Autobiography of a Yogi
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| Supporting reservations are presupposed throughout: |
Word Distributions
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| Master 463 times, Christ 40 times: Consider it. |
Master Is the Top Card (Word)
The column to the left below shows how often words are encountered (their frequencies) throughout the whole book when footnotes are kept out of it. The column to the right shows words and word parts.We go on to comment on the word count below the table.
| Frequency | Words |
| 463 | Master, Masters (3) |
| 419 | guru* (including 8 'gurudev'*) |
| 372 | yoga* and yogi* |
| 316 | God'* |
| 265 | sri (holy) |
| 241 | divine |
| 213 | great* |
| 199 | saint*, saintly (15) |
| 189 | -ji (suffix) |
| 167 | mind, minds |
| 157 | swami* (Hindu 'monk') |
| 123 | sir |
| 115 | Kriya (handy gasping and further) |
| 112 | meditat* (can mean contemplate, contemplative, contemplation) |
| 96 | Lord |
| 72 | consciousness |
| 64 | wisdom |
| 61 | develop* (30), evolut* (24), evolv* (9) |
| 55 | West |
| 43 | sacred, sacredness (0) |
| 43 | dear |
| 42 | holy, holiness (2) |
| 40 | Christ |
| 34 | universe, universes (3) |
| 32 | sage, sages (3) |
| 31 | bliss |
| 31 | ego* (most often negatively charged) |
| 29 | monk |
| 27 | East |
| 27 | lips |
| 24 | modern |
| 23 | art, arts (5) |
| 21 | Krishna |
| 19 | intellect* |
| 17 | Christian, Christians (3) |
| 15 | divinity |
| 13 | monast* |
| 13 | wise |
| 11 | Christlike |
| 11 | fish, fishes (1) |
| 10 | silk |
| 9 | follower* |
| 7 | blossom |
| 6 | Blessed, blessedness (1) |
| 5 | South |
| 4 | clever |
| 4 | pond |
| 4 | philosopher |
| 4 | artist, artists (3) |
| 3 | Christs |
| 3 | tenaci* |
| 3 | gay |
| 2 | cramped |
| 2 | fool |
| 2 | cherry, cherries |
| 2 | couch |
| 2 | rational |
| 1 | humor |
| 1 | little children |
| 1 | consisten* |
| 1 | shepherd |
| 1 | Kung Fu (earlier: Confucius) |
| 1 | polar bears |
| 1 | artist |
| 1 | artistic |
| 1 | frivol* |
| 1 | make love, have sex (with variants in present and past tense), "live together as man and wife only once a year, for the purpose of having children." (1) |
| 0 | holy cow |
| 0 | disc jockey |
| 0 | Tao* |
| 0 | fishing |
| 0 | North |
| 0 | handiness |
| 0 | penis (incl. 'linga', 'lingam') |
| 0 | Hawaii |
| 0 | infamous |
| 0 | homosexual* |
The asterix (*) marks a group of letters that may be found in various words. Thus, Tao* above is found as Tao itself, in Taoism, Taoist and Taoistic. There are no mentions of any of them in Yogananda's Autobiography.
- Terms most often found, can reflect deep attitudes of the author -
Possible Significance, or "What all this could mean"
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| Christs are mentioned 40 times. Hm! |
"It takes two to tango (British proverb)." In the West the word 'Master' calls for something complementary, which suggests what is your role in the "dance" together. It could be the role of 'servant', 'slave', 'apprentice' or 'disciple', one or several or all of them. In the East, what goes along with 'Master' can be 'student' or 'disciple' - in another setting, and with different modes of behaving too. There is no reason to be silent about it, as the kriya yoga pledge in SRF is far stricter, far more severe, than any such pledge in India, where change of guru is permissable. Not so in SRF.
TO BE greatly spiritual is not the same as drivelling religious vocabulary or propaganda, of course. To be spiritual is not exactly the same as being a reader of spiritual lore, for you can be spiritual without reading a thing by Yogananda or anyone else. This is not to say that reading spiritual books do not help some, for it may "keep the fire burning" to some degree. But first things first: to be spiritual is to be attuned to Spirit. That comes first. And to be authentic ("the one you were to begin with without reading a book") begins it. In sum: go for being who you are, but take precautions too, in an enemic setting. It is not to be submissive. It's often best to be forewarned - also against conspiracies - and a little is not always enough:
- On top of the table words that could denote great personal submissiveness (near to giving up oneself), abound.
- In the tentative median range we find words used 100-200 times. Such words could denote what we hope to get into.
- Near the bottom there are the glimmerings of possible solutions for bossism or servility, through words that hardly glimmer in the book, or not at all.
Kriya-yoga, not really any shortcut apotheosis thing? In a book that for one thing talks for egohood development into godhood by shortcut method like kriya yoga, we might expect much and sound presentation aligned to that sort of development, or apoteosis, as the guru calls it in one place. But no, that is not so. That may seem strange too.
If you want to learn neat hints on how to evolve the proprium, or "range of one's will and influence", there is a neat little book by Dr. Gordon Allport to look into instead. [Pe] If you mean to become more outstanding, why not go for suggestions offered by neo-freudians too? The field after Dr. Eric Berne and big followers may be my favourite field, but Dr. Carl Gustav Jung has useful nuggets too. Besides there are Drs. Rudolf Steiner, Erich Fromm, Rollo May, Abraham Maslow and Carl R. Rogers, to name a few of the most widely read and forefronted of the many able men inside what is called humanistic psychology and education. It draws much inspiration from Indian sources among other sources, but it doesn't succumb and submit up to completely. It strives to work largely on its own terms, basically.
Recently, cognitive psychology has caught many pearls of great price too, by cumbersome laboratory work and much else. There is much good in cognitive psychology, and it pays to get skilled, in part in these fields.
As for the table and its many discreet uses, we can't be completely sure of what everything means or signifies from mere raw data. The numbers in the table are very raw data. Yet they can be very useful, at least to some that need practice in counting and further. Counting often helps us to ascertain findings, and in very many ways. Basically, statistics revolves around it.
"There is many a form of ambush." Now, when it comes to interpretations of the raw data, we look into what meanings may lie hidden - more or less hidden - in the gathered data.
We think it becomes easier to understand the real meaning or significance of our tabled findings if you consider in this way:
"Well, if the text spans almost 500 pages, footnotes included, then it signals that a blend of some of these terms can be met with on almost every page throughout: Master, guru, yogi/yoga, God, sri (holy), divine, great, saint, swami (Hindu monk), kriya, Lord - and so on. (Look at the table).As the table reflects the impact of presented, often repeated wordings, we suggest that these words mark the profile of the work along with predominant themes deep inside the work, and what is particularly highlighted - that could be "cosmic consciousness" more than "(become like) little (unread) children".
- There's many a "slip of the lip", but not repeated 482 times, presumably.
Ever Godman-Submissive, is that it?
So if you hunger for words that definitely indicate you are to take a deeply submissive stand in front of the holy monks of India - or one of them - or if you long for development of deeper parts of your mind or for freedom or more liberation in that way - this book goes into such themes pretty well, but not full well, and it does it with an authoritarian attitude and many infiltrating concepts. That is fair to say.The problem with that sort of presentation is that you may be wholly or partly expected to become like a cringing expert, or a devotee - always submissive under godmen (good guys) from India, always devoted and perhaps fervent for many years first, while you expect your great reward for entering a deal that allegedly promises guru-given freedom to you if you "play the submissive game" set up - or "submissive deal". And do you know what? Such a deal could well limit formerly had freedom degrees more often than not.
So prepare for a big hoax. They call this guru-formed deal or gift spiritual and very useful. But the tracks and traces hinted at here, could help you to see better:
Much talk of God, Masters and sacred fellows doesn't help a man full well, nor does authoritarian training. It tends to demolish personal interests, and maybe your character and further development depends largely on your flourishing own interests. - Max Sacre, psychoanalystWe should not be taken in by any submissive game or narcissist plot. Nor should we be molested by awe and impressive agents of man-fishing experts. No, we had better not be tamed by "trolls of yoga" in modern and freak-linked ways. There is so much else around that quickly destroys a man.
We suggest you look at "the whole package" - as if fattened words make a healthy meal!? - we suggest very tender psychoanalysis first. And to ease your journey, why not look into our modern haiku (poetry) server? [LINK] You find at least "God" in that layout - well, do it only if you have the stomach for it, and handle it. Wisdom: "It takes a great man to handle the great things encountered."
And the New Testaments often asserts that great wisdom looks like folly to men in the world, and there is reason to add: "and vice versa".
Now, a rather simple word distribution study could aid - through rough or elaborate estimates - in revealing some basic orientations of author-and-public. There is more on it below.
- The total impact of a book consists of value-charged words too, not just quantitative repetitions.
Possible Autobiography Dangers
| The study is fastened | ||
|---|---|---|
| We don't say good things should stop, and we give you many firm handles to discern here. |  |
First: To put it simply: Jesus Christ of the Bible insists that false Christs (Messiahs) are dangerous wolves. But lots of bears should be all right! |
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"Don't mind if you drop reading this first-class propaganda classic at all." |  |
Word Distribution Anew
Words can be ranked and grouped and classified in more than one way. The table that follows, goes into how often words may be found in the complete Autobiography, footnotes not included. And thus the following remarks pertain to profiling in a work, but we can't say how they relate to the guru's central instance, or core:- The words that are often used can reveal much of interest, but we often have to study the phenomenological "charge" of the words, to be able to say something accurate.
- Words that are in 'medium' use and moderate use, may reveal a more or less hidden humdrum (of activities) the writing is on top of, yet it depends. Qualitative study has to go into it.
- Words that are hardly ever made use of, or not at all, may not reflect attitudes in vogue there and then, and they could thus contain liberating and still not outmoded solutions somehow, as hinted at above. There are many such examples on other Castle pages.
Look at the table on top of the page. Is it feasible to detect the author's inbuilt stances, attitudes, servility problems, sexual strength (bluntness, we presume); position-taking; attitude-formation to gurus and fence-building efforts?
If you consider that the writing is like the man, it might be workable, and if you consider there is valid correspondence between a narrator (author) and his work.
- It may take some time to consider and decide whether or how far the "universe" of the author is handy and valid for the self-help man too.
Arthur Koestler ealing with fans
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We should be alerted to that much "qualitative research" in these days rest on peculiar strategies and the ability to form one's own opinions. How right or wrong they may be, has to be ascertained by better methods, fairly different methods, or better and more professionally fastened people.
- It helps to become good at ascertaining. There are methods to tackle for it.
The need to consider
| What do you want to hear? - | ||
|---|---|---|
| "Brag is a good dog ..." (Proverb) - Offhand mentions may be hard to tackle and deal with later. | |
Start: Revealing arts are for straight guys. |
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To look worthy or holy and be that is different. The more talk of worth as holiness, the more shit inside, or ...? | |
Market Concerns
The little survey of word frequencies stems from a perusal. It is reasonable to assert that words that are most often used, can be linked to some sort of "sale" - and in some cases it is underhand. A "sale" of terms is due to market strengths and mechanisms of acceptance, we dare say.Thus, the most often used terms can reflect ideas and norms that were commonly thought highly of in North America in the 1940s and perhaps much later too. More goes into it. The terms may also reflect a "marketing campaign" where "the guru is good" is introduced much and long, just like "Master-servility is all right".
On the other hand, frivolity and artlike fare is not frequently signalled as good. The use of the many and compounded signals of attitudes and basic orientations in the Autobiography, reflect "welcomes" (acceptance) on the rich and influential North American market, and serious concept bungling against maya is found in later editions of the book too. [LINK]
- The point is that acclaimed books reflect preferences of the acclaimers. If the acclaimers were gross and outdated Americans, then we might be "sniffing" at a former and recent problem, or what?
Of Conduct
One aim of the autobiography was perhaps to inspire great reverence or awe for Indian gurus - maybe that is hidden at first, but a similar atmosphere predominates other works on or by Yogananda too. For example, Sayings of Yogananda has a "Great Master - reverence" glow throughout. [Cf. Say]- Some like it hot, some like it cold.
Religiousness may lead up to spirituality
Spirituality should be fostered all the way. Yogananda's autobiography is called a spiritual classic, but what is meant by 'spiritual' may vary.A spiritual person may not conform to religious cult-like behaviour, for an individual (made in God's image) has to rise above conformism, and religiousness is often of conformity, socially speaking. Religious persons may predominate in a church, and they tend to relate to or are devoted to religious beliefs or observances in scrupulous and conscientious manner. The spiritual individual, however, may have to dispense with and also go against blind-folded common beliefs as he seeks to make his own way through life.
Hence, a truly liberating education had better offers good food for what is essential to nourish, to as many as possible of very basic and central features that go into personal development in the humanistic fields. Subservience and servility are not good in the long run, and may be very much contrary to what individuation (Carl Jung's term) calls for in general.
Also, what Dr. Abraham Maslow puts into the variegated construct "self-realisation" is fairly different. If often denotes some kind of deviation - in a fundamentally positive way, but good manifestations of realising oneself may not be understood or appreciated in a conform neighbourhood at all, especially not at first.
Thus, maybe you can't have your cake and eat it too. Liberating self-help education and guru-dictated ways of training oneself and of conforming to a church, for example, may not always go very well together. What is more, maturity is not had by conform measures alone. Also, soundness may be hindered by conformity, particularly gross variants of it.
- There is much to ponder and more to learn throughout the school of life.
How to give help
Basically, the most frequent words (see the rankings in the table above) mirror very predominant religiosity, when it comes to words and basic attitudes. And it helps some to know the difference between getting spiritual (individuated and so on) and merely conform-religious, through servility, unbending verbiage and rigmarole items put together.This is not an attack on religiousness per se (in itself), for it is often rooted in basic friendliness and even devoutness in children or the Child mind deep inside, that's where the heart is for some. Besides, it can be utterly useful for tiny sprouts that need a fence, or twigs that need lenient enough support. This is much as swami Vivekananda insists somewhere too. Young children and even adults need to be protected. In Norway and Sweden the government have found it necessary to protect its citizens from themselves - that is, distribution of hard liquours and wines were severely restricted by laws, and from necessity. That was quite an example, or what? [Cf. Via]
The main point is that the guru behind the Autobiography allegedly advocates unexpectely wondrous development through self-effort and self-surrender, and the question is whether those thwo are mutually exclusive. If so, obedient followers have a problem. At least bent followers have one. It may pay to be aware of idealizations or descriptions that hail and advocate above what others find out, because realism could be at stake around the corner. And if realism is hurt in an individual, fairness could be the next victim along with truthfulness.
Therefore, have fun enough (see table) refuse to be downcast, refuse to surrender free will, autonomy and self-sufficiency if you can handle it.
Another point is: For practical men and women, there is no reason to give away hard-won, attained autonomy and such assets, for the sake of fitting in to a set-up that smacks servile herding. Learning kriya yoga shouldn't be a means to stepping down those stairs.
- Have fun! is a part of Yogananda's over-all message.
Yoga or Contemplation
The guru writes that kriya yoga got lost and have many ramifications - think of it. This signals among other things that the fellowship that Yogananda formed, doesn't own any dispensing monopoly in the West. There are some others that hand out kriya yoga too. Kriya yoga is basically clever, gentle gasping. It is meant to be culinary, and life itself needs the artistic touch from time to time.Also, handy yoga or contemplation is found in many circles, and it seems foolishness to give up degrees of freedom to be instructed on how to practise - how to train oneself. This is doubly" so because one cherished goal of attainment is freedom. But sumbission may work for some, again.
Progress in sound contemplation (diving inside) is had from cool, calm practice, and great interested in "guru-fantastic tales" may not help all and sundry to accomplish it. There are barely good enough reasons to get fanatic in these matters. Great fanatics could have been cramped inside by too narrow-minded bigotry in the first place. Surely the religousness dance demands victims and underdogs (Frederick Perls' term). Genuine spirituality, however, is not exactly the same as sensationalism and tell-tales. Spiritual persons learn how to glide inside, to dive deeper than concepts, and attain such as "mental unrelatedness" to the circus of religious concepts and fervent ceremonialism, rigmarole, and gross ballyhoo. Further, it should work well to be mentally vaccinated to avoid any serious sumbissiveness disease. Not everybody recovers from that illness.
You could do well if you rise to become artistic, all in all.
- Often artists strive for attention to feed themselves, but being sensational is neither essential for artist activity in itself, nor yogis.
World-Renown Too
GET READY for this complete 1st edition of Autobiography of a Yogi online [LINK]. The book was recently selected one of the 100 best spiritual books of the 20th century by Philip Zaleski and a committee of 16 world-renowned scholars and authors. |
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Adjoined
Ay: Yogananda, Paramahansa. Autobiography of a Yogi. 1st ed. New York: Philosophical Library, 1946. Online. [oaks.nvg.org/pv6bk12.html]Ebu: Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica 2006 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD. London: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2006.
Say: Yogananda, Pa. Sayings of Yogananda. Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1958.
Pe: Allport, Gordon. Personligheten - hvordan formes den? Oslo: Dreyer, 1966.
Via: Nikhilananda, swami. Vivekananda. The Yogas and Other Works. Rev. ed. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1953.
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