Autobiography of a Yogi
by Paramahansa Yogananda
Spiritual memoir · Reading guide
The short answer
Yogananda’s account of his life, teachers, and spiritual search connects personal narrative with his presentation of yoga to a wider readership.
Yoga; Self-Realization Fellowship · Spiritual memoir
The reading guide
First published in 1946, the book includes miraculous events as religious testimony. Those narratives do not independently establish scientific claims.
Reading lens: experiential teaching and interpretation; personal testimony is attributed to its author.
What this book is doing
Paramahansa Yogananda tells a life through encounters with teachers, devotion, unusual experiences, and the work of bringing his presentation of yoga to a Western readership. The memoir is a major historical voice in that transmission. His extraordinary experiences are first-person testimony; their historical verification would require separate evidence.
The search
Early encounters show how Yogananda frames longing for a teacher and a form of life. The sequence of meetings gives the striking episodes their narrative setting.
Teacher and lineage
The relationship with Sri Yukteswar gives structure to the narrative and to its presentation of discipline and authority.
A public mission
Later chapters locate his teaching in institutions and travel. Ask how a memoir’s audience shapes which parts of a tradition are explained.
Keep in mind: Is this passage memoir, teaching, or a claim requiring separate historical evidence?
Choose an edition
The Self-Realization Fellowship edition represents its maintained publishing tradition. Earlier editions differ, so identify the edition when citing.
A path through the book
Childhood and search
Follow the narrative before extracting teachings.
Teachers and lineage
Notice how relationships shape the account of practice.
Reflect on the genre
Separate the author’s testimony, teachings, and your interpretation.
Sources & editions
- Self-Realization Fellowship: Autobiography of a Yogi ↗
Edition and reading reference.
An editorial reading guide with original summaries and source links. Modern translations remain the work of their named translators.
Read alongside
Key Insights
- Spiritual autobiography joins remembered life with religious meaning.
- Teacher-student relationships organize much of the narrative.
- Personal testimony should remain visibly attributed.
Best For
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does a first reading of Autobiography of a Yogi start?
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1. Childhood and search. Follow the narrative before extracting teachings. 2. Teachers and lineage. Notice how relationships shape the account of practice. 3. Reflect on the genre. Separate the author’s testimony, teachings, and your interpretation.
How should a reader choose an edition of Autobiography of a Yogi?
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The Self-Realization Fellowship edition represents its maintained publishing tradition. Earlier editions differ, so identify the edition when citing.
What should stay in view while reading Autobiography of a Yogi?
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First published in 1946, the book includes miraculous events as religious testimony. Those narratives do not independently establish scientific claims.
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