Paramahansa Yogananda on Having Faith in Our Spiritual Potential

An introduction:

Paramahansa Yogananda taught that each of us, as a beloved child of the Divine, is in reality an all-powerful and ever-joyous soul.

Yet as we go through life, it can be all too easy to focus on our perceived flaws and temporary habits, and lose faith in ourselves — wondering if we are actually worthy to realize our noble dreams and experience the high states of consciousness of which the great saints and sages speak.

But Paramahansaji constantly reminds us in his teachings that in truth we are already eternally one with God, each having the potential through meditation to possess God-consciousness in this lifetime.

Below you will find potent guidance from Paramahansaji on how to cultivate a more positive and spiritually charged outlook, to help you confidently claim your divine birthright to more deeply experience the love and joy of God.

From the talks and writings of Paramahansa Yogananda:

Realize that you are a part of Spirit and that just behind the spark of your life is the Flame of Infinity; just behind the glimmer of your thoughts is the Great Light of God.

What you are is much greater than anything or anyone else you have ever yearned for. God is manifest in you in a way that He is not manifest in any other human being. Your face is unlike anyone else’s, your soul is unlike anyone else’s, you are sufficient unto yourself; for within your soul lies the greatest treasure of all — God.

Don’t believe you are incapable of doing anything. Often when you can’t succeed at something it is because you have made up your mind that you cannot do it. But when you convince your mind of its accomplishing power, you can do anything!

By communing with God you change your status from a mortal being to an immortal being. When you do this, all bonds that limit you will be broken. This is a very great law to remember.

Many years ago when meditating I used to think, “Will I ever get ecstasy?” I was afraid that samadhi would never come to me. But as soon as I gave up those fear thoughts, it was there. I said to myself: “How strange! I was afraid my mind was too restless to find God.” When I lost the fear that I would never have God, I found Him.

Learn how to develop the seeds of your innate God-given faculties of the mind….You will be surprised how much it can do if you cast off the limitations you have put on it.

Read an excerpt from SRF/YSS President Brother Chidananda’s satsanga at the 2025 SRF World Convocation entitled “We Are Worthy of the Blessings of Spiritual Consciousness,” in which he shares an inspiring story from Paramahansa Yogananda and explains how we can deepen our practice of one of Paramahansaji’s “Cosmic Chants” — to help us understand how much we are cherished by the Divine.