Conversations with Yogananda: Stories, Sayings, and Wisdom of Paramhansa Yogananda

I had a great time reading this book. I had read a few of the stories elasewhere, but it's nice to hear them from a different perspective. Most of the material in the book was new to me. I didn't mind when Walters added his own reflections on some of the stories. I actually thought it added to them. The only mild complaint is that Walters seemed to paint himself in a better light than his fellow devotees. I suppose I would do the same thing if it was my book. That aside, I liked it a lot and would recommend it to anyone who likes Yogananda.

This is not a starter book for those interested in either Yogananda or his disciple Kriyananda, but it's a book that shows some of the spirit of Yogananda's person and mission. One should read Autobiography of a Yogi before reading this book. There's a running thread of balancing the devotional and intellectual aspects of yoga, balancing the work of seeking personal realization and uplifting society. Kriyananda paints a picture of his guru as someone who could read a person's thoughts and karma like an open book. He was a mirror in which people could see themselves clearly. He had a playful side with people, but it was always about searching for God. There are numerous mentions of some of the people mentioned in Autobiography of a Yogi, but not in a gossipy way. There are a lot of tasty, titilating tidbits about who was who in what life when, but that's not the main theme. The main theme is "Press on to apprehend, to realize, to avoid the standard-issue delusions. Don't just talk about realization, press on toward realization with every fiber of your existence." Yogananda gives great comfort and strong consolations to those who are seeking God, or even just thinking about seeking God. The quote "Every sincere effort is registered in the divine consciousness" is a great blessing to me. After reading this book, your mind and heart will taste some of the joy that Kriyananda feels when he recalls his beloved guru.

Yogananda makes spiritual truth alive and fresh. These conversations, lovingly recorded by his disciple so many years ago, are full of stories recollections, ideas, and truths that I've never heard before - and I've been reading Yogananda's writings for over thirty years. In 'casual' conversation, Yogananda shared ideas in a way that he naturally wouldn't in a public lecture or in his highly edited writing. The power and insight of the great Yoga Master from India clearly come through in this priceless addition to Yogananda's teachings. His words in this book have the ring of truth, the power of spiritual authority, and the divine joy that is distinctly Yogananda's.

Conversations with Yogananda picks up where The Essence of Self-Realization left off. Once again, Swami Kriyananada has delved into his old notebooks in which he had faithfully recorded his master's words, gathered the pearls lying there, polished them off, and laid them out under a brilliant light for our appreciation and edification. Once again, Paramhansa Yogananda manifests a supremely subtle grasp of deep spiritual truths and how they apply to various situations of daily life. I cannot conceive of a better introduction to the mind and heart of Yogananda, or of any other self-realized saint. This book is a treasure trove. If your goal is to grow spiritually, buy it now. Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

This is a truly enjoyable book for those familiar with the great Guru Paramahansa Yogananda founder of Self-Realization Fellowship. I found his comments, stories and statements to his disciples very enlightening and often times very amusing. One must keep in mind however, that most of the time Yogananda is speaking to his devotees who live in his ashrum, and what he might tell them would be different than what he would tell to the general public. The reason being that he must be stricter with his monistics who have vowed to accept Yogananda as their teacher. So some of what he is telling his disciples would not be the same as what he would tell the general public to do. As a rule though I found this a truly wonderful book and would recommend it highly to anyone interested in the teaching of Sri. Paramahansa Yogananda who is my Beloved Guru! Thank you, Eva Roberts