“Make the Lord the Shepherd of your soul....He is your Polestar on the dark seas of mortal existence. Seek His guidance. The world will go on like this in its ups and downs. Where shall we look for a sense of direction? Not to the prejudices roused within us by our habits and the environmental influences of our families, our country, or the world; but to the guiding voice of Truth within.”

— Paramahansa Yogananda

Christ Consciousness vs. Human Consciousness (Part II)
Paramahansa Yogananda
“As long as the consciousness of sectarianism, racism, and nationalism will remain, war and the greatest miseries will visit the earth. That is why we must cultivate the vast consciousness of Christ that embraces all.”

The first-ever Sanskrit edition of Paramahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi, published by Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS), was released by the Chief Minister (head of state) of Jharkhand, India, the Honorable Sri Arjun Munda, on November 17, 2012 at the YSS ashram in Ranchi (founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1918).

 

One of Paramahansa Yogananda’s greatest disciples, the American businessman James J. Lynn, who was later to become Rajarsi Janakananda, was the subject of a recent National Public Radio broadcast on KCUR, Kansas City — “The Insurance Tycoon Who Became a Saint.”

A memorial service for Pandit Ravi Shankar—renowned sitarist who was the foremost exponent of India's classical music in the West for more than half a century and a dear friend of Paramahansa Yogananda's work—was held December 20, 2012 on the grounds of the Self-Realization Fellowship Ashram Center in Encinitas, California. He had passed away on December 11 at the age of 92.

Announcing a new publication from Self-Realization Fellowship

This 72-page booklet presents archival recordings of Paramahansa Yogananda’s Cosmic Chants, and reminiscences of his life and teachings, by one of his early close disciples. Two CDs included.

“The spiritual relation of souls united in seeking God is stronger and more binding than any other relation. Each person is born into a particular family for one lifetime only; but he or she who forms a spiritual bond with kindred souls will walk together the path to God through many lifetimes.”
— Paramahansa Yogananda

KABC TV’s Eyewitness News recently featured the SRF Lake Shrine as anchor Ellen Leyva’s favorite spot in Los Angeles.

Sister Draupadi, a senior nun of the Self-Realization Fellowship monastic order, was a featured guest in August on The Wisdom Show, an Internet-based radio show that focuses on human potential, positive growth, and spiritual development.

The annual United Nations International Day of Peace is being observed this year on Friday, September 21. Self-Realization Fellowship invites its members and friends to join us in spirit by spending a few minutes at noon, or any other time, praying for peace and harmony throughout the world.

Journeying from all over the U.S. and more than 45 other countries, approximately 4,000 Self-Realization Fellowship members and friends congregated for a powerful week of spiritual rejuvenation at the 2012 World Convocation.

On August 18, 2012, Encinitas city officials, Self-Realization Fellowship ministers, and hundreds of SRF members gathered to celebrate the opening of the beautiful new SRF auxiliary chapel located at 1105 2nd Street in Encinitas, California.

New DVD: “Portal to the Inner Light” — A Talk by Sri Mrinalini Mata 

“Portal to the Inner Light
”
Official Release of Paramahansa Yogananda’s
The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You
An evening with Sri Mrinalini Mata.

Taking part in the largest and most important Latino book competition in the United States, the Spanish-language edition of Paramahansa Yogananda’s The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You recently won first-place awards for both Best Religious Book (Spanish or bilingual) and Best Spiritual/New Age Book (Spanish or bilingual) at the 14th annual International Latino Book Awards (ILBA), held on June 5 in New York City.

Dear Friend,
Paramahansa Yogananda once wrote of the “great value in visiting places where saints have lived”: “Assisi, the abode of St. Francis; Bodh Gaya, where Buddha attained enlightenment; Jerusalem, where Jesus preached — such places are forever permeated with the vibrations left there by the divine souls who walked those grounds. Their vibrations will remain until this earth is dissolved. Where souls have communed with God, there you will find greater communion and response from God. Often such pilgrimages completely change one’s life for the better.”

Self-Realization Fellowship is a participant in Summer of Peace 2012, which brings together “peace-builders” from around the world — representing diverse locales such as Nigeria, India, United States, and many others — in what has been described as the world’s largest global telesummit for building a culture of peace.

Being Actively Calm and Calmly Active
Swami Smaranananda Giri, General Secretary, Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, recently spoke at TEDx IIM Ranchi. In this talk, Swamiji explores the principle of maintaining inner peace and being actively calm while also calmly active.

Following are the various audio and video clips that are available on our website. We have indexed them for your convenience in terms of where they are located on the site.

We are very pleased to announce that the Self-Realization Fellowship Temple in Berkeley, California — the temporary location of the former SRF Richmond Temple — is now open for regularly scheduled services and Sunday School programs.

The year 2011 marked the 150th anniversary of the reintroduction of the ancient science of Kriya Yoga into the modern world. It was in 1861 that Lahiri Mahasaya met the deathless guru Mahavatar Babaji in the Himalayas and received initiation into the sacred soul-science. As Paramahansa Yogananda has written: “This auspicious event did not happen to Lahiri Mahasaya alone; it was a fortunate moment for all the human race. The lost, or long-vanished, highest art of yoga was again being brought to light.”

In response to growing interest around the world for the soul-liberating teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, recent months have witnessed numerous translations of SRF books and recordings into other languages.

In a special segment on “Classic L.A.,” ABC-TV’s Eye on L.A. paid homage to the landmarks and luminaries – “from A to Z” – that are “enduring and endearing” parts of the Los Angeles landscape. And, for the letter “Y,” the subject  chosen was Paramahansa Yogananda – who has introduced millions of seekers to yoga through his spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, and who chose Los Angeles for the international headquarters of his Self-Realization Fellowship in 1925.