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Home > Free Online Inspiration > Books Online > Autobiography of a Yogi > Notes from the Publisher |
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Books Online
by Paramhansa Yogananda Notes from the Publisher, Crystal Clarity Publishers |
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Introduction Introduction
Autobiography of a Yogi is not an ordinary book. It is a spiritual
treasure. To read its message of hope to all truthseekers is to begin
a great adventure.
Paramhansa Yogananda was the first yoga master of India whose mission
it was to permanently live and teach in the West. In the 1920's, as he
criss-crossed the United States on what he called his "spiritual campaigns,"
his enthusiastic audiences filled the largest halls in America.
His initial impact was truly impressive. But his lasting influence is
greater still. This single volume, Autobiography of a Yogi, first
published in 1946, helped launch, and continues to inspire, a spiritual
revolution in the West.
Only rarely does a sage of Paramhansa Yogananda's stature write a firsthand
account of his life experiences. Childhood revelations, his visits to
saints and masters of India, the years of training he received in the
ashram of his guru, and long-secret teachings of Self-Realization are
all made available to the Western reader. Followers of many religious
traditions have come to recognize Autobiography of a Yogi as a
masterpiece of spiritual literature. Yet for all its depth, it is
full of gentle humor, lively stories, and practical common sense.
Notes on the Original First Edition
This online edition is identical to the text of the first edition, published
in 1946, by Philosophical Library in New York City. This volume also contains
reproductions of the photographs from the original edition.
Although Yogananda himself participated in preparing both the second
and third editions of the Autobiography of a Yogi, correcting spelling
and grammatical errors and addressing questions raised by his readers,
there is a unique power to the original that we feel is particularly worth
preserving. In order to be faithful to the original edition, we have not
corrected errors of spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
Editions past the third have been prepared since the author's passing
in 1952. In 1953, Self-Realization Fellowship, the organization founded
by Paramhansa Yogananda in Los Angeles, California, acquired the rights
to Autobiography of a Yogi from Philosophical Library; it has been
the publisher of all subsequent editions, until the reprint of the first
edition by Crystal Clarity Publishers in 1993.
Crystal Clarity, Publishers, is the publishing house of Ananda Church
of Self-Realization.
Ananda, dedicated to the dissemination of the teachings of Paramhansa
Yogananda, was founded in 1968 by one of Yogananda's direct disciples,
J. Donald Walters (Kriyananda).
If you find this book inspiring and would like to learn more of the life
and teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, Crystal Clarity has many resources
to share with you. For more information, visit the Crystal
Clarity
website, or write
Crystal Clarity, Publishers, 14618 Tyler Foote Rd., Nevada City, California,
95959, 1-800-424-1055.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns the copyright on the Autobiography of a Yogi?
The first edition is in the public domain.
Why do you spell Paramhansa Yogananda's name differently than most
people?
We've chosen to honor the way Yogananda himself wrote his name. Some
years after his passing, editors decided to change the spelling of his
name by adding an extra 'a', turning it into 'Paramahansa'. According
to some pundits in India, the extra 'a' makes the spelling a proper translation
from the original Sanskrit. Other noted Sanskrit scholars say the way
Yogananda wrote his name is the correct way.
Ananda chooses to respect the way that Sri Yukteswar (who gave Yogananda the title 'Paramhansa') and Yogananda spelled it. You can see Yogananda's original signature in the first edition, reproduced on the title page, just as he wrote it. How much has been
changed in later editions?
Yogananda made a few changes leading up to the third edition. Later editors
made changes numbering in the hundreds after Yogananda's passing.
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Autobiography
of a Yogi
