Journey to the West of Parahamhansa Yogananda

The life of Paramahansa Yogananda based on his book “Autobiography of a Yogi”. His life is filled with miraculous anecdotes to inspire the avid seeker on the yogic path. Part 2 covers his calling toward the West, where his legacy was established.

Paramahansa Yogananda at the age of 17. Source: Wikimedia Commons

His calling toward the Himalayas began when he was a child, he met Himalayan Yogis in his visions. His longing grew deeper, and deeper. Before he reached America, he had soul enriching experiences with friends he made along the way, like Jitendra with whom he visited a hermitage and was exposed to a life very different from the one he grew up in. Paramahansa met several teachers with insights from each, often not in physical form. His journey was filled with mystical experiences which show deeper his connection to the divine, and the miracles of such a union. Through the blessings and affection of several gurus, he met the divine mother and witnessed her beauty. In yoga, the feminine side of the creator of the universe, or the spiritual spark of all life is the Divine Mother.

In 1920, when Yogananda was in meditation at his Ranchi school, he saw a vision of a lot of Americans and knew right away that he was going to go to America. An order from his guru Sri Yukteswar told him to spread the knowledge of yoga techniques that help people get free from their bodies and minds to all people.This was also what Mahavatar Babaji said when he showed up in his room while Paramahansa was in deep meditation one time: "You're the one who will spread Kriya Yoga to the West.”

Soon after, he was asked by the American Unitarian Association to be India's representative at an International Congress of Religious Liberals that was taking place in Boston that year. When Yogananda heard about the trip, he agreed and in August set off for the United States on a two-month voyage.

He was told by a Baba before he left for America to bring the dignity of India with him, because the noble people in the other country will be enthusiastic to see him. Written on his forehead was victory. When he went to the west, he saw two worlds come together: the world of deep introspection and intuition, and the world of the logical, evidence-based search of western science.

The logical people use the illusions to find the truth through their experiments. They also know that the real lab is inside their own minds. Science and experimentation have helped people understand certain concepts and confirm new findings. The Indic ways are more focused on the intuitive side and believe that nature is made up of repeatable patterns. The western view, on the other hand, sees the world in a more objective and observable way.

“Thought is a force, whatever your powerful mind believes will exactly follow. The human mind is the spark of the consciousness of God.” This is another yogic tenet taught to Paramahansa Yogananda.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Paramahansa Yogananda was the "first super star guru of the twentieth century." Today, over a century after Yogananda's debut in the United States, he is still one of the most revered Indian spiritual teachers to have come to the West.

The contributions of Paramahansa Yogananda in America had a significant impact on the development of modern yoga as well as the perception of yoga in the western world. He delivered a number of speeches on worldwide stages, with people from all over the world listening intently to the wisdom of kriya yoga and yogic traditions. Part 3 will focus on his contributions in the United States.