Following are excerpts from an article entitled “From Vision to Legacy: Self-Realization Magazine Celebrates a Century of Sharing Paramahansa Yogananda’s Living Wisdom” to be published in the forthcoming 2025 annual issue of Self-Realization magazine.
One hundred years ago Paramahansa Yogananda inaugurated Self-Realization magazine as the official outreach organ of his worldwide organization. Initially named East-West and later renamed by him as Self-Realization, it was one of the first periodicals with widespread circulation in the West to present the profound philosophy and teachings of Yoga, India’s ancient science of uniting the soul with Spirit.
As we celebrate its centennial in 2025, we honor Paramahansa Yogananda’s far-reaching vision in creating this much-loved periodical, which has helped countless SRF/YSS students and friends maintain a connection with his living wisdom for over a century — and, in recent years, given birth to a host of additional SRF outreach vehicles inspired by Paramahansaji’s original vision for the magazine.
Throughout his early years in America, Paramahansaji had been aware of the great need for a magazine, which would bring Self-Realization Fellowship ideals and teachings to a wider audience of truth seekers than he could reach through lecturing alone.
In addition, as he taught in more and more cities all over the country, he wanted a magazine to serve the thousands who had become his students — in order to give continuing spiritual inspiration and guidance, and information about SRF activities, after he left each place.
Founding of the Magazine
The remarkable story of the magazine’s inception bears an unmistakable signature of divine orchestration. In 1925, while in San Francisco to give lectures, Yoganandaji declared to his secretary with the unwavering faith that characterized his entire life, “Next month we must begin our new magazine.”
“But Sir,” replied the secretary, “we have no money for such a huge undertaking!”*
Staying at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, one afternoon the Guru felt an inclination to visit the hotel’s lobby. There he encountered an elderly woman of refined bearing who recognized him and began asking him questions about his spiritual work and teachings. He satisfied her inquiries. She then asked if he could be there again the next afternoon, to which he agreed. Again she plied him with questions, and seemed deeply satisfied with all the answers the Guru gave.
This woman, Mrs. Mary E. Foster, then presented Yoganandaji with an extremely generous check that set the wheels of this spiritual venture in motion. When he handed it to his secretary later, he said, with a certain emphasis, “We start the magazine next month, just as I said we would.”
Promoting Healing of Body, Mind, and Soul for a Century
From handmade text blocks created by casting letters in lead, to offset printing, to electronic Linotype machines and photocomposition, to computerized design and printing, throughout the decades since its founding the magazine has continued to present Paramahansa Yogananda’s teachings while keeping up with evolving means and technologies....
Continuing with its mission to promulgate the science of yoga and promote healing of body, mind, and soul, Self-Realization today is an integral component of a growing spiritual ecosystem of outreach offerings from SRF — many of which originated in the magazine itself: Paramahansa Yogananda’s published books and home-study Lessons; the SRF website and social media presence; monthly inspirational newsletters covering many of the same topics that the magazine has specialized in all these years; weekly online inspirational services and other audio-video content from SRF/YSS monastics, including the annual Convocation now fully livestreamed, and a library of podcasts available on most of the large commercial platforms; an online meditation center offering hundreds of live group meditations and study groups each month; youth programs; regional and online retreat programs; and in-person temples and meditation centers around the globe. The same goal that animated the magazine’s inception a century ago now finds expression through multiple channels, each bringing to truth-seekers a new avenue of reinforcing their connection with the ever-living love and wisdom of Paramahansa Yogananda.
As Self-Realization enters its second century, it is our sincere prayer that it may continue, in ever-evolving ways, to serve Paramahansa Yogananda’s legacy of bringing eternal wisdom and an understanding of the soul-liberating science of yoga to a world in constant need, uplifting readers worldwide just as it did when it first emerged from the Guru’s inspired vision a hundred years ago.
* The early years of Paramahansa Yogananda’s mission experienced many financially difficult times. This particular instance was almost immediately after he had shouldered two mortgages in connection with establishing his large International Headquarters on Mount Washington in Los Angeles.
You can read the full article about the history of the magazine — as well as a previously unpublished article by Paramahansa Yogananda, and articles by Brother Chidananda, Sri Daya Mata, and others on balanced spiritual living — in the forthcoming 2025 annual issue of Self-Realization. Subscribers to the magazine also can access a wealth of online content, including many articles from past issues and audio recordings of talks by SRF/YSS monastics.
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