*Autobiography of a Yogi* is a spiritual autobiography written by Paramahansa Yogananda and first published in 1946. It presents the story of his life as a vehicle for exploring the inner journey of God-realization, tracing his path from childhood in India through his unfolding spiritual quest. The narrative follows his search for a true guru, culminating in his meeting with Sri Yukteswar Giri and his training in Kriya Yoga. Throughout, the work offers reflections on yoga, meditation, karma, reincarnation, and the guru–disciple relationship, not merely as doctrines but as living realities shaping his experience.

The book also recounts Yogananda’s encounters with saints, yogis, and realized souls, including Mahavatar Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, and other advanced practitioners. These meetings are portrayed as moments of profound spiritual instruction, often accompanied by accounts of miraculous events and mystical experiences. Rather than treating such episodes as sensational, the text presents them as natural expressions of higher spiritual laws, inviting the reader to consider a broader vision of what is possible in human consciousness.

A significant portion of the autobiography is devoted to Yogananda’s journey to America in 1920 and the subsequent founding of the Self-Realization Fellowship. In this context, the book describes his efforts to share the teachings of Kriya Yoga and to bring the disciplines of yoga and meditation to Western seekers. It portrays his lectures, writings, and organizational work as part of a mission to offer a universal, experiential approach to religion and to highlight the underlying unity of Eastern and Western spiritual traditions.

Structured largely as a chronological narrative, the work moves from Yogananda’s early mystical experiences in Bengal through his years as a spiritual teacher in the West. Along the way, it interweaves personal stories with philosophical discussion, using the events of his life to illuminate themes such as death, resurrection, and cosmic consciousness. Over time, this autobiography has come to be regarded as a classic of modern spiritual literature, credited with introducing many readers to yoga, meditation, and Indian spirituality in a vivid and accessible form.