The Book
Until my mom pulled Autobiography of a Yogi off her shelf, I had been an avowed atheist. I remember as an eight year old playing with some friends and telling them with contrarian glee that I didn ’t believe in God. The idea of God -- some white-haired, bearded old man sitting on a throne of gold in the sky -- made no sense to me. So, I rejected it. Since there was no other conception of God that I was aware of, I figured I was an atheist. Swami Yogananda changed that. His Autobiography (which you can read online here ) introduced me to a more complicated, personal and natural conception of the divine -- one that would shape the rest of my life. The first thing about Autobiography that grabbed my attention was Swami Yogananda ’s picture on the front cover. He’s beautiful. Even as an insecure 13 year old boy I could admit that. Swamiji radiated beauty. Despite his long hair and orange gown he didn ’t project an effeminate vibe. Plus, inexplicably, Swamiji seemed familiar to me.