Yogananda, Paramahansa

Yogananda,
Name Gender: M
Paramahansa

Birthname Ghosh, Mukunda Lal

born on 5 January 1893 at 20:38 (= 8:38

PM )

Place Gorakhpur, India, 26n45, 83e22

LMT m83e22 (is local mean

Timezone
time)
Data From memory Rodden Rating A
source
Astrology 15°34' 25°36 Asc.
data 28°52'

Biography
East Indian author, mystic and founder of the Self-Realization Movement.
World traveled and a world teacher, he carried Eastern philosophy to the
West.
He was born Mukunda Lal Ghosh to a devout and well-to-do Bengali
family. During childhood, Yogananda had vivid memories of being a yogi
during previous lifetimes in the Himalayas. A spiritually precocious child,
he was encouraged toward the religious calling by his mother, and he met
many holy men and yogis who aided him along his path.
In 1910, at age 17, he met the revered Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, whom
he had often seen during his meditations, and the recognition, joy, and
empathy between Master and disciple was immediate and joyful. He
completed his studies at Calcutta University while being taught spiritual
discipline by his guru for close to a decade, in the Indian tradition. In
1915, he took formal vows as a monk of India's venerable monastic
Swami Order, at which time he received the name Yogananda.
A natural born teacher, in 1917, he founded a "how-to-live" school for
boys, where modern educational methods were combined with yoga
training and instruction in spiritual ideals. His curriculum was always more
concerned with developing the whole individual rather than only the
intellect. He joked that having renounced the life of a family man, he
ended up with even more children than he might have fathered.
In 1920, he was invited to serve as India's delegate to an international
congress of religious leaders convening in Boston. His address to the
congress, on "The Science of Religion," was enthusiastically received.
When Yogananda arrived in America on 9/20/1920, the "New World" was
ready to receive the advanced teachings that had previously been
reserved for monastics and chelas in ashrams. Science, literacy,
communication, and new spiritual insights had just begun breaking down
the dark ages of theology and dogma. He founded his fellowship to
disseminate worldwide his teachings on India's ancient science and
philosophy of Yoga and its time-honored tradition of meditation,
introducing the Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures to help raise the
consciousness of humanity.
Yogananda lectured and taught on the East coast of American for several
years and in 1924 began a speaking tour across the country. His lectures,
in which he spoke of the underlying unity of the world's great religions,
were attended by thousands drawn to his message. His personal students
were taught the ancient soul-awakening techniques of Kriya Yoga.
Prominent figures in science, business and the arts came to him, and he
was received in the White House by President Coolidge.
Yogananda’s articulate and sincere introduction to the disciplines of the
East opened the door for many other Indian teachers and gurus, as a
serious interest in yoga and meditation made great inroads in the West.
His main mission was to build a lasting bridge of World Brotherhood based
on raising the spiritual awareness between the East and West.
In 1925, he established an international headquarters for Self-Realization
Fellowship in Los Angeles. His writing began to increase in the ‘30s,
including a series of lessons for home study. In 1935, Yogananda toured
Europe for six months and India for a year, meeting Mahatma Gandhi and
other renowned spiritual figures. At this time his own guru, Swami Sri
Yukteswar, bestowed on him India's highest spiritual title, Paramahansa
(supreme swan).
A lifelong celibate and mystic, Yogananda wrote that he burned the
prophesies about his life written down by the family's astrologer because
he did not want to be controlled by its prediction of marrying three times.
Though his family pressed him to marry, his determination to follow the
spiritual path was resolute. He did not accept deterministic astrology but
pointed out that the most difficult times give rise to the greatest
achievements.
His life story, "Autobiography of a Yogi" was published in 1946 and
expanded by him in subsequent editions. A perennial best seller, the book
has been in continuous publication since it first appeared and has been
translated into 18 languages. It is widely regarded as a modern spiritual
classic.
On 3/07/1952, Paramahansa Yogananda died during a banquet after
concluding a speech in Los Angeles, CA. Twenty days after his death, a
notarized statement signed by the Director of Forest Lawn Memorial-Park
testified: "No physical disintegration was visible in his body.... it was
apparently in a phenomenal state of immutability." This state, in a sister-
religion, Catholicism, is called "the incorruptibility of the flesh" and is
considered one of the requisites of sainthood.

Events
 Death, Cause unspecified 7 March 1952 (Age 59)
 Death of Mother 1904 (Mother died)

 Relationship : Meet a significant person 1910 (Met his guru)

 Social : End a program of study 1915 (Graduated university)

 Misc. : Mystical Experience July 1915 (Initiated by guru)

 Work : Begin Major Project 1917 (Founded boy's school)

 Family : Change residence 20 August 1920 (Arrived in America)

 Work : Gain social status 6 October 1920 (Lecture at Boston

Religious conference)

 Social : Joined group September 1925 (Established SRI in California)

 Social : Begin Travel 9 June 1935 (Departed for Europe)

 Death of Significant person 9 March 1936 (Guru died)

 Misc. : Mystical Experience 19 June 1936 (Tour of astral plane)

 Death of Father 1942 (Dad died)

 Work : Published/ Exhibited/ Released December 1945 (Publish

autobiography)
Sumangala, Sri
Name Sumangala, Sri Gender: M

born on 20 January 1827 at 21:00 (= 9:00 PM

)

Place Galle, Ceylon, 6s02, 80e13

Timezone LMT m80e13 (is local mean time)

Data Orig source not Rodden Rating

source known C

Astrology
data 29°53' 29°10 Asc. 12°06'

Biography
Indonesian high priest of Ceylon who was short, dark and ample. He
worked very hard in directing all matters of the Buddhist religion,
demonstrating a towering intellect as a teacher. Always occupied in
study, he led a celibate lifestyle.
Muktananda Baba, Gurudev
Muktananda Baba,
Name Gender: M
Gurudev

born on 16 May 1908 at 05:11:38 (=

05:11:38 AM )

Place Dharmasthala, India, 12n50, 74e45

Timezone IST h5e30 (is standard time)

Data From memory Rodden Rating A
source
Astrology 24°42' 22°07 Asc.
data 09°15'

Biography
Indian mystic and guru in the traditional style who personally had to
struggle to overcome a sensual nature on his ascetic path. He was the
author of many books, including an autobiography, and conducted
seminars in which he claimed to raise the kundalini of the applicant. In
addition, he was the founder of an active ashram in California.
He died on 10/02/1982.