Some Sayings of Yogananda

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1) "Don't Concern Yourself with the faults of others," the Master said. "Use the scouring power of wisdom to keep the rooms of your own mind bright and spotless. By your example, other persons will be inspired to do their own housecleaning."2) "Charity enslaves people. To share your wisdom with others, so they are enabled to help themselves, is greater than any material gift."3) "When you have learned to be happy in the PRESENT, you have found the right path to God," the Master said to a group of disciples."Very few persons, then, are living in the present," a devotee observed."True," Paramahansaji replied." "Most are living in thoughts of the past or the future."4) "A bad habit can be quickly changed," the Master said to a disciple seeking his help."A habit is

the result of concentration of the mind. You have been thinking in a certain way. To form a new and good habit, just concentrate in the opposite direction."The passages above are taken from the book called, "Sayings of Paramahansa Yogandanda" by Paramahansa Yogandanda, published by the Self-Realization Fellowship. "Paramahansa Yogandanda was born in Northern India on January 5, 1893. Yogandanda devoted his life to helping people of all races and creeds to realize and express more fully in their lives the true beauty, nobility, and divinity of the human spirit. After graduating from Calcutta University in 1915, Sri Yogananda took formal vows as a monk of India's venerable monastic Swami Order. In 1920, he was invited to serve as India's delegate to an International Congress of Religious Liberals in Boston. He remained in the United States for the better part of the next thirty-two years, where

he introduced hundreds of thousands of truth seekers to the ancient science and philosophy of Yoga and its universally applicable methods of meditation. In 1925, he established an international headquarters in Los Angeles for Self-Realization Fellowship -- the nonsectarian religious society he founded. Through his life and teachings, Paramahansa Yogananda contributed in far-reaching ways to a greater awareness and appreciation in the West of the spiritual wisdom of the East."** I first discovered and heard about Yogananda when I took some yoga lessons in Houston, TX. The yoga studio also had a bookstore with many marvelous books - all topics and all religions and all philosophies available (located on Kirby Dr. or near there). I came across the book called "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda, and was at first fascinated with the kind face of this long-haired Indian gentleman on the cover of the

book. To me, I felt like Yogananda had Christ-like loving, eyes full of unconditional love. I became intrigued and purchased this paperback book to read. "Autobiography of a Yogi" is highly recommended for many reasons -- if one, just to expand your mind and your thinking and open up new possibilities to you. I read this book over several times and was fascinated with it, then read many other books by Yogananda as well. I won't spoil this book for you, but trust me, check it out of the library, or at a used bookstore, and read it. You will not be able to put it down as there are stories in there, almost too hard to believe, ...but I did believe them. Also recorded in the book are meetings with Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Luther Burbank, and Therese Neumann. Not only does the book tell of the "Master's" life, but it also explores meditation. Some of his other books he wrote are chapters of different talks

he gave to his disciples. There is so much wisdom from the East that he brought to the West, and such simplicity. Give them a try! http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AffirmationstoDe-Stress A positive thinking, positive affirmations support group, that empowers us with ways to sail through daily life stress. Come aboard! PJ and Gang