The Incredible Story of A Yogi

One of the books I truly enjoyed reading years ago was "Autobiography Of A Yogi". This is the fascinating and incredible story of an Indian yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952), who went to America in 1920 at the time when Indian spiritual gurus were an exotic specimen, set up the Self-Realization Fellowship and became famous.

The Book:Autobiography Of A Yogi

But I was more interested in his youthful exploits meeting gurus of one kind and another.

However for one to really enjoy the book, one has to suspend one's natural sense of skepticism and to read the book with an open mind.

The tales of his meetings with various Indian saints make for compelling reading. Saints like the one with two bodies Swami Pranabananda,  the perfume saint Giri Bala, the levitating saint Nagendra Nath Bhaduri and the joy permeated mother Ananda Moyi Ma.

In his meeting with the tiger saint Swami Sohong who was reputed to be able to kill tigers as if the beasts were pussy cats, Paramahansa asked:

"Do you think revered Swami, that I could ever fight tigers?"

'Yes" the Swami replied "But there are many kinds of tigers; some roam in jungles of human desires. No spiritual benefit accrues by knocking beasts unconscious. Rather be victor over the inner prowlers."

Lesson taken.

The stories of his own master, from whom Paramahansa learned many things, the stern looking but handsome Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri also make compelling reading.
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But it was the tales he told of the deathless Babaji that truly fascinate. Paramahansa wrote of Babaji:

"The northern Himalayan crags near Badrinarayan are still blessed by the presence of Babaji...The secluded master has retained his physical form for centuries, perhaps for millenniums. The deathless Babaji is an avatara...."

Image Of Babaji From The Book

Is Babaji still alive?

Who knows?

But of course. according to our present knowledge of science it is not possible for Babaji to be still around.