The Divine Romance: Collected Talks and Essays on Realizing God in Daily Life (Collected Talks and Essays)

Rating:
Summary: And the greatest of these is Love...
Review: If it contained only his opening essay from 1943, "How to Cultivate Divine Love", this volume would more than warrant the cover price: it is persuasive, revelatory, show-stopping. Everyone talks about love. Everyone is moved by an unconscious yearning for this intangible indispensible. After lifetimes of pursuing and then achieving the Source of Love, in this seventeen-page essay Yogananda offers a timeless explanation of this elusive be-all and end-all of our existence. For those that confuse Love with sex or who cannot imagine that any love can surpass their feelings for their child or their beloved, these words are probably wasted. But for those who have been graced by even a whiff of the Creator's love or have intuitively felt that behind the temporary world of human ecstasies must lie a Divine Source and Experience, these words will ring as truth: this author has tasted The Whole Loaf, not just enjoyed wafting aromas. No matter how often it is distorted and dimmed in its human expressions, the irresistable pull of Divine Love keep working on us, because, as Yogananda explains...

"If you could feel even a particle of divine love, so great would be your joy -- so overpowering -- you could not contain it." It is from connection with that Divine that the faces of long-silent, meditating yogis of India beam with unrepentant Joy, that the whirling Sufi dervish tirelessly dances without apparent partner. With unblinking insight and full compassion, Yogananda reflects on the varied places and degrees of human success in finding lasting love, because "...by investigating human love, we can learn something of divine love, for in human love we have glimpses of that love of God's."

As devotional as he is, Yogananda goes far beyond gushing. He provides useful anaysis of the ways human beings are "clever in their ignorance" and avoid achieving the very End they so desperately crave. Near the end of "How to Cultivate..." he brings us back on track to the systematic, selfless practices of ecumenical meditation upon the Source of our being, the Source of all love:

... "If you meditate deeply, a love will come over you such as no human tongue can describe; you will know (Divine Love), and you will be able to give that pure love to others." Yogananda's pronouncements ring with the unmistakable authority of someone who KNOWS, who has been there, who has practiced and seen the results. Throughout this volume's forty-seven chapters we learn about the universality of spirituality across all religions and all ages, and we hear from someone with a cosmic, ages-long perspective about the path we have been climbing (often unconsciously) and about means for speeding our ascent. As he both explains and exemplifies, Yogananda insists that even though the path requires periods of dedicated solitude, it is not solitary: single-pointed love for God also means serving children of the Divine.

When you read "Divine Romance" you will probably identify some chapters as 'the best.' My own experience suggests this is just a function of what the reader needs at the time. They are all jewels, sparkling with special appeal when they are shedding light on areas of particular darkness of particular days. That being said, I'll still highlight some special essays:

"The Mind: Repository of Infinite Power" - Wisdom from the ancient-and-modern science of yoga on how to harness that wildest of human organs, the mind. This chapter includes a blessed reminder for anyone who has studied the full three years of Yogananda's "SRF Lessons" on meditation and spiritual development. So luxurious with methods and skills to practice are his teachings that students with perfectionist leanings sometimes feel close to giving up because of the impossibility of mastering ALL the practices described. Reassuringly, the yoga master promises, "If you practice one millionth of the things that I tell you (in these teachings) you will reach God."

"Personal and Impersonal God" - This powerful talk resolves the apparent contradiction of God being able to be both personal and impersonal. Yogananda explains the important value in taking either perspective in our pursuit of The Divine. He also explains the role of Christ and other personal manifestations of divinity in varied religious paths to The Transcendent.

"How to Find a Way to Victory" - A brilliant essay that puts to shame all the shallow get-rich-quick books on 'success.' He always keeps us conscious of how multi-faceted our striving must be -- even when it concerns particularly worldly outcomes. As one who achieved these ends before attempting to teach others how to do so, Yogananda explains that outer victories always require inner victories first: "He who becomes master of himself is a real conqueror." ... "And in this inner victory, I find the whole world at my command. ...all things are made clear in the great light of God."

Throughout the talks and essays of Divine Romance, Yogananda keeps returning us to our search for the Ultimate Kingdom of love and wisdom: "To gain this wisdom of God is the only purpose for which you were sent here; and if you seek anything else intead, you are going to punish yourself." Gospel-like, n'est-ce pas? Always ringing with Truth because here is someone who has walked the walk. Enjoy! --rp

Rating:
Summary: And the greatest of these is Love...
Review: If it contained only his opening essay from 1943, "How to Cultivate Divine Love", this volume would more than warrant the cover price: it is persuasive, revelatory, show-stopping. Everyone talks about love. Everyone is moved by an unconscious yearning for this intangible indispensible. After lifetimes of pursuing and then achieving the Source of Love, in this seventeen-page essay Yogananda offers a timeless explanation of this elusive be-all and end-all of our existence. For those that confuse Love with sex or who cannot imagine that any love can surpass their feelings for their child or their beloved, these words are probably wasted. But for those who have been graced by even a whiff of the Creator's love or have intuitively felt that behind the temporary world of human ecstasies must lie a Divine Source and Experience, these words will ring as truth: this author has tasted The Whole Loaf, not just enjoyed wafting aromas. No matter how often it is distorted and dimmed in its human expressions, the irresistable pull of Divine Love keep working on us, because, as Yogananda explains...

"If you could feel even a particle of divine love, so great would be your joy -- so overpowering -- you could not contain it." It is from connection with that Divine that the faces of long-silent, meditating yogis of India beam with unrepentant Joy, that the whirling Sufi dervish tirelessly dances without apparent partner. With unblinking insight and full compassion, Yogananda reflects on the varied places and degrees of human success in finding lasting love, because "...by investigating human love, we can learn something of divine love, for in human love we have glimpses of that love of God's."

As devotional as he is, Yogananda goes far beyond gushing. He provides useful anaysis of the ways human beings are "clever in their ignorance" and avoid achieving the very End they so desperately crave. Near the end of "How to Cultivate..." he brings us back on track to the systematic, selfless practices of ecumenical meditation upon the Source of our being, the Source of all love:

... "If you meditate deeply, a love will come over you such as no human tongue can describe; you will know (Divine Love), and you will be able to give that pure love to others." Yogananda's pronouncements ring with the unmistakable authority of someone who KNOWS, who has been there, who has practiced and seen the results. Throughout this volume's forty-seven chapters we learn about the universality of spirituality across all religions and all ages, and we hear from someone with a cosmic, ages-long perspective about the path we have been climbing (often unconsciously) and about means for speeding our ascent. As he both explains and exemplifies, Yogananda insists that even though the path requires periods of dedicated solitude, it is not solitary: single-pointed love for God also means serving children of the Divine.

When you read "Divine Romance" you will probably identify some chapters as 'the best.' My own experience suggests this is just a function of what the reader needs at the time. They are all jewels, sparkling with special appeal when they are shedding light on areas of particular darkness of particular days. That being said, I'll still highlight some special essays:

"The Mind: Repository of Infinite Power" - Wisdom from the ancient-and-modern science of yoga on how to harness that wildest of human organs, the mind. This chapter includes a blessed reminder for anyone who has studied the full three years of Yogananda's "SRF Lessons" on meditation and spiritual development. So luxurious with methods and skills to practice are his teachings that students with perfectionist leanings sometimes feel close to giving up because of the impossibility of mastering ALL the practices described. Reassuringly, the yoga master promises, "If you practice one millionth of the things that I tell you (in these teachings) you will reach God."

"Personal and Impersonal God" - This powerful talk resolves the apparent contradiction of God being able to be both personal and impersonal. Yogananda explains the important value in taking either perspective in our pursuit of The Divine. He also explains the role of Christ and other personal manifestations of divinity in varied religious paths to The Transcendent.

"How to Find a Way to Victory" - A brilliant essay that puts to shame all the shallow get-rich-quick books on 'success.' He always keeps us conscious of how multi-faceted our striving must be -- even when it concerns particularly worldly outcomes. As one who achieved these ends before attempting to teach others how to do so, Yogananda explains that outer victories always require inner victories first: "He who becomes master of himself is a real conqueror." ... "And in this inner victory, I find the whole world at my command. ...all things are made clear in the great light of God."

Throughout the talks and essays of Divine Romance, Yogananda keeps returning us to our search for the Ultimate Kingdom of love and wisdom: "To gain this wisdom of God is the only purpose for which you were sent here; and if you seek anything else intead, you are going to punish yourself." Gospel-like, n'est-ce pas? Always ringing with Truth because here is someone who has walked the walk. Enjoy! --rp

Rating:
Summary: This book is filled with pearls of great wisdom .
Review: Paramahansa Yogananda's recorded talks in "THE DIVINE ROMANCE", presented to me the most comprehensive, balanced and inspirational view of spirituality and love I have seen in a long time. He must have been a great Bakti Yogi to have such deep vibrations of Divine Love pouring out of every page!

Yogananda's awareness of such a wide range of wisdom in these important life areas of MEDITATION-PSYCHOLOGY-LOVE-PEOPLE-GOD-etc, and the balanced approach to the spiritual life shows an outstanding teaching ability as well. This is wonderful to see in writings on such subtle and profound matters. He takes the "mystery" out of the mystical. In this book one finds complete and sensible answers to sastisfy the mind and heart. It makes one greatful that such great souls still come to help us through our lives of difficult learning and growing. This book was difficult to put down, but I found that reading it slowly and encouraged me to seek and feel the presence of God more and more deeply. Try it and you will know. As wonderful as reading can be, it took my consciousness to finer realms...

Also Recommended: Man's Eternal Quest...Journey to Self-Realization and Autobiography of a Yogi.

CONTENTS:
How To Culitvate Divine Love
A Newlook at the origin and nature of Cosmic Creation
Practicing Religion Scientifically.
Finding the Joy in Life.
The End of the World.
The Why and How of Religion.
The Spectrum of Spiritual Consciousness.
The Mind:Repository of Infinite Power.
Why Evil is Part of Gods Creation.
The Mysery okf Mahatma Gandhi.
The Unknown Potential of Memory.
How to Work Without Fatigue.
Ridding the Consciousness of Worry.
The Yoga Art of Overcoming Death an Mortal Consciousness.
How Feelings Mask the Soul.
Where is Jesus Now and What is He Doing?
Do Souls Reincarnate?
Where are Our Departed Loved Ones?
Reflections on LOVE.
The Known and the Unknown.
Controlling Your Destiny.
!How to Free Yourself from Bad Habits.
Oriental and Occidental Christianity.
A World Without Boundaries.
To Know God Is To Love All.
How You Can Approach God.
The Cosmic Lover.
Personal and Impersonal God.
Take God With you Through Life.
A Scripture of Love.
.........and others

Rating:
Summary: The road to God directed by a Realised Master.
Review: This book changed the way I look at life, and my way of thinking.
It is a must for people on the Spiritual path.
Thank you for this book Yogananda!

Rating:
Summary: ROUGHER AND DEEPER WATERS!
Review: This is the second of Yogananda's trilogy. The first is "Man's Eternal Quest". This is the second. "Journey to Self-Realization" is third and last. Hold onto your pants on this one. Reading "Man's Eternal Quest" is not absolutely necessary to read before this book. "Man's Eternal Quest" is primarily pragmatic in our daily approach in life. This book deals primarily (although their are many helpful chapters for daily living) with DEATH and WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE AND AFTER DEATH. Yogananda was a lot like an explorer. And he knew about seeing a review of our present life after death and the tunnel that we go through and the brillant light and being able to float above our corpse and seeing relatives FIFTY YEARS BEFORE THE NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES WERE BEING RECORDED. Why not buy this book by the spiritual Magellan, Columbus, and DeSoda of our times? Good luck explorer.

Rating:
Summary: ROUGHER AND DEEPER WATERS!
Review: This is the second of Yogananda's trilogy. The first is "Man's Eternal Quest". This is the second. "Journey to Self-Realization" is third and last. Hold onto your pants on this one. Reading "Man's Eternal Quest" is not absolutely necessary to read before this book. "Man's Eternal Quest" is primarily pragmatic in our daily approach in life. This book deals primarily (although their are many helpful chapters for daily living) with DEATH and WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE AND AFTER DEATH. Yogananda was a lot like an explorer. And he knew about seeing a review of our present life after death and the tunnel that we go through and the brillant light and being able to float above our corpse and seeing relatives FIFTY YEARS BEFORE THE NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES WERE BEING RECORDED. Why not buy this book by the spiritual Magellan, Columbus, and DeSoda of our times? Good luck explorer.

Rating:
Summary: Me and Yogananda...
Review: When you read Yogananda you immediately feel that he was a man in communion directly with the beyond. The love and insight that come from him are unbounded. He shares about God, human suffering, the astral plane, and enlightment, leading you to a life changing understanding that can only come from having been with a master.