Paramahansa Yogananda stands as a pivotal figure in the introduction and popularization of yoga in the Western world. Born Mukunda Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur, India, in 1893, Yogananda's spiritual journey began early in life, marked by profound experiences and a quest for an illumined teacher. His eventual mission, as he believed, was to spread the ancient science of Kriya Yoga to the West. Yogananda spent the majority of his adult life in the United
States, where he established the Self-Realization Fellowship and authored influential works, leaving an indelible mark on the spiritual landscape of America and beyond. His teachings emphasized the unity of all religions and the scientific approach to God-realization.
Early Life and Spiritual Calling
Yogananda's childhood was characterized by a deep spiritual awareness. He was the fourth of eight children in a Hindu Bengali Kayastha family. Even from his earliest years, his spiritual experiences were noted as extraordinary. His father's job required the family to move frequently, exposing young Mukunda to various cities and pilgrimage sites, which he often explored. After his mother's death when he was eleven, he continued his spiritual quest, seeking out many of India's Hindu sages and saints. His search largely concluded in 1910, at the age of 17, when he met his guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri. Yogananda described this first meeting as a rekindling of a relationship spanning many lifetimes, sensing that his guru knew God and would lead him to Him.
In 1917, Yogananda began his life's work in India by founding a "how-to-live" school for boys, which combined modern educational methods with yoga training and spiritual ideals. However, his destiny lay across the oceans. In 1920, while meditating at his Ranchi school, he received a vision of American faces, indicating his imminent journey to the West. Soon after, he received an invitation to serve as India's delegate to an International Congress of Religious Liberals in Boston. With his guru's blessing and a profound spiritual reassurance from Mahavatar Babaji, the foremost guru of his lineage, Yogananda accepted the call to spread Kriya Yoga to the West.
Establishing a Spiritual Movement in America
Yogananda arrived in the United States in late September 1920. His address at the International Congress in Boston, titled
