Product Description

Rarely in a lifetime does a new spiritual classic appear that has the power to change people's lives and transform future generations. This is such a book. The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita shares the profound insights of Paramhansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi, as remembered by his direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda. This commentary unlocks the Gita's depthless wisdom with striking clarity, inspiration, and hope for a modern audience.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #60560 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 700 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters), a lifelong disciple of the influential guru Yogananda, affirms his claim as an authoritative student of his master with this work. Because Kriyananda parted ways with Yogananda's organization, this book also rivals Yogananda's own commentary on this classic Indian scripture, which is published by his organization. Western students can certainly use all the help they can get in understanding the cultural specifics of the Bhagavad Gita in order to appreciate this story of universal questions asked of God on the eve of a battle. Kriyananda offers an interpretation that amounts to an explication of kriya yoga, a yoga system that is a philosophy and way of life. This comprehensive view will aid his or Yogananda's students, though anyone coming to this book seeking more general interpretation may find the text very hard to follow. The Gita's verses are completely broken up by commentary, making them impossible to read continuously, and most of the first chapter of the Gita isn't even included. The exposition itself rambles, requiring slow, methodical reading and patience with Sanskrit terms. Neophytes who want to open the Bhagavad Gita need another key; this book doesn't speak to beginners.
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From the Publisher
""It is doubtful that there has been a more important spiritual writing in the past 50 years than this soul-stirring, monumental work. Through a mind blessed with special clarity, Swami Kriyananda has brought us his most vivid memories of the explanations by Paramhansa Yogananda of the Bhagavad Gita, allowing us to hear with greater vibrancy than ever before the Melodies of the Divine. At last the "Lord’s Song" is not a mystery to our mind, but music to our ears! What a gift! What a treasure! My personal gratitude to Swami Kriyananda shall be everlasting." —Neale Donald Walsch, author of Conversations with God"

From the Author
Kriyananda was recently appointed to membership in the prestigious Club of Budapest, joining such luminaries as the Dalai Lama.

Customer Reviews

Finally - an "American" Gita
The Gita contains the distilled essence of religious practice. Too bad that all of the interpretations, so far, have been hemmed-in by the culture of India. Or, they've been so poetically terse or scholarly dry as to obscure their practical application.

I think of this book as an "American Gita" because it's just incredibly readable, continually interesting, and wonderfully plainspoken. It never talks down or becomes hazy or heavy, but speaks to the reader as a friend. I'm familiar with Yogananda, how he said of these Gita interpretations that millions would "find God through this book -- not thousands. Millions! I know, I have seen it!" This book has that kind of power. Reading it, one feels in touch with a sacred dispensation. It is a blessing to hold it in one's hands. Doubly amazing, then, that it is so open-hearted, joyous, and humanly compassionate. This is religion freed from old forms of doctrinal rigidity and sectarian hate; it's religion that speaks to the individual seeker directly - thatt calls to the human heart to form a direct, personal relationship with God. Best of all, it reveals the practical steps to that inner communion. I say thank heaven for Kriyananda and his Guru, Paramhansa Yogananda. They have left us a gift of great value.

A New Scripture is Born!
This book is spiritually thrilling! It's the most inspiring book I've read since Autobiography of a Yogi. Where Autobiography fills you with inspiration, The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita shows you how to proceed. If you are a spiritual neophyte or if you have been practicing meditation and yoga for years, this book will overflow you with inspiration, clear practical guidance, and hope like never before. I read a little every night before retiring and smile in spirit as I drift into sleep. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

Possibly the best interpretation yet
I have spent almost 12 years of my life preoccupied with spirituality and religion. I have read many books on those subjects. I have also been meditating for a long while. But everytime I picked up a version of the Bhagavad Gita, somehow the explanation or interpretation seemed to be not quite right. It was just an intuitive feeling that the Bhagavad Gita must mean something more, or something else, than what I was reading. So I would just put the book back on the shelf and move on to another book. But I was always awaiting the moment when the Bhagavad Gita would jump out at me. It finally happened when I flipped through this book. It gave a perspective that was truly a revelation for me. I have been reading it everynight and I have been quoting passages from it over emails to many of my friends. This is truly a gem. I highly recommend that you get a copy of this book if you consider yourself to be even slightly spiritually inclined.