Paramhansa Yogananda (1893 – 1952) was an Indian yogi and guru who introduced millions of Indians and westerners to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga. He was born in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, but moved to America in 1920. In 1946, he published his autobiography, titled Autobiography of a Yogi which is on the list of the “100 best spiritual books of the 20th Century” and is known as “the book that changed the lives of millions.”
Quotes by Paramhansa Yogananda…
So do Thou my Lord,
Thou and I never apart,
Wave of the sea dissolve in the sea,
I am the bubble, make me the sea,
Oh I am the bubble, make me the sea.
Smoldering joy, oft-puffed by meditation,
Blinding my tearful eyes,
Burst into immortal flames of bliss,
Consumed my tears, my frame, my all.
Thou art I, I am Thou,
Knowing, Knower, Known, as One!
Tranquilled, unbroken thrill, eternally living, ever new peace!
Enjoyable beyond imagination of expectancy, samadhi bliss!
Not a mental chloroform
Or unconscious state without wilful return,
Samadhi but extends my conscious realm
Beyond limits of the mortal frame
To the farthest boundary of eternity
Where I, the Cosmic Sea,
Watch the little ego floating in me.
Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts.
God will not tell you that you should desire Him above all else, because He wants your love to be freely given, without “prompting.” That is the whole secret in the game of this universe. He who created us yearns for our love. He wants us to give it spontaneously, without His asking. Our love is the one thing God does not possess, unless we choose to bestow it. So, you see, even the Lord has something to attain: our love. And we shall never be happy until we give it.