Book SummaryAutobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Autobiography of a Yogi

Autobiography of a Yogi is the memoir of Paramahansa Yogananda, one of the world’s most famous yoga practitioners and teachers. It provides practical lessons about yoga, spirituality, and how to live a good life, interspersed with highlights and anecdotes from the author’s life. It was reportedly Steve Jobs’s favorite book: He found such great value in Autobiography of a Yogi that he read it once a year and had 500 copies distributed at his funeral.

Yogananda (1893-1952) is best known for bringing kriya yoga to the US—he taught thousands of American students and thereby...

Autobiography of a Yogi Summary What Is Yoga?

To better understand Yogananda’s life and his accomplishments, we’ll start by exploring some of yoga’s key beliefs and practices. Then, we’ll explain what distinguishes kriya from other forms of yoga.

Yogananda explains that yoga is a religious practice that originated in Hinduism. It’s linked to Hindu teachings surrounding illusion and reality. The Vedas (the oldest Hindu scriptures) describe God as the only reality in the universe—thus, Hinduism teaches that all physical things, including you as an individual being, are illusions. These illusions are collectively called maya.

What’s Real and What’s an Illusion?

The nature of reality is a frequently discussed topic in Hinduism. For instance, in the Bhagavad Gita (one of Hinduism’s holy scriptures), the god Vishnu takes a human form named Krishna and discusses various religious and spiritual topics with the warrior prince Arjuna. One of Krishna’s key lessons for Arjuna is: Only things that are eternal and unchangeable are real. Therefore, the only things...

Autobiography of a Yogi Summary Yogananda’s Birth and Early Childhood

Now that we’ve explored the basics of Hinduism and yoga, let’s discuss Yogananda’s life story.

Yogananda notes that his birth was prophesied by a Bengali guru named Lahiri Mahasaya. The prophecy said that Yogananda would become a great yogi and undertake an important spiritual mission, though it didn’t specify what that mission would be.

(Shortform note: Much of what we know about Mahasaya today comes directly from Autobiography of a Yogi. However, some quotes attributed to the guru provide some more insight into his personality and beliefs. Mahasaya said that seeking God is the only worthwhile pursuit in life—but that the trappings and ceremonies of organized religion are unnecessary. He believed that meditation is all you need to worship God and that meditating on any problem will reveal the solution to it through that connection with God.)

The man who would become Paramahansa Yogananda was originally named Mukunda Lal Ghosh. He was born on January 5, 1893, in the city of Gorakhpur, India. (Shortform note: Although the author was known as...

Autobiography of a Yogi Summary Yogananda’s Education

To fulfill his destiny, Yogananda needed to learn a great deal about both the spiritual and the physical world. In this section, we’ll discuss his studies of kriya yoga with Sri Yukteswar, as well as the education he received at Calcutta University.

Sri Yukteswar: The Prophesied Teacher

Yogananda—still called Mukunda at the time—says that he and Yukteswar felt a spiritual connection before they even spoke to each other. Both of them knew immediately that they were destined to become student and teacher.

Yogananda says he lived and studied at Yukteswar’s ashram (religious community) from 1910 to 1920. Despite being his teacher, Yukteswar rarely told Yogananda what to do or directly answered his questions—instead, he offered gentle guidance and helped Yogananda find the answers himself.

(Shortform note: By guiding his pupils rather than simply telling them the answers, Sri Yukteswar was engaging them in active learning. As the name suggests, active learning involves students taking active roles in their education—for example, by practicing skills, discussing...

Autobiography of a Yogi Summary Yogananda Passes On His Knowledge

Yogananda had become an accomplished yogi, but his mission in life was far from over—he’s remembered as a great teacher, not just a great practitioner of yoga. In this section, we’ll discuss the schools Yogananda founded and his legacy.

Yogananda says that, throughout his life, he’d received visions of three different buildings. While studying with Yukteswar, he came to understand that these were three schools he would found.

The first third of his vision came true when he founded the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India in 1917, near the city of Ranchi. However, it would be many years before the other two schools from his visions became reality.

Yogananda says that his schools combined spiritual and practical education, much like his own training with Yukteswar did. The school in Ranchi, for example, taught students academic subjects like math and literature, along with offering classes in agriculture, industrial job training, and business.

(Shortform note: The Yogoda Satsanga Society (YSS) still exists today, and it teaches kriya yoga to people of all backgrounds and religions. The YSS now has four separate ashrams and hundreds of smaller...

Shortform Exercise: Apply Yogananda’s Insights to Your Life

Yogananda’s mission was to bring people of all heritages and faiths together through kriya yoga. Now that you’ve read about his life and some of his most important teachings, reflect on how you might apply those lessons to your life.

What similarities do you see between your beliefs (religious or otherwise) and what Yogananda taught? (Remember: Alongside his beliefs about God and spirituality, Yogananda had great respect for worldly pursuits like art and industry, and he placed great value on community.)