The Yoga of Jesus: Understanding the Hidden Teachings of the Gospels [Paperback]

Paramahansa Yogananda (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 24, 2007

In this remarkable book, Paramahansa Yogananda reveals the hidden yoga of the Gospels and confirms that Jesus, like the ancient sages and masters of the East, not only knew yoga but taught this universal science of God-realization to his closest disciples. Compiled from the author's highly praised two-volume work, The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You, this insightful and compact book transcends the centuries of dogma and misunderstanding that have obscured the original teachings of Jesus, showing that he taught a unifying path by which seekers of all faiths can enter the kingdom of God. Topics include:
•The lost years of Jesus in India
•The ancient science of meditation: how to become a Christ
•The true meaning of baptism.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The writings of Paramahansa Yogananda have long been appreciated by practitioner and mystic alike. The Self-Realization Fellowship continues to make available these important syntheses of Eastern meditative yogic teachings and the more penetrating aspects of the life and sermons, parables, and lessons of Christ. The latter are often lost in didactic recitation over the centuries, but the work of Yogananda illuminates much of their likely original mystery and meaning with new perspective. This little work would revive the most, jaded who know the history of institutionalized religion. Questions such as "Who am I?" or "Why am I here?" are rarely directly addressed by dogma on baptism, sin, and heaven and hell.
The Yoga of Jesus attempts to blend what is known about the path of Christ, in union with the principles found in the Bhagavad Gita. It should be noted that in the brief introduction to this book a companion text is meant to accompany The Yoga of Jesus, entitled The Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita.
For ease of reading, this book is divided into three parts and nine chapters. Chapter two, "Jesus the Yogi." relays Yogananda's understanding of ancient manuscripts and his belief that Jesus went to India and lived and ruminated among the yogis, gurus, and wise ones of that time.
Chapter six helps to untangle the confusion many people have about doctrinaire religious practices and the metaphysics of Christ consciousness. The Yoga of Jesus essentially portends that one can clothe the path to enlightenment in various religious raiment, but the consciousness of infinite life and light is one and the same for all approaches. Simple enough, but as many people know, the world of Maya—everyday reality—is powerful. We have to eat, have shelter, and cover our bodies for warmth. These requirements often obscure not only the object of life, but also the spirit, that is our birthright.
This sweet treatise is ecumenical in nature and full of insight as it reminds us we can always be intoxicated with the divinely wondrous. The use of daily meditation will keep the seeker "in the zone" irrespective of any given stated religious preference. --New Age Retailer

About the Author

Hailed as "the father of Yoga in the West", Paramahansa Yogananda is regarded as one of the great spiritual figures of our time. Born in northern India, he came to the United States in 1920, where for more than 30 years he taught the ancient science of Kriya Yoga meditation and the art of balanced spiritual living. That same year he founded Self-Realization Fellowship, to disseminate his writings and teachings worldwide. Through his best-selling classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, and his numerous other books, he has introduced millions throughout the world to the spiritual principles of yoga meditation and the universal truths underlying all world religions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Self Realization Fellowship Pub (August 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876125569
• ISBN-13: 978-0876125564
• Product Dimensions: 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Hinduism
  • #20 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Eastern Religions & Sacred Texts
  • #27 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Jesus

More About the Author

Hailed as "the father of Yoga in the West," Paramahansa Yogananda - author of the bestselling classic "Autobiography of a Yogi" - is regarded as one of the great spiritual figures of our time. Born in northern India on January 5, 1893, he devoted his life to helping people of all races and creeds to realize and express more fully in their lives the true beauty, nobility, and divinity of the human spirit. After graduating from Calcutta University in 1915, Yogananda took formal vows as a monk of India's venerable monastic Swami Order. Two years later, he began his life's work with the founding of a how-to-live school since grown to twenty-one educational institutions throughout India where traditional academic subjects were offered together with yoga training and instruction in spiritual ideals. In 1920, he was invited to serve as India's delegate to an International Congress of Religious Liberals in Boston. His address to the Congress and subsequent lectures on the East Coast were enthusiastically received, and in 1924 he embarked on a cross-continental speaking tour. Over the next three decades, Paramahansa Yogananda contributed in far-reaching ways to a greater awareness and appreciation in the West of the spiritual wisdom of the East. In Los Angeles, he established an international headquarters for Self-Realization Fellowship, the nonsectarian religious society he had founded in 1920. Through his writings, extensive lecture tours, and the creation of Self-Realization Fellowship temples and meditation centers, he introduced hundreds of thousands of truth-seekers to the ancient science and philosophy of Yoga and its universally applicable methods of meditation. Today, the spiritual and humanitarian work begun by Paramahansa Yogananda continues under the direction of Sri Mrinalini Mata, one of his closest disciples and president of Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India since 2011. In addition to publishing his writings, lectures and informal talks (including a comprehensive series of Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons for home study), the society also oversees temples, retreats, and centers around the world.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

130 of 135 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful Look At Jesus and His Teachings October 8, 2007

By W. H. McDonald Jr.

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book captures Paramanhansa Yogananda's spoken words and writings and puts them into clear focus in one volume on the much misunderstood teachings of Jesus. This new book "The Yoga Of Jesus" is a hundred years in the making. The editors and publishers do a great job of putting Yogananda's thoughts in a logical order so that it reveals a much deeper message--one that shows the hidden yoga of the gospels.

This book will awaken some people to new ideas while others may just have their inner truth reaffirmed. The book is a significant spiritual work and will remain a best seller (As does his classic "The Autobiography of a Yogi") for decades if not centuries.

There is even a chapter devoted to the missing years of Christ's life, which were spent in India according to Yogananda. The references and footnotes help build strong support for what this book is revealing about the life and teachings of Jesus.

The book is an eye opener for non-yogis and a blissful confirmation of truth from those who follow the teachings of Yogananda. This is one of his best books. I would suggest reading this book along with "The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You" - which blazed huge new spiritual roads just a few years ago.

This book, as with many of Yogananda's books, shows parallels between the teachings of all the great Christian saints, mystics and other enlightened founders of spiritual thought. This book should help unify and promote inter-faith understanding for those with open minds and hearts.

This book is well worth adding to your spiritual library. It can be read in a full afternoon but it may take a lifetime or longer to full grasp all the truth that is within its pages. The book is best read slowly while allowing time to ponder and digest the meaning of what is read. There is so much wisdom and love within these pages. This book receives my highest possible personal recommendation. This is a MUST READ BOOK!

58 of 59 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth at least a read, to see what you think of his views. November 10, 2007

By feemeister VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This book is really great! I bought it to read to decide if I thought it was worth pursuing Yogananda's Second Coming of Christ set, which is rather expensive. Once I read this book I had to order the set, and am ready to start reading that now. This book and Yogananda's views are able to clear up some questions of the new testament which had never been clearly answered previously. It just really clears up a lot of murky areas.

I would suggest that someone new to this topic do like I did. Read this book to see if you think the things he says make sense to you. If they do, and you believe he could be right, then move on to the other set to get a more thorough saturation. I still have not decided for sure, but after reading the Second Coming I'm sure I will have made up my mind. I will also say that years ago I had read many of PY's works, and I have always found him to be a very good, decent person. Honesty and integrity of the highest caliber. (This last just in case you are not familiar with him.)

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous interpretation of the Bible December 18, 2007

By D. Joyce

Format:Paperback

I've often found myself confused by the Bible, and rarely have I really grasped the pertinence of its teachings to the dilemmas of our present society. Never before reading this book have I found the Gospels to be so interesting, so universal in scope, and so applicable to my daily concerns.

I found this book (as well as the larger "the Second Coming of Christ") to beautifully and engagingly present the truths of Jesus in great detail and specificity, as well as in terms of universality and Oneness.