Summary of Autobiography of a Yogi

India, an ancient civilization is well known to be the cradle of a rich and perpetual heritage. The pristine land has always throbbed with the vibrancy of the originality, creativity and self motivated activities of its illumined souls. Their deep, original and sublime thoughts have presented to the world, distinctive gifts of knowledge, be it be in language, values, religion, philosophy, art, business, mathematics, astrology, medicine, surgery much more and beyond; a unique universal heritage, and an eternal formulae to a calm way of life.The masters have successfully sought to give answers to all the queries that are bound to pop up in the mind of every human being at some point of time in their life on earth. They have unraveled the ultimate mysteries that surround life, death and afterlife. The peerless Vedas, the Vedanta i. e. the Upanishads and the Puranas are a treasure trove of great learning and unveiled deep secrets. They have provided Godly guidance to human life at every moment in time and space ever since they were first recorded, centuries ago.These texts contain the essential summaries that form the doctrinal basis of Hindu religion. In the league of such a legacy, modern India continues to produce spiritual masters as was done so in every era. Their role on earth is to guide the not so enlightened souls who often loose their way in the mayhems of the day to day worldly activities. The spiritual vitality offered by their worshipful presence and golden words; the ever true messages expounded by illumined ‘Bhaagwat Gita', has eternally held the power to rejuvenate India century after century.One such celebrated and illumined soul is Paramahansa Yoganandji. His life-story is referred to as a modern spiritual classic. It is an inspiring chronicle of the life of a true yogi, a glimpse into the training years in the hermitage of his God realized guru, and his startling description of ‘cosmic consciousness' reached on the upper levels of yog ic practice. His teachings are interpreted and are now creatively applied to endeavors such as education, psychology, management, and business. Our conscious and subconscious being is crowned by superconsciousness,† Rabbi Israel H. Lavinthal pointed out in a lecture in New York. â€Å"Many years ago the English psychologist F. W. H Myers, suggested that ‘hidden in the deep of our beings is a rubbish heap as well as the treasure house. ‘ In contrast to the psychology that centers all its researches on the subconscious in the man's nature, the new psychology of the superconscious focuses its attention upon the treasure house – the region that alone can explain the great, unselfish, heroic deeds of men. It has been experienced that knowledge, skill or even any relationship that is not supported by the undercurrents of spirituality has found to ultimately go defunct, obsolete and sometimes lost. The active expression of intelligence by great men finds its basis on the foundations of genuine virtues. Softskill training programs entrusted to maintain the morale and vigor of employees in the complexities of work environment find much success when they are enriched with sublime religious and philosophical concepts.One can not expect lasting transformation in a person until and unless the concept has touched the chord of his soul and awakened his spirit. Work and workplace become blissful, and interrelationships become softened with accommodative patience, forbearance and wisdom when people acknowledge their inherent animal instincts of vanity, greed and jealousy as the ‘suicide bombs' that are the mother of stress and an eventual self destruction. The life story is also exemplary because of the comparative notes it has drawn from the divine Hindu texts and the holy Bible.The master has expounded the deathless essence of Christian Bible with beautiful clarity and the truth in Christ's assertion â€Å"Heaven and Earth shall pass away, bu t my words shall not pass away†-Matthew 24:35 (Bible) His Pearls of Wisdom and its easy application in ordinary human life †¢ Impartiality: The execution of the trait of impartiality i. e. the ability to perceive all men in striking similarity is rooted into wisdom. A self realized person does not subject to the likes and dislikes that confuse the judgment of unenlightened men. â€Å"Conserve your powers. Be like the capacious ocean, absorbing quietly all the tributaries of the senses. Daily renewed sense yearning sap the inner peace; they are like openings in the reservoirs that permit vital waters to be wasted in the desert of materialism. The forceful and activating impulse of the wrong desire is the greatest enemy to the happiness of man. Roam in the world as the lion of self-control; don't let the frogs of weak senses kick around you! † †¢ Man has the natural privilege of roaming secretly in his thoughts.Manage your thoughts judiciously; destroy the wrong thoughts as soon as possible. A thought is a force, as electricity and gravitation. †¢ Thoughts should be weighed in a delicate balance of discrimination before permitting them outward garb of speech. †¢ Indulge in Auto-suggestion and self dialogue for self correction from time to time. Be your best friend. As Lord Buddha remarked ‘Atm deepam bhawam' i. e. be your own light. †¢ Believe that and tell yourself what you need to accomplish and it shall be done.Your accomplishments often follow your subconscious expectations. The human mind is capable of accomplishing what ever it feels intensely. †¢ The world does not change for anyone. Leverage your accommodative capacity in accordance with the requirements of the world. †¢ Our behaviors are our introduction to the society. Good manners without sincerity are like beautiful dead lady. Straightforwardness without civility is like a surgeon's knife, effective but unpleasant.Candor with courtesy is helpful a nd admirable. †¢ The lives of all men are dark with many shames. Human conduct is ever unreliable until man is anchored in the divine. The only sure shot to ‘rosy' future is when we make spiritual efforts now. †¢ Keen intelligence is two edged. It can be used constructively and destructively, like a knife, either to cut the boil of ignorance or to decapitate oneself. Intelligence is rightly guided only after mind has acknowledged the inescapably of spiritual laws.The works of the yogi has helped the world understand that distinctions by race or nations are meaningless in the realm of truth, where the only qualification is the fitness to receive. Every saint who has penetrated to the core of Reality has testified that a divine universal plan exists and that it is beautiful and full of joy. The human entity composed of the tangible physical body and the invisible spirit secretly desires not only the nourishment of the body with healthy food but it also seeks nourishmen t of the spirit with soulful meditations and cosmic encounters.The purpose of each life is to meet God in his lifetime. The latter requires conscious effort on the part of the individual. Each of us is sent to earth to undertake a separate journey which is unique, and not a copy of another, even if it is a prophet or a saint, though to seek motivation from their lives is a much welcome step in the journey of stretching over cosmogonic abysses even while the body performs its daily duties. Article Source: http://EzineArticles. com/4946654