Yogananda was one of the most significant spiritual teachers of the 20th century. Since his classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, was first published in 1946, its popularity has increased steadily throughout the world. The Essence of Self-Realization is filled with lessons and stories that Yogananda shared only with his closest disciples, this volume offers one of the most insightful and engaging glimpses into the life and lessons of a great sage. Much of the material presented here is not available anywhere else.

The book answers the question what Self-realization is and which stages lie before and beyond. It contributes to the field of such books by focusing on lovebliss and the spiritual energy of the Self (Shakti), rather than simply pure being or the now. It is written solely from experience. Further it contributes by putting the insights of the first two thirds of the book into perspective with new readable translations (from Sanskrit with commentaries) of Yoga-S

This collection debates the path and purpose of life. The author discusses such topics as whether it is possible to hasten human evolution, the possibility of a scientific method to ensure a pathway to life's highest fulfilments and what guidelines help mediators find genuine spiritual progress.

Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi (1878-1950) was probably the most honored Self-realized guru and spiritual master of modern India. He taught the Yoga of Knowledge (Jnana Yoga) and the Vedantic path of Advaita or Non-duality, leading us to our true nature as pure consciousness beyond body and mind, death and sorrow. Though Ramana never left the sacred mountain of Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai, South India where he resided, numerous people came from throughout the world to seek his guidance, which he usually gave through silence or through short replies to their questions. Upadesha Saram, which means the “Essence of Instruction”, is often regarded as his most important written work – an axiomatic text of a mere thirty verses. It summarizes his teachings on the Essence of Self-realization, guiding the disciple along the path to the highest awareness in a systematic manner, pointing out a variety of practices, ways of meditation and approaches to Self-inquiry. The current translation and interpretation by Acharya Vamadeva Shastri David Frawley), one of the most highly regarded Vedic teachers in the world today, explains each verse clearly and succinctly to reveal the depth of Ramana’s insight for everyone to learn and benefit from.

Rarely in a lifetime does a new spiritual classic appear that has the power to change people's lives and transform future generations. This is such a book. The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita Explained by Paramhansa Yogananda shares the profound insights of Paramhansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi, as remembered by one of his few remaining direct disciples, Swami Kriyananda. This revelation of India's best-loved scripture approaches it from an entirely fresh perspective, showing its deep allegorical meaning and also its down-to-earth practicality. The themes presented are universal: how to achieve victory in life in union with the divine; how to prepare for life's "final exam," death, and what happens afterward; how to triumph over all pain and suffering. This book is itself a triumph. Swami Kriyananda worked with Paramhansa Yogananda in 1950 while the Master completed his commentary. At that time Yogananda commissioned him to disseminate his teachings world-wide. Kriyananda has in his lifetime lectured, taught, and written eighty-five books based on Yogananda's teachings. The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, Kriyananda's eighty-sixth book, is the crowning achievement of his highly productive life. In this, his masterpiece, he declares, "Yogananda's insights into the Gita are the most amazing, thrilling, and helpful of any I have ever read."

In this first volume of the collected talks and essays of Paramahansa Yogananda, readers will journey through some little-known and seldom-explained aspects of meditation, life after death, healing, and the power of the mind.

Mind, body, spirit.