Paramahansa Yogananda’s decision to write *Autobiography of a Yogi* arose from a deep sense of spiritual mission. He perceived a call to introduce Western seekers to the science and philosophy of yoga and, in particular, Kriya Yoga, in a way that would be both accessible and intellectually respectable. This was not merely an attempt to popularize exotic practices, but to show that the yogic path is a systematic, practical means to God-realization. In this sense, the book functions as a bridge, demonstrating that Eastern spiritual disciplines can stand in harmony with Western rational and religious thought. His life story becomes the vehicle through which these teachings are presented, allowing doctrine to be embodied in lived experience rather than abstract theory. At the same time, Yogananda sought to preserve and clarify the authentic teachings of his lineage. By recounting the lives and instructions of the great masters he encountered, he aimed to safeguard the tradition of Kriya Yoga from distortion and forgetfulness. The narrative thus serves as a spiritual chronicle, documenting encounters with realized saints and yogis whose lives illustrate the heights of consciousness available to human beings. In presenting these accounts, he wished to testify that advanced spiritual states and what appear as miracles are not mere legend, but the natural outgrowth of disciplined inner practice. The book, therefore, stands as a record of a living tradition rather than a purely autobiographical reminiscence. Another central inspiration lay in his desire to reveal the underlying unity of religious truth. Yogananda understood that many sincere seekers in the West were disillusioned by sectarianism yet still yearned for direct experience of the Divine. By showing how yoga illuminates the common ground beneath diverse faiths, he hoped to encourage readers to look beyond dogma toward inner realization. His emphasis on the “science” of yoga was intended to reassure modern minds that spiritual practice need not conflict with reason, but can be approached with the same seriousness and rigor given to any disciplined inquiry. Finally, his work responds to a very concrete spiritual hunger he observed around him. Living and teaching in the West, he encountered many who were curious about Indian saints, meditation, and the deeper possibilities of consciousness, yet lacked trustworthy, first-hand accounts. *Autobiography of a Yogi* was written to meet that need: to offer a personal yet carefully articulated testimony that spiritual realization is attainable, and that specific methods exist to guide