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| Self-Realization Fellowship |
Self-Realization Fellowship: Paramahansa Yogananda’s Legacy
Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952) was one of the most famous yogis of the 20th century. In 1920, he was sent from India to the United States by his guru with the encouraging message: “You are the one I have chosen to spread the message of Kriya Yoga in the West.... The scientific technique of God-realization will ultimately spread in all lands, and aid in harmonizing the nations through man’s personal, transcendental perception of the Infinite Father.”
Yogananda initiated thousands of individuals into the practice of Kriya Yoga, a special technique for stilling the mind and withdrawing the energy from sensory perceptions in order to ultimately attain personal experience of God. His Autobiography of a Yogi has become a classic around the world. Yogananda’s teachings emphasized the spiritual role of yoga on the path to self-realization. His work is carried on today by Self-Realization Fellowship, the nonprofit organization that he founded in 1920 for that purpose. The Self- Realization Fellowship offers guided retreats, classes, and lectures on the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda; a series of home-study lessons; and it sponsors events at affiliated branches and centers around the world.
