Paramhansa YoganandaAs a bright light shining in the midst of darkness, so was Yogananda's presence in this world. Such a great soul comes on earth only rarely, when there is a real need among men."-His Holiness the Shankaracharya of KanchipuramBorn in 1893, Yogananda was the first yoga master of India to take up permanent residence in the West. Yogananda arrived in America in 1920, and proceeded to travel throughout the country on what he called his "spiritual campaigns." Hundreds of thousands filled the largest halls in major cities to see the yoga master from India. Yogananda continued to lecture and write up to his passing in 1952.Yogananda's initial impact on Western culture was truly impressive. But his lasting spiritual legacy has been even greater. His Autobiography of a Yogi, first published in 1946, helped launch a spiritual revolution in the West. Translated into more than a dozen languages, it remains a best-selling spiritual classic to this day.Before embarking on his mission, Yogananda received this admonition from his teacher, Swami Sri Yukteswar: 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 ma-terial with an inner, spiritual life.In addition to Autobiography of a Yogi, his spiri-tual legacy includes music, poetry, and extensive commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita, the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, and the Christian Bible, showing the principles of Self-realization as the unifying truth underlying all true religions.Widely considered one of the 20th century's most influential spiritual teachers, his life and work helped launch and inspire a spiritual revolution. By the turn of the century, thousands of seekers around the world con-sidered themselves his disciples.
