The Path: Autobiography of a Western Yogi

by Swami Kriyananda, J. Donald Walters, Kriyananda

Book Overview

What would it be like to live with a great spiritual master? Here, with over 400 stories and sayings of Paramhansa Yogananda, is the inspiring story of one man's search for truth that led him to the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0916124126
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Crystal Clarity Pubs
• Length: 640 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.1" x 1.3" x 4.1"

Customer Reviews

A Priceless Gift!

This book is a remarkable achievement. Swami Kriyananda has succeeded splendidly in presenting his early life from such an objective and universal perspective that every reader can see himself and his own life in Kriyananda's experiences. Afterward, he presents his guru Yogananda, his guru's teachings, and his life with him in such intimate detail that the reader can visualize himself there also. For anyone like me who wishes he had been alive when Yogananda walked this earth, this book is a priceless gift. There is so much here in these pages, that it is impossible to convey it in a short review. All I can say is, if you are interested in yoga, Yogananda, or spiritual truths, you should get The Path. You will not be disappointed. Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

A more comprehensive sequel

There was too little information in 'The Autobiography of a Yogi'. That book was intended to paint a picture of what a genuine Indian saint happens to be. The story of the long and painful struggle (over lifetimes) that led to his present perfection was left implicit, for the intelligent reader to fathom through what was written between the lines. 'The Autobiography of a Yogi' was among the first books that a genuine saint from India has written, in which he has taken up the subject of himself and his own blossoming on a personal note. 'The Path' takes off where 'The Autobiography....' ends. The spirit of Yogananda shines palpably throughout this book, finding concrete embodiment in the story of the making of Kriyananda. The guru's greatness is seen through the eyes of a true devotee in a living narrative, filled with humor and gladness, without seeking to deny the existence of negativity of any kind. It is a book laden with joy, the joy of service, the joy of meditation, the simple, basic joy of existence. The total involvement of Yogananda with the people who had entrusted themselves to his care has been beautifully depicted in the many personal stories that are strewn throughout the book. An attempt is also made to give the reader, a glimpse of the total picture of events that Yogananda saw, and which Kriyananda had access to, due to his proximity with him. However, self- glorification (even in the reflected light of his guru) is the last thing one could accuse the author of. The later parts of the book talk of the hard test faced by the author when he was cast out of the organization to which he had given his life. This part has been written without any bitterness and self pity. It does not put the blame on anyone and can provide a real ray of hope to those who have been through a similar kind of 'dark night of the soul', when he was tempted even to question his guru. It is a part I have come back to read again and again at different periods of crisis in my own life. Each time I have found sustenance. This book is well complemented by 'Conversations with Yogananda'. Together these books make one of the greatest saints of our time relevant and accessible to minds anchored in the technologically advanced but spiritually stunted twentieth century.

A book everyone should read

This is one of the best books I've ever read. Donald Walters {Swami Kriyananda} makes God not only more understandable, but treats Him in a manner we don't always see; as a friend and mentor, a constant loving companion who is enjoying His grand drama of life and death, pleasure and pain, good and bad, through each one of us. {Actually I should have said enjoying Herself, As Walters often speaks of God as the Divine Mother, the feminine aspect of Divinity}.If you have read "The Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramhansa Yogananda, "The Path"is the perfect companion piece, for it pictures Yogananda as Yogananda himself could not, as a being of pure Light and Divinity, a Yogi-Christ walking amongst us. If you have yet to read Yogananda's autobiography, it will be next on your list. Believe me, the God spoken of in the "The Path" is a God we can all relate to. A warm, personal God, full of love and compassion for each one of us. A God of Ecstatic Bliss of whom we are all part; our seeming separation only a minor, and very temporary circumstance. A God who is gently bringing each of us, step-by-step, back to our true home in the ever new joy of pure Spirit. [The new edition of this book is entitled "The Path: One Man's Quest on the Only Path There Is."]

Ideal for serious yoga students and followers of Yogananda.

I have always wanted to know more about Yogananda, and this book certainly provides it, in detail. Whereas Yogananda talked about the miracles involved with eastern mysticism in his "Autobiography of a Yogi", Kriyananda shows the western world how one can bring the higher principles of yoga into practical manifestation. This book gives a first-hand account of what it was like to live with one of the great masters of yoga (Yogananda)and all its challenging implications. Anyone who is interested in yoga or the spiritual path will find this book inspiring. What is even more fascinating is how Kriyananda went on to selflessly serve his guru through the creation of the Ananda World Brotherhood Colony. It is obvious that Yogananda and Kriyananda are very close and that Yogananda has been able to "continue" many of his visions for society through the willing instrument of Kriyananda. This in itself lends inspiration and encouragement for one's own spiritual path.

A deeply inspiring book

For those who have read Paramhansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi (if you haven't, make sure you get Crystal Clarity Publishers original, unedited reprint of the first edition), this is like the sequel. In The Path, Kriyananda shares his own life and search for God, similar to the search many of us have made in our lives.The main part of the book is the fulfillment of that search when he becomes a disciple of Yogananda. His reverence and love for Yogananda are inspiring, as are the many stories of his Guru. Yogananda rarely spoke about himself, so his greatness is best seen through the eyes of his direct disciples.The Path: Autobiography of a Western Yogi, is a great read and a great roadmap for all western yogis, and for all disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda.An excerpt from The Path:"Often he talked about various disciples."Sir," I inquired one day, "what about the young man whom you initiated in Brindaban, during that episode in your book, 'Two Penniless Boys in Brindaban'? Have you ever heard from him again?"No," Master replied. "Inwardly, however, he has kept in touch."