Top 100 Spiritual Books of Last Century", now in unabridged audiobook.

Read by his direct disciple Swami Kriyananda.

This is not an ordinary book. It is a spiritual treasure. To read its message of hope to all truthseekers is to begin a great adventure.

Only rarely does a sage of Paramhansa Yogananda's stature write a firsthand account of his life experiences. Followers of many religious traditions have come to recognize Autobiography of a Yogi as a masterpiece of spiritual literature. Yet, for all its depth, it is full of gentle humor, lively stories, and practical common sense.

This is a verbatim reprinting of the original 1946 edition. Although subsequent reprintings, reflecting revisions made after the author's death in 1952, have sold over a million copies and have been translated into more than 19 languages, the few thousand of the original have long since disappeared into the hands of collectors. Now, with this reprint, the 1946 edition is again available, with all its inherent power, just as the great master of yoga first presented it.

Note: This 1946 edition is the only available version approved for publication during the author's lifetime. It does not contain substantial posthumous changes to the text unlike other editions which have thousands of changes, many of which substantially alter the original meaning of the text.) Even if you have already bought a posthumously edited version, you'll enjoy the authentic vibration of the original.

IMPORTANT TECHNICAL INFORMATION: The MP3 files are in an unprotected format. Compatible with both PC and Mac. Music files can also be played on any digital music player that supports MP3 playback inclusing iPod, Zune, Sansa, and most other players.

THIS ITEM IS NON-RETURNABLE. No exceptions. If you have questions about compatibility with your system, please contact us prior to ordering.

Dimensions: 5" x 5.625"
Details: MP3, Data CD, 19 Hours
Author: Paramahansa Yogananda

Testimonials

"In the original edition, published during Yogananda's life, one is more in contact with Yogananda himself. While Yogananda founded centers and organizations, his concern was more with guiding individuals to direct communion with Divinity rather than with promoting any one church as opposed to another. This spirit is easier to grasp in the original edition of this great spiritual and yogic classic."

—David Frawley, Director, American Institute of Vedic Studies

"This renewed contact with the Yogisphere, its mental superiority to material reality, and its spiritual discipline, was very instructive for me, and I am grateful to you for granting me some insight into this fascinating world."

—Thomas Mann, Nobel Prize Winner

"Amazing, true stories of saints and masters of India, blended with priceless superphysical information—much needed to balance the Western material efficiency with Eastern spiritual efficiency—come from the vigorous pen of Paramhansa Yogananda, whose teachings my husband and myself have had the pleasure of studying for twenty years."

—Amelita Galli-Curci

About Paramahansa Yogananda

Paramhansa Yogananda (sometimes spelled 'Paramahansa' Yogananda) was born on January 5, 1893 in Gorakhpur, India. He was the first yoga master of India to permanently live and teach 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. At some packed venues thousands were turned away nightly. A national sensation, Yogananda's lectures and books were extensively written about by the major media of the era, including Time Magazine, Newsweek, and Life. He was even invited to the White House by President Calvin Coolidge. 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", first published in 1946, helped launch a spiritual revolution throughout the world. His message was nonsectarian and universal. Yogananda's Guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, 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."

Yogananda brought clarity to hundreds of thousands of people regarding the ancient teachings of India - previously shrouded in the cultural assumptions and terminology of an era long past. These teachings include the path of Kriya Yoga, which Yogananda called the 'jet-airplane' route to God, consisting of ancient yoga techniques to hasten the spiritual evolution of the student.

"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," said Paramhansa Yogananda in the book "The Essence of Self-Realization". He further wrote 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."