“Those who abuse the power of religion or who only pretend to follow religious practices for their own self promotion become hypocrites and are sometimes perpetrators of evil; they are the wrongdoers, not religion” Paramahansa Yogananda, “Journey to Self-Realization”, pg 178. “Many teachers will tell you to believe; then they put out your eyes of reason and instruct you to follow only their logic. But I want you to keep your eyes of reason open; in addition, I will open in you another eye, the eye of wisdom.” Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, to Paramahansa Yogananda “There are many who are trying to lead others, but who have no right to lead. The blind cannot lead the blind. No one can take you to God unless he himself has found God. Societies develop around charismatic personalities, but they die out with those personalities. A true guru has no personal ambition for name or fame; his one desire is to serve others with the realization of God. I sought all over India to find a true master. I searched in books; I journeyed from temple to temple, from one holy place to another; but my doubts followed me everywhere. But when I found that one who had realization -my guru, Sri Yukteswarji- and saw that divine spirit in his eyes, all doubt went away. Through his blessing my whole life changed. That is why I stress to you the importance of a true guru and his teachings. I told Master I would never teach about God unless I had tasted Him. By following Guru unconditionally, I found God. When you are steadfast in the principles of the guru-disciple relationship, the spiritual path becomes very easy. You cannot then go astray. No matter how delusion tries to pull you away, the master who has experienced God knows your trouble and will help you to steady yourself on the path again. That is what the guru does for you if you are in tune with him. Even though you and the guru may be thousands of miles apart, his help will reach out to you. I feel Master with me all the time, even though he is no longer incarnate on this earth plane. To have the guidance and grace of guru with you-that is the easiest way to way to move along on the spiritual path.” Paramahansa Yogananda, quoted in Self-Realization Magazine, Spring, 1990, pg. 3. ” In India we emphasize very strongly that God can be received only through the proper spiritual representative. In the West the emphasis is on filling the church, without much concern as to the inner spiritual qualifications of the preacher. In India we search everywhere for one who is such a model, when in such a one we see God in action, we call him “Guru”, and follow him faithfully. Guru is he whom God appoints to lead you out of the darkness of ignorance into the land of His eternal light. A seeker may have had many spiritual teachers, but he can have only one guru. When he finds his guru, he follows him solely and steadfastly. God is visible in the lives of those who love Him and are in tune with Him. Thus whoever attunes himself with his guru finds God. Do you see how important it is to follow one who can show you the way to God through his example? When you are tune with your guru, the visible representative of God, He will come to you in that form while you are meditating. Then you will know that God is real and that He works through the guru.” Paramahansa Yogananda, Thursday evening service, SRF Headquarters, December 21, 1939, quoted in SRF magazine, Summer, 1976. “He alone who is God realized, and who has been commanded by God to redeem souls, is a guru. One cannot be a guru merely by thinking he is. Jesus showed that the true guru acts solely at God's behest, when he said: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” He gave all credit to the power of God. If a teacher is without egotism, you may know that God alone resides in his body temple; and when you tune in with him you are in tune with God. Jesus reminded His disciples: “Whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but Him that sent me.” SRF magazine, Special Centennial Issue, Winter, 1993, pg. 3. “The teacher who accepts personally the adoration of others is merely a worshiper of his own ego. To find out whether a path is true, discriminate according to what sort of teacher is behind it, whether his actions show that he is led by God, or by his own ego. A leader who has no realization cannot show you the kingdom of God, no matter how large his following. All churches have done good, but blind belief in religious dogma keeps people spiritually ignorant and stagnant. Many times I have seen vast congregations singing God's name, but God was as far away from their consciousness as the distant stars. No one can be saved just by attending church. The real way to freedom lies in Yoga, in scientific self-analysis, and in following one who has traversed the forest of theology and can lead you safely to God.” SRF magazine, Winter, 1993, pg. 4 “To keep company with the Guru is not only to be in his physical presence (as this is sometimes impossible), but mainly means to keep him in our hearts and to be one with him in principle and attune ourselves with him.” Swami Sri Yukteswar, The Holy Science, pg. 37. “Those who have come to Self-Realization truly seeking inward spiritual help shall receive what they seek from God. Whether they come while I am in the body, or afterward, the power of God through the link of the SRF Gurus shall flow into the devotee just the same, and shall be the cause of their salvation.” Paramahansa Yogananda, quoted in a letter from Self-Realization Fellowship to students, August, 1994. “God has sent you to me, and I shall never fail you…Even when I am gone my help will always be given to devotees all over the world, if they keep in tune. Never think for a moment that when I am physically absent from you all, I am not otherwise with you. I shall be just deeply concerned for your spiritual welfare when I am no longer in the body as I am now. I shall always be watching over each one of you, and whenever a true devotee thinks of me in the silent depths of his soul, he will know that I am near.” Paramahansa Yogananda, quoted in the SRF calender, August, 1993. “Once I found my guru, I never followed any other teacher.” Paramahansa Yogananda. “Numerous bewildered seekers in the West erroneously think that an eloquent speaker or writer on metaphysics must be a master. Proof that one is a master, however, is supplied only by the ability to enter at will the breathless state (sabikalpa samadhi) and by the attainment of immutable bliss (nirbikalpa samadhi). The rishis have pointed out that solely by these achievements may a human being demonstrate that he has demonstrate that he has mastered maya, the dualistic cosmic delusion. He alone may say from the depths of realization: 'Ekam sat' (Only One exists).” Paramhansa Yogananda, quoted in the SRF booklet “In Memoriam” “My message for the world has already been expounded in my speeches, classes and writings. Do not be misled by persons who, after my physical departure from the earth, will assert that they are receiving new teachings from me. To sincere seekers who in prayer request my help, I will always give it gladly and silently” SRF magazine, April/June 1966, pg. 18, the “Spiritual Interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita,” and “God talks with Arjuna;” the Bhagavad Gita, translation by Paramahansa Yogananda, pg.991. “…When a master is no longer encumbered by incarnate constraints, his transforming succor continues just the same, but he does not demean himself and his spiritual effectiveness by seeking gross expression again through 'mediums.' Having given his divine message and testimony while on earth, he doesn't have any 'afterthoughts' requiring revelation by psychics and spiritualists.” “God talks with Arjuna; the Bhagavad Gita, translation by Paramahansa Yogananda, pg.992.
Paramahansa Yogananda still is a very wise and gifted teacher. Reading his autobiography was one of the greatest blessings in my life.
