Product Description

A collection of previously unreleased writings by the famed 20th century spiritual master. This collection gives the reader everything they need to know to lead a happier more fulfilling life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24481 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 154 pages

From the Publisher
This book offers you simple yet profound secrets for bringing happiness into your life in all circumstances. The thoughts are engaging, practical, and deeply inspiring. The author, Paramhansa Yogananda, came to the United States from India in 1920, bringing Americans the teachings and techniques of yoga, the ancient science of soul-awakening. He was the first master of yoga to make his home in the West, and his Autobiography of a Yogi quickly became a worldwide bestseller, fueling the awakening fascination with Eastern teachings in the West. Yoga is the ancient science of redirecting one's energies toward spiritual awakening. In addition to bringing Americans the most practical and effective techniques for meditation, Yogananda applied these principles to all areas of life. He showed people how to approach life from a center of inner peace and happiness. He was a prolific writer, lecturer, and composer during the 32 years he lived in America. The quotations included in this book are taken from many of the lessons he wrote in the 1930s, from Inner Culture and East West magazines published before 1943, as well as from his original interpretation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, edited by Swami Kriyananda, and from notes taken by Swami Kriyananda during his years living with Yogananda as a close disciple. Publisher's Note 9 Our goal in this book is to let the Master's spirit come clearly through, with minimal editing. Sometimes sentences have been deleted because of redundancy, sometimes words or punctuation have been changed to clarify the meaning. Most of what is included here is not available elsewhere. We sincerely hope that Yogananda's words will fill your life with greater peace, fulfillment, and true happiness.

From the Inside Flap
True happiness is not an "impossible dream." You can begin today to experience happiness flowing in all aspects of your life. Yogananda shares the truths that make this possible.

Paramhansa Yogananda (1893-1952), one of the most renowned and beloved yoga masters of the 20th centruy, is the author of the spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. One of the first teachers to bring yoga to the West, Yogananda emphasized direct inner experience of the Divine, which he called "Self-realization." His teachings are universal and offer a practical approach to inner awakening.

In his early years in America, Yogananda wrote several sets of lessons and many articles that are no longer widely in print. The writings in the Wisdom of Yogananda series are drawn from these sources.

About the Author
Paramhansa Yogananda (often misspelled '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

Customer Reviews

Divine Joy Comes Through
GREAT words of the Master, Yogananda, pour through this book. Very well organized. It generates a feeling of love for God in the heart.

From an avid Paramahansa reader, this book is just okay
I've read I believe all of Paramahansa's books. Of all of them, this one feels, in a word, "edited". It feels to me like a lot of the passages come more from the mind rather than from the heart. I think a lot of the words came from people other than Paramahansa. There is still a lot of wisdom in the book and a lot of words that touch the heart that seem to come directly from Paramahansa. But of all the Paramahansa books out there I would recommned this one the least.

They even use less preferred spelling of his name Paramhansa rather than Paramahansa.

If you really want to get fired up for God read Paramahansa's "Man's Eternal Quest"..especially the second half of book.

Finding Happiness in all the Right Places
How often have we heard that the quest for happiness is somehow selfish, hedonistic and unworthy? It seems bizarre that most therapists have seen countless people who have felt guilt because they wanted to be happy.

Yet the human drive to be happy is a fundamental need that was recognized by the Ancient Greeks, Taoists in China and Hindus in India, as well as contemporary "Positive" psychologists. It is sad to learn that according to a recent Gallup poll, only a minority of Americans describe themselves as "very happy." It's easy to say, "Well what should we expect? Just watch the news." But that misses the point: most of us have never been taught how to unlock the secrets of happiness, joy and inner peace. Secrets that can help sustain us in the face of adversity.

Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi has remained a firm favorite since my teens, and many of his other books and lectures have been inspirational. What is always so different about his work is that he clearly writes and speaks from personal experience, unlike so many who only recite what they have heard or read. I did not know just how much material remained unpublished.

This short but meaty book consists of material that has apparently never been released before. As with his other books, his approach is powerful, but his style could best be described as rather playful. In just 143 pages, excluding the index and other resources, Yogananda explains virtually everything that you need to know to lead a happier and more fulfilling life.

He covers a number of important topics including:
1. Looking for happiness in the wrong place
2. Happiness is a choice
3. Avoiding the happiness
4. Learn to behave
5. Simplicity is the key
6. Sharing your happiness with others
7. True success and prosperity
8. Inner freedom and joy
9. Finding God is the greatest happiness

This is one of those books that you could read in a couple of hours. But its fruits could stay with you for a lifetime. It gives you not just ideas, but practical skills, and there will likely be single passages on which you will want to meditate before moving on to anything else. It is a book that for many people can be life-changing.

Highly recommended.


Richard G. Petty, MD, author of Healing, Meaning and Purpose: The Magical Power of the Emerging Laws of Life