What is common between Steve Jobs, Marc Benioff (The CEO of Salesforce), George Eastman (The founder of Kodak), George Harrison, Elvis Presley, Ravi Shankar, Virat Kohli and in fact many more!
They all swear by one book which had influenced their lives!
This book has earned the reputation of “the book that changed the lives of millions,” serving as a spiritual touchstone for some of the most influential figures in modern history!
Steve Jobs discovered it as a teenager and reread it every year of his life. It was the only book he had downloaded on his personal iPad. As a final message to his friends and family, Jobs arranged for 500 copies of the book to be given to attendees at his memorial service!
George Harrison the Beatles’ lead guitarist (for some who do not know him!) was “zapped” by the book’s cover in 1966 and credited it with sparking his lifelong interest in Vedic culture. He kept stacks of the book at his home to give to guests and even included the faces of the author’s lineage of gurus on the iconic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover!
Elvis Presley introduced to the book in 1965, the “King of Rock and Roll” studied it throughout the 1970s and frequently gave copies as gifts to his friends!
Ravi Shankar (the legendary sitar player! Now do not tell that you do not know him!) was a close friend of the author of this book and described the book as having “magic” in it.
Coming to modern times Virat Kohli has called the book a “must-read” that significantly shifted his perspective and brought him inner peace!
There are many more celebrities who have been inspired by the book and swear by it!
The book was the Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda which was first published in 1946 that introduced millions of Westerners to meditation and the ancient science of Kriya Yoga!
The book chronicles Yogananda’s life in India, his search for his guru, and his journey to the United States to establish the Self-Realization Fellowship!
Apart from explaining Kriya yoga the book explores the concept of Cosmic Consciousness, where the individual soul recognizes its unity with the Infinite.
It also offers a unique intersection between spirituality and science, explaining miracles as the operation of subtle spiritual laws and finally it teaches about the universality of Religion which is a central theme showing the underlying unity between Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, aiming to reconcile yogic discipline with modern rationality.
An added bonus is that the audible available with the voice of Ben Kingsley! (Now if you do not know who that it; well you might as well stop reading the blog!)
At least you might know who is Shushma Swaraj! There is hope!
Shubh ratri!
A quick blog on a super busy day!
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