#56153 - 04/09/04 02:36 PM
Paramhansa Yogananda
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helper
Registered: 12/22/03
Posts: 627
Loc: USA
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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 "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."
_________________________
"Just because you can doesn’t mean you should"
Atmakryia
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#56154 - 10/03/04 05:33 PM
Re: Paramhansa Yogananda
[Re: Atmakryia]
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stranger
Registered: 02/07/04
Posts: 5
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I think you have something backwards here.
Spelling his name "Paramhansa" is the misspelled version.
The correct version being,"Paramahansa."
Without the silent a that was originally left off the word really means nothing of any significance. And is usuitable to define a yogi of Yoganandas stature.
This Change was a major correction to this problem.
The spelling with 4 A's is a Bengali, provincial variation,
Yogananda was anything but provincial....
with respect, namaste, Astral
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#56156 - 06/07/05 08:29 AM
Re: Paramhansa Yogananda
[Re: sarabhanga]
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stranger
Registered: 06/06/05
Posts: 10
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i love Sri Yoganandas "autobiography of a yogi", its a fantastic book.
you should also check out "babaji and the 18 siddha yoga tradition"
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#56158 - 10/26/05 01:41 PM
Re: Paramhansa Yogananda
[Re: Damodar]
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member
Registered: 09/02/05
Posts: 341
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Quote:
Quote:
i love Sri Yoganandas "autobiography of a yogi", its a fantastic book.
you should also check out "babaji and the 18 siddha yoga tradition"
These gurus (including this guy yogananda) had/have been practicing business under the guise of spirituality.
Don't get shocked and/or start admonishing me...please read my say before you make your stand.
It seems you didn't think for once even, "why your guru (in this case this guy yogananda) has put up a copyright notice in a business way in his book?"
I am not against spirituality BUT I am against making business of spirituality. And I see that many of the today's gurus are making business out of spirituality.
Please read the following thread for details of my view on this issue.
Stallman and Torvalds are more spiritual than 'such' Gurus
Regards,
-Damodar
The copyright has probably soemthing to do with the fact that he was in the US. In someways, it is good, you know in America, how things work without a copyright.
We cant strictly compare everything with olden times, but if such money from books and stuff really go in charity I dont have complaints. If a swamiji has a bank account, it does look very suspicious because it violates the very basic dharma of a sanyasin - non possession. In modern times, some liberty may be allowed given the conditions of life.
These swamijis can cheat men, but they have to answer God.. 
_________________________
SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |
vedAntAcArya-varyo me sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||
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#56159 - 10/27/05 09:09 AM
Re: Paramhansa Yogananda
[Re: Sudarshan Rangaswamy]
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initiate
Registered: 01/01/05
Posts: 169
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Quote:
The copyright has probably soemthing to do with the fact that he was in the US. In someways, it is good, you know in America, how things work without a copyright.
I think, there are two points in this regard: first - problem is not with copyrighting - problem is with the intent of money-making. Second, and most importantly a true guru must not be bothered about such 'material' things.
Quote:
We cant strictly compare everything with olden times, but if such money from books and stuff really go in charity I dont have complaints. If a swamiji has a bank account, it does look very suspicious because it violates the very basic dharma of a sanyasin - non possession. In modern times, some liberty may be allowed given the conditions of life.
I agree, some liberty may be allowed... but as you said... such liberty must not be used to operate bank accounts and that too at corporate levels.
Quote:
These swamijis can cheat men, but they have to answer God..
Correct BUT I think we must not leave everything to God. What I mean to say is we must try to expose this kind of filthy business under the guise of spiritualism...that spiritualism which, we say, can enlighten the whole world regarding the absurdism inherent in the material things... these smug gurus are hell-bent to destroy the very image of spiritualism...we must do our most to ensure that they cannot succeed...I am sure they won't get too far... as thier lust breaks them more than any other factor...but still I think we must not be escaping by giving such excuses... instead we must try and keep on trying to bust their masks off.
Regards,
-Damodar
Edited by Damodar (10/27/05 09:21 AM)
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If you want to survive, crush pacifism AND pseudo-spiritualism. Vegetarianism is but one face of these; hence Swami Vivekananda has opposed it. He has even said that non-veg diet is a must if the society wishes to retain its survival quotient.
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#56160 - 10/29/05 07:20 PM
Re: Paramhansa Yogananda
[Re: Damodar]
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stranger
Registered: 10/29/05
Posts: 2
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I am quite astonished at the degree of cynicism elucidated upon in this thread. I am not involved in the Yogananda-founded Self-Realisation Fellowship in any way, but I understand that they have done a lot of positive educational and community-based work over the many years. If God is omniscient and omnipresent surely God is part of every aspect of life, including business and commerce (whether profit or not-for-profit centred)? The Self-Realisation Fellowship, however, has charity status and is a not-for-profit organisation. Any money they make from the sale of their publications will be re-invested in sustaining their charitable work and ensuring the continued publication of Yogananda's teachings. How can that be a bad thing? His teachings have give solace and spiritual inspiration to millions of people over decades.
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