Paramahansa Yogananda

"To me there is no difference between one person and another;
I behold all as soul-reflections of the one God. I can't think of anyone as a stranger,
for I know that we are all part of the One Spirit."—Paramahansa Yogananda

“The real celebration of Christmas is the realization within ourselves of Christ Consciousness.
It is of utmost importance to every man, whatever his religion, that he experience
within himself this ‘birth’ of the universal Christ.
" . . . In that land of everlasting Christmas you will find Jesus, Krishna,
the saints of all religions.”—Paramahansa Yogananda

"Very few of us know how much we can put into life if we use it properly, wisely,
and economically. Let us economize our time—lifetimes ebb away
before we wake up, and that is why we do not realize the value of the immortal time
God has given us."—Paramahansa Yogananda


" . . . How I love the dreams of Paramahansa Yogananda, my brother. And how I see them appearing in the faces of the Masters of the Himalayas who come to rejoice in the flowing stream, the mighty river of the Yellowstone."


Paramahansa Yogananda (b. Jan. 5, 1893, Gorakhpur, India; d. Mar. 7, 1952, Los Angeles, California): Founder of Yogoda Satsanga Society in India (1917) and the Self-Realization Fellowship in America (1920); author of Autobiography of a Yogi.

Lanello
December 31, 1984


" . . . the twentieth-century yogi Paramahansa Yogananda wrote:

"The cumulative actions of human beings within communities, nations, or the world as a whole constitute mass karma, which produces local or far-ranging effects according to the degree and preponderance of good or evil. The thoughts and actions of every man, therefore, contribute to the good or ill of this world and all peoples in it." *


* Paramahansa Yogananda, Man’s Eternal Quest (Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1975), p. 474


Elizabeth C. Prophet
October 11, 1991


" . . . Understand, where there is quickening there is fire. And where there is fire, some on the left will be burned, some on the right will enter into that fire and rejoice in the coming of the Saviour’s all-consuming love.

"Bear well your office, beloved hearts. Bear well all that comes to you as controversy or darkness. For we hasten your path of the bodhisattva and to our retreat. Let us test you. And expect the tests. Be unmoved. Greet the adversary with joy and the adder with the 'cluck, cluck' of the joyous yogi." *

 

* The joyous yogi:

In his autobiography, Paramahansa Yogananda tells the story of his guru Sri Yukteswar’s joyous confrontation with a deadly four-foot cobra. As it raced toward him, ready to strike, the master simply chuckled and rhythmically clapped his hands. A cobra will normally strike at any moving object within its range, yet this serpent became motionless before Sri Yukteswar, then slithered between his feet and disappeared into the bushes. See Paramahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi (Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1975), pp. 131-32.


El Morya
October 14, 1985


" . . . This is the Divine Science of which we speak, the Divine Science of God whereby you know God and you know God face to face; and every time you say the word 'I AM,' it is with profound love and reverence. And you may take now the lei of flowers and toss them about your neck, * knowing that the Inner Guru is able to raise you up, knowing that the Inner Christ is there, yet knowing that the little one of God, [the soul that is] the shorn lamb, yet needs the Shepherd, yet needs the Messenger and the Teacher in embodiment."

 

* See Paramahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi (1946; reprint, Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1988), p. 91, paperback, available through Summit University Press; and Christopher Isherwood, Ramakrishna and His Disciples, 2d ed. (Hollywood: Vedanta Press, 1980), pp. 69-70, 146-47, paperback, available through Summit University Press.

Goddess of Liberty
July 8, 1990


" . . . Jesus entered his final incarnation retaining just enough karma to keep him tethered to this world. (For those who are karma-free do not long remain.) So, he tells us: 'My yoke, i.e., the yoke of my karma, is easy; therefore I can help you carry your karmic yoke.'

"Jesus’ burden of Light is the 'burden of the LORD' spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah. This is the burden of the avatar, the God-man, or God-manifestation, that Jesus was. This burden was also borne in part by the patriarchs and prophets, the disciples and holy men and women of all ages. It is in fact the burden of the Light of God (depicted in the Chart of Your Divine Self as your Causal Body) and the burden of the calling of the LORD (the Mighty I AM Presence) in that Light. This calling is one’s dharma *, or one’s duty to fulfill one’s reason for being."

 

* dharma [Sanskrit, literally ‘carrying’, ‘holding’, ‘that which holds one’s true nature’, akin to Latin firmus ‘firm’]: In Hinduism, dharma is defined as that which determines our true essence; righteousness; morality; the religious and moral law governing individual conduct; that which holds the world together; the lawful order of the universe and the foundation of all religion; religious duty; the way of life to be followed according to one’s nature and station in life; conformity to one’s duty and nature; an individual’s duty fulfilled by observance of custom or law. As defined in Man’s Eternal Quest by Paramahansa Yogananda, dharma is the “eternal principles of righteousness that uphold all creation” and “man’s inherent duty to live in harmony with these principles.”

The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion says: “For the individual, dharma is inseparable from one’s karma, since dharma can be realized by the individual only to the extent permitted by one’s karmic situation.” In Buddhism, dharma has many of the same connotations as in Hinduism but also specifically refers to the universal doctrine, the teaching of the Buddha, and the way of life that is consistent with this teaching. The Messengers teach that one’s dharma is one’s duty to fulfill one’s reason for being. It is the divine plan, which runs as a thread through all lifetimes, culminating in the mission fulfilled and the soul’s liberation from the round of rebirth. This takes place only when one balances at least 51 percent of one’s karma and attains ultimate reunion with God because the dharma has been fully self-realized and fully accomplished.

Elizabeth C. Prophet
October 11, 1991


" . . . Blessed ones, they allow their fear to overtake them. And they are no longer willing to fight, as Arjuna was not willing to fight until the Lord Krishna gave to him the vision of the dharma, the duty to fulfill one’s reason for being.

"Will you allow it to be taken from you? Will you allow it to be snatched from you at the hour of victory after a million years of dealing with these conditions? I tell you, nay! You will not, not if I know you as the Lightbearers and Keepers of the Flame of Liberty upon earth! [18-second applause]

"You will not roll over and say die, convincing yourself that you will go on in another octave and it matters not whether you have a physical body or not. Blessed hearts, I say [as] with Babaji, if it does not matter, then keep that physical body * and use it that the earth might see a greater victory than has ever come about on this planet and many systems of worlds in the face of such odds!"

 

* Babaji on keeping the physical body. Paramahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi (Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1946), paperback ed., pp. 352-53.

Saint Germain
May 21, 1989


" . . . Everything you do is lawful when you do it to the glory of God, when you do it through sacrifice, surrender, selflessness and service. But there comes a time when if you do not have a teacher, if you cannot weigh the pros and cons of everyday matters and balance the issues of your life, you can, without even realizing it, stray from the central purpose of your life: why you are here, what is the flame of your calling and what you are trying to prove according to Maitreya’s formula.

"Maitreya desires to see a community of those who pursue the Path either as sannyasins on a celibate path of nonmarriage or as devotees who marry and have children. He desires to see balance in every walk of life and in each of the castes * that are set according to the Hindu tradition."

 

* The four major castes according to the Hindu tradition: (1) Brahmins: priests, religious leaders, philosophers and scholars, (2) Kshatriyas: warriors, generals and officers, politicians and civil authorities, (3) Vaisyas: farmers and merchants, (4) Sudras: servants and laborers. Paramahansa Yogananda points out in his book The Second Coming of Christ: “There is an esoteric significance about the four castes which consists in the four states of consciousness of a devotee who aspires to know God . . . Any individual who remains identified with the Supreme Spirit should be called Brahmin . . . The spiritual caste system does not prevent any low caste or any individual from being called a Brahmin if he qualitatively proves himself to be one.”

Lanello
March 6, 1994



“Even failures should act as stimulants to your will power and to your material and spiritual growth. When you have failed in any project, it is helpful to analyze every factor in the situation in order to eliminate all chances in the future that you might repeat the same errors.

"The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success. The bludgeon of circumstances may bruise you, but keep your head erect. Always try once more, no matter how many times you have failed. Fight when you think that you can fight no longer, or when you think that you have already done your best, or until your efforts are crowned with success.

"The successful person may have had more serious difficulties to contend with than one who has failed, but the former trains him/herself to reject the thought of failure at all times. You should transfer your attention from failure to success, from worry to calmness, from mental wanderings to concentration, from restlessness to peace, and from peace to the divine bliss within. When you attain this state of Self-realization the purpose of your life will have been gloriously fulfilled."

" . . . Consider whether fulfillment of the goal you have chosen will constitute success. What is success? If you possess health and wealth, but have trouble with everybody (including yourself), yours is not a successful life. Existence becomes futile if you cannot find happiness. When wealth is lost, you have lost a little; when health is lost, you have lost something of more consequence; but when peace of mind is lost, you have lost the highest treasure.”—Paramahansa Yogananda, in 'The Law of Success'

 

Babaji
Unascended Master of the Himalayas

Translation for 140 languages by ALS


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