17 h 34 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 431 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 431 pagesAbout this book
What happens when a boy’s longing for God becomes a lifelong search for a teacher?
In Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda tells his story from a devout Bengali home to his work teaching in America. His search leads him to Sri Yukteswar, whose discipline and care shape his training. Family hopes, college life and the pull of spiritual practice all press upon his choices.
Along the way, Yogananda introduces saints, scientists and leaders, including Jagadish Chandra Bose, Luther Burbank and Mahatma Gandhi. He describes Kriya Yoga as a path of breath and meditation, and recounts events he understands as miracles. These accounts express his faith, inviting readers into his view of spiritual life rather than a detached history.
What you’ll discover
- A restless spiritual search Follow a young seeker whose longing draws him toward saints and dreams of the Himalayas.
- The teacher and student Enter the conversations and daily training that define Yogananda’s bond with Sri Yukteswar.
- The practice of Kriya Yoga Explore the breathing and meditation method at the heart of Yogananda’s teaching.
- Extraordinary encounters and claims Read his accounts of saints, visions and seemingly impossible events through the eyes of a believer.
- A journey between cultures Trace his move from India to America as he brings his teachings to Western readers.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers curious about yoga, meditation and Indian spiritual life, and those who enjoy a personal story with a strong teacher at its centre. If you want a cool, sceptical history of yoga, its claims of miracles may sit uneasily with you.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A childhood in a devout Bengali home
- A restless boy goes looking for saints
- Meeting the teacher who knows you
- Training at the hermitage in Serampore
- Kriya Yoga and the line of masters
- Becoming a monk and founding a school
- Sailing west to teach America
- A return to India and the saints met there
- How to read the book and how it has lasted
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 17 h 34 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 15 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in, 431 pages: USD 14.95 when you start free, USD 20.95 on its own.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in, 431 pages: USD 21.95 when you start free, USD 27.95 on its own.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works · 60-day guarantee
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, for the whole household.
- We remind you first. We email you 7 days before your first payment. Then your first year is 50% off: USD 0.14 a day, then USD 0.27 a day, never raised. Or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
60-day money-back guarantee. If the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Autobiography of a Yogi in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Read it side by side
Autobiography of a Yogi
by Paramahansa Yogananda· 1946
An Indian monk recounts his life and training in yoga.
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- The whole household
Starts right away, on any device
Read free60-day money-back guaranteeRenews every yearCancel anytimeHow it works
Language: English
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 9
A childhood in a devout Bengali home
Yogananda was born on 5 January 1893 in Gorakhpur, in northern India, and was named Mukunda Lal Ghosh. His father, Bhagabati Charan Ghosh, held a senior post with a railway company. His mother, Gyana Prabha, was a gentle, deeply religious woman. The family belonged to Bengal, and its life was shaped by prayer, stories from the old scriptures, and respect for holy men.
The household had a special tie to a teacher named Lahiri Mahasaya, a married clerk who had taught yoga to ordinary people in Varanasi. Yogananda's parents were his disciples. The author tells us that a photograph of this teacher hung in the home, and that it stood at the heart of the family's spiritual life. He also says that the boy was born into the lineage of Kriya Yoga, a method that Lahiri Mahasaya had received from an immortal master known as Babaji.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
The author
Paramahansa Yogananda
1893–1952 · Indian spiritual teacher and author
Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952) was an Indian yoga teacher and writer. He was born in Gorakhpur, India, and moved to the United States in 1920. He founded the Self-Realization Fellowship that year. His Autobiography of a Yogi appeared in 1946. He lived in Los Angeles, where he died in 1952.
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, for the whole household. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - The whole householdUp to 5 readers
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
More like this
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Questions about Autobiography of a Yogi
Can I read it free?
Yes. The beginning, from the first page to the end of chapter 1, and the first 5 minutes of the audiobook are free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 90 days, with the eBook to keep. After that, your first year is 50% off. You also get 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy just the printed book?
Yes. The paperback costs USD 20.95 on its own. Start free and you pay the cost of printing: USD 14.95 for this paperback, and any other book at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print.
Can my family read too?
Yes. The whole household reads and listens: up to 5 readers, each with their own shelf and their own place in every book.
What if it is not for me?
Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. If you have paid and the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
What is Autobiography of a Yogi about?
It is the life story of Paramahansa Yogananda, from his childhood in Bengal to his years of training under Sri Yukteswar and his move to America. It also describes the saints he met and explains Kriya Yoga.
Who is Sri Yukteswar in Autobiography of a Yogi?
Sri Yukteswar Giri is Yogananda's guru, a monk and scholar who ran a hermitage at Serampore. He trained the author in meditation and discipline and wrote a book called The Holy Science.
What is Kriya Yoga?
Kriya Yoga is a method of breath control and meditation that the book says was revived by Babaji and passed to Lahiri Mahasaya. It is meant to calm the mind and bring spiritual awareness.
Popular in biography & letters
See all
Free
Free
Free
Free
