Intro

Holyscience.org serves as a gateway or portal for information on yoga meditation. There are masters who have shared their knowledge and wisdom for the benefit of everyone. This site focuses on the meditation methods and teachings of the yoga master Paramhansa Yogananda (January 5, 1893–March 7, 1952) and those spiritual societies most closely based on his teachings or influenced by him.

In 1996 an intro to philosophy class and a book on world religions served as a spark to ignite my interest in the possibility of proving God's existence. I had a strong pull towards the Bible, particularly the New Testament, and ferverently read the words of Jesus Christ in an attempt to understand what perhaps deeper insights they were trying to convey. I've heard the gospel read many times in church and read the New Testament myself in the past, but this time I decided to delve into them like never before, hoping to find a way to prove God's existence. I soon realized that Jesus often spoke in parables and metaphors, some of which he went on to explain, but leaving many others open to interpretation.

After many long nights I found the task of trying to get a deeper grasp on the teachings and a way to prove God's existence through them, daunting to say the least. About a week went by when I stopped into a local bookstore where I noticed a radiant face of an Indian man on one of the book covers. I was very drawn to pick it up and quickly glanced through its pages. What I saw were teachings on Hinduism and yoga, something I had no interest in or familiarity with, and even had a degree of distaste for. Filled with confidence in knowing the answers I was seeking had to be found one way or another in Christianity, I put it back on the shelf. I remember thinking 'these yoga fanatics think they are better than Jesus and God.' As I stood in line to make another purchase, I somehow changed my mind and decided to go back for the book thinking it would be a challenge to read, but mostly to verify my strong pre-established beliefs.

The name of the book I bought that day is the Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda. What followed was the greatest literary adventure of my life. It showed me there was in fact a way to prove God's existence, revealed the deeper meaning of the Holy Bible, explained the underlying unity and oneness of all religions, specifically Christianity and Hinduism, and the great goal of life. One of my favorite reviews of the book is by the San Francisco Chronicle: "Yogananda presents a convicing case for yoga, and those who 'come to scoff' may 'remain to pray."