The Teachings of Sri Yukteswar

from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda

The Resurrection of Sri Yukteswar and Sri Yukteswar Discusses the Nature of the Astral and Causal Worlds

Sitting on my (Paramhansa Yogananda's) bed in the Bombay hotel at three o’clock in the afternoon of June 19, 1936 I was roused from my meditation by a beatific light. Before my open and astonished eyes, the whole room was transformed into a strange world, the sunlight transmuted into supernal splendor.…

Should I Get an Astrological Bangle?

“It is only when a traveler has reached his goal that he is justified in discarding his maps. During the journey, he takes advantage of any convenient short cut. The ancient rishis discovered many ways to curtail the period of man’s exile in delusion. There are certain mechanical features in the law of karma which can be skillfully adjusted by the fingers of wisdom.…

The True Meaning of Genesis

Master (Sri Yukteswar) was more amused by my vehemence than my ignorance. “Genesis is deeply symbolic, and cannot be grasped by a literal interpretation,” he explained. “Its ‘tree of life’ is the human body. The spinal cord is like an upturned tree, with man’s hair as its roots, and afferent and efferent nerves as branches.…

Is Astrology a Real Science?

It is never a question of belief; the only scientific attitude one can take on any subject is whether it is true. The law of gravitation worked as efficiently before Newton as after him. The cosmos would be fairly chaotic if its laws could not operate without the sanction of human belief.…

Lessons from Sri Yukteswar’s Childood

My mother once tried to frighten me with an appalling story of a ghost in a dark chamber. I went there immediately, and expressed my disappointment at having missed the ghost. Mother never told me another horror-tale.…

How to Outwit a Mosquito

My early months with Sri Yukteswar culminated in a useful lesson — ”How to Outwit a Mosquito.” At home my family always used protective curtains at night. I was dismayed to discover that in the Serampore hermitage this prudent custom was honored in the breach. Yet the insects were in full residency; I was bitten from head to foot. My guru took pity on me. …