Autobiography of a Yogi

I first saw this book in my dad's hands. I was in 11th grade. As soon as he completed it, he expounded about how one doesn't really die, but comes back to the earthly bound, based on his karmic impression imprint. This idea seemed very exciting, so I started reading the book. As soon as I with astounded effort finished the 30th page, I shut it down. I couldn't digest it, everything seemed out of a magical woo-doo land: people appearing and disappearing out of will. At the end of 2nd year, a parting senior gifted this book to me, saying that This book deserved me. I wasn't sure about that, after the shutting down of the book at page 30 in 11th grade. But by that time, I was spiritually more evolved, I was meditating regularly. But I stopped at 50th page, it was still too much to take in. 3 years later, I'd graduated and living in Bangalore, and one day I feel this strange attraction to check out books that I'd already checked out, in my landlord's cupboard that he had put on the first floor for other tenants to be able to access his book collection and read at will from. I see a new book, this book. I picked it up, and started reading, some how, there was no need to digest anymore, everything was sinking. I was not able to judge anything, reading this book had exactly the effect that Paramhansaji had initially the intention of behind writing this book. The reading was addictive, intuitive and effortless. To help West feel belongingness to what he had to say, he has quoted Bible at numerous places, which was too much for me to understand, because of the style of English Language that it's written / translated / interpreted in, but since those citing were just to explain a point better, I read it and overlooked it if I wasn't able to decipher the style of language itself. That was the only, to say, hurdle that I kept going over. This book is no short of a revelations I hadn't before, stark revelations. How, how my mind functions, changed after this, many doubts got cleared. The actions that I take after a thought has come, have changed, the decision making that rejects or approves functions differently now, it more ... tolerant, intuitive, patient and attentive than before. I was always wary and skeptical of the strange mathematics behind this strange Karmic law, how it functions, it didn't seem right. I'm not anymore, I don't know how or why. The ideas of the Vedas and Sanatan Dharma, being not Hindu specific, but very very universal in nature and the Hindu religion, not being a Typical Religion but a way of life and living, is written in detail about, which is a good thing, people should know about it, especially the one that divides on the basis of religions. I'm in loss of words. This book will be heavily criticized for years, perhaps ages to come, but the fact that great people have read and recommended this book over and over again, comes with a fact checked, that most of the times, we doubt the positive than the negative. We doubt the occurrence of a good moment or occasion, rather than a bad moment. While sitting in our rooms away from the window, we doubt the unexpected happenstance or chance of a sunny day after days of rain, but not the unexpected happenstance of the start of the rains after days of sun (we just curse and throw expletives then). We doubt if someone says to us that they love us, all of a sudden (it's difficult to believe), but we don't doubt if someone says they hate us (instead we start defending as soon as it's said). It's good that people keep doubting about this book, about the events, about the existence of God, for they are only closing one step further without knowing, for they are doubting the reality, rather than the dream, which is again, a good thing!

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.

After reading this book, you'll form a certain opinion because concepts are deeply rooted in your overall BELIEF system of everything that is, and this book simply cannot leave you without any. The text is filled with hyperboles, unnatural descriptions which your logical mind just rejects to process (or was I alone on this?). The most problematic parts for me were: 1. a big part of the book is obedience (I assume not many would prefer to use this word, they'd rather call it trust) to the GURU. His own path to trusting the word of his Guru always was backed of by promise to reach oneness with God or rather salvation from the wordly suffering. This is problematic because he is increasing the value of spiritual people in the promise of salvation comparing to those with being "poor in spirit" making the need in them to follow their spiritual practice. During the text you can get the notion that the talk is not about spirituality, rather organized religion including all elements (includes symbols, signs, music, rituals, myths, "personal sacrifice"). This helps to understand overall obsession of putting GURUS on the pedestal (and because kriya is the only way as my guru told in my vision). 2. mystique of his experiences are deeply confusing and mind-bending (not in a good way). I assume it is your personal wish to obey to his "visions" and talk about the astral universe (another promise). You can sense how much the use of hyperboles makes this text unnatural, exaggerations are following one after another somehow trying to convince the mind of being true again and again returning to the oneness with God as the back up. 3. he is not practicing what he is preaching. Throughout the book he is returning many times to self-sacrifice staying away from wordly (or material) goods; at the same time he is honoring his Ford car brought from America, stuffing his mouth full with mangoes found on the side of the road etc. The part, however, which I cannot critique on, is his commitment to unify worldly religions and nations, and spreading cosmopolite views over all aspects of social interactions. The aim to use autobiographical text to spread his view at many points confused me, until you reach the part of him meeting the "holly" people on his path, because it worked as extra conviction for KRIYA. Personally, I think there are better books to get the notion of "Oneness with God" escaping all that fairytale-narcissistic-apprach, for example, something from Eckhart Tolle.

Loved the storytelling and how this book sent me back in time, imagining how the world might have looked like 100 years ago. Also, I enjoyed the spiritual part of the book, but some of the stories did put me off, considering them a bit too much.

Interesting life, loved the magical stuff. In the end I didn't feel this was the best use of my time.

When I learned that Steve Jobs re-read this book each year and the autiobook is read by Ben Kingsley, I knew I had to check it out. It proved to be more religious than I expected, relying on faith to explain much. Reading this helps to understand how Jobs could persue alternative medicine when diagnosed with cancer.