Autobiography of a Yogi
The life, teachers and spiritual quest of the yogi who brought Kriya Yoga to the West.
Read or download free
The 1946 first edition is in the public domain. Download the PDF, or read it online at the source library.
About the book
First published in 1946, Autobiography of a Yogi tells the story of Paramahansa Yogananda's life, from his childhood in Bengal and his long search for an enlightened teacher to his mission establishing yoga in the United States. Along the way he recounts meetings with saints, scientists and miracle-workers, and explains the practice of Kriya Yoga, a meditation technique he presents as a direct path to God-realization. The book blends memoir, travelogue and spiritual teaching, told with warmth, humour and a striking openness about the extraordinary.
Few religious books have reached so many readers so directly. It has stayed continuously in print for more than seventy years and been translated into dozens of languages, introducing an entire generation of Western readers to the ideas of Indian spirituality.
About the author
Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952) was an Indian monk and teacher who moved to the United States in 1920 and spent the rest of his life lecturing and teaching there. In 1920 he founded the Self-Realization Fellowship to preserve and share his teachings. He is often called the "father of yoga in the West," and his emphasis on direct personal experience of the divine shaped how millions came to understand meditation.
Why it still matters
Named one of the "100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century," Autobiography of a Yogi remains a gateway text for anyone curious about yoga, meditation and the mystical traditions of India. Because its 1946 first edition was allowed to enter the public domain, that original version can be read and shared freely — exactly as Yogananda hoped his message would be.