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bmcprior's review against another edition
3.0
This was a long and tiring read but it also challenged and changed my beliefs about mankind and our purpose in many ways. A must-read... but must be disciplined to finish.
pransu_123's review against another edition
5.0
This book had been in my collection for over 6 months now, and I had been looking for ways to delay reading it since the day I bought it. I remember trying to read the few pages of the book a number of times and then closing it immediately thinking I would never manage to understand the literal and the inner meanings of the words written here.
One month back, I ordered 3 books just to find another excuse to delay reading this one but maybe the book wanted to be read and came to my sight all of a sudden. Took a lot of patience and deep reading but I dont regret taking almost a month of constantly turning the pages in the book and realizing how amazing this masterpiece is. I personally loved it. The way Yogananda takes you from his childhood journeys to his unexpected university degree to his journey to US, meeting really amazing people (like JC Bose, Mahatma Gandhi) and operating their personalities to analogies of some great saints in India (from a yogi who could appear in two places to a yogi who never ate to a yogi who is deathless), it sometimes get too vague to understand given the miracles written but is incredibly a pleasant read.
Few questions that arose to my head before reading this:
1. Is it a difficult read? Yes
2. Is it boring? No
3. Do you read this book on your will? Maybe the book comes to you when it chooses to be read
4. Has it influenced my life? Yes made me a lot calmer and grateful
5. Does it require dictionary all the time? No
6. Recommended? Definitely give it a shot and read it in your own pace. Its indeed very heavy read :)
One month back, I ordered 3 books just to find another excuse to delay reading this one but maybe the book wanted to be read and came to my sight all of a sudden. Took a lot of patience and deep reading but I dont regret taking almost a month of constantly turning the pages in the book and realizing how amazing this masterpiece is. I personally loved it. The way Yogananda takes you from his childhood journeys to his unexpected university degree to his journey to US, meeting really amazing people (like JC Bose, Mahatma Gandhi) and operating their personalities to analogies of some great saints in India (from a yogi who could appear in two places to a yogi who never ate to a yogi who is deathless), it sometimes get too vague to understand given the miracles written but is incredibly a pleasant read.
Few questions that arose to my head before reading this:
1. Is it a difficult read? Yes
2. Is it boring? No
3. Do you read this book on your will? Maybe the book comes to you when it chooses to be read
4. Has it influenced my life? Yes made me a lot calmer and grateful
5. Does it require dictionary all the time? No
6. Recommended? Definitely give it a shot and read it in your own pace. Its indeed very heavy read :)
poojasinghco's review against another edition
2.0
"Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty before you.
The future will take care of itself."
With my recent attempt to venture out and read more of non-fiction this year, I picked this one hoping to gain some insight into the age-old Vedic practices of Yoga and meditation. And boy was I wrong!
What started off as a credulous account of Yogananda's miracles even as a child, only becomes incredulous with claims and anecdotes of miracles involving saints becoming invisible, flying from one place to another and surviving on little to no food, all in the name of spiritualism.
I am not the one to rule out the possibility of a world out of science or belittle spirituality in any way. My only problem with this book was that it talks less about the understanding of body's communion with the soul and just goes on to make exorbitant claims in the name of what one can achieve by the power of the mind.
The only good part of the book are the passages patronizing meditation and reaping benefits of yoga by being one with your mind, body, and soul.
If you really are interested in gaining knowledge about the world beyond reason and speculating reading this one, I would advise not to bother!
2/5
•
Really wanted to give this one a benefit of doubt and keep an open mind. But until I come up with a logical reasoning behind the miracles described and why so many people have come to love this book, I am going to stick to my original verdict.
The future will take care of itself."
With my recent attempt to venture out and read more of non-fiction this year, I picked this one hoping to gain some insight into the age-old Vedic practices of Yoga and meditation. And boy was I wrong!
What started off as a credulous account of Yogananda's miracles even as a child, only becomes incredulous with claims and anecdotes of miracles involving saints becoming invisible, flying from one place to another and surviving on little to no food, all in the name of spiritualism.
I am not the one to rule out the possibility of a world out of science or belittle spirituality in any way. My only problem with this book was that it talks less about the understanding of body's communion with the soul and just goes on to make exorbitant claims in the name of what one can achieve by the power of the mind.
The only good part of the book are the passages patronizing meditation and reaping benefits of yoga by being one with your mind, body, and soul.
If you really are interested in gaining knowledge about the world beyond reason and speculating reading this one, I would advise not to bother!
2/5
•
Really wanted to give this one a benefit of doubt and keep an open mind. But until I come up with a logical reasoning behind the miracles described and why so many people have come to love this book, I am going to stick to my original verdict.
allarminda's review against another edition
3.0
I was privileged to attend meditation at an ashram in New Delhi, where the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda are embraced and it was there I purchased my copy.
The record of his life is fascinating and I was very interested to follow along from his childhood.
But.
The book is too long. I listened to the audio version and I kept waiting to get to the "good parts," and while I thought it was educational to know about his childhood and teenage years and young adulthood, Paramahansa Yogananda took so long establishing himself as flawed and a learner and seeker of truth that by the time he's on his own building schools and traveling through America establishing self-realization societies I wasn't convinced of him as a teacher and leader.
I wanted more teachings and instruction and felt by the time we reached the death of his master everything was rushed to tie up the story and left me wanting more of what I only got small portions of in the final chapters. That's what I expected the book to contain more of: teachings.
I know storytelling is a very effective medium for delivering life lessons so I do not wish to undervalue their relevance in this account.
The book lacks cohesive structure and exhausted me trying to keep up with which yoga master was being discussed and in which point in Paramahansa Yogananda's life or not. He drifted between his own life story and that of his own master's master I got lost on multiple occasions.
I will likely refer back to my physical copy from time to time, but if I listen to anything from it in future it will just be the final ten chapters.
The record of his life is fascinating and I was very interested to follow along from his childhood.
But.
The book is too long. I listened to the audio version and I kept waiting to get to the "good parts," and while I thought it was educational to know about his childhood and teenage years and young adulthood, Paramahansa Yogananda took so long establishing himself as flawed and a learner and seeker of truth that by the time he's on his own building schools and traveling through America establishing self-realization societies I wasn't convinced of him as a teacher and leader.
I wanted more teachings and instruction and felt by the time we reached the death of his master everything was rushed to tie up the story and left me wanting more of what I only got small portions of in the final chapters. That's what I expected the book to contain more of: teachings.
I know storytelling is a very effective medium for delivering life lessons so I do not wish to undervalue their relevance in this account.
The book lacks cohesive structure and exhausted me trying to keep up with which yoga master was being discussed and in which point in Paramahansa Yogananda's life or not. He drifted between his own life story and that of his own master's master I got lost on multiple occasions.
I will likely refer back to my physical copy from time to time, but if I listen to anything from it in future it will just be the final ten chapters.
acrigger's review against another edition
I began this book with an open mind. After reading most of the book, I just couldn't finish. It felt unbelievable to me.
renegadepaladin's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
4.5