7 Spiritual Insights from George Harrison’s Favorite Guru

Last updated on: January 11, 2024 at 6:03 pm by Tom Rapsas

7 Spiritual Insights from George Harrison’s Favorite Guru 2024-01-11T18:03:41-07:00 Tom Rapsas

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

George Harrison, 1974, courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The following story is one of 112 included in my new book “Wake Up Call: Daily Insights for the Spiritually Curious.” It’s available at Amazon.

Are you old enough to remember when the Beatles had a brief fling with Indian spirituality? In 1968, the group went to India to visit Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement. While the trip ended abruptly, due to some questionable behavior by the Yogi, it was part of the spiritual development of George Harrison. Something about India stuck.

Disillusioned by money and fame, Harrison had begun seeking deeper meaning in his life, a quest that eventually led him to Hindu mysticism. He would discover the book Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda. Though he never met Yogananda (who passed away in 1952), his message so impressed Harrison that he used to give away copies of the book to any person he believed needed a “regrooving.” During a visit to the White House in 1977 he gave a copy to then President Gerald Ford.

Trivia note: Harrison saw to it that the face of Yogananda was included in the sea of people on the Beatles’ “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album cover. See if you can locate it.

When it comes to gurus, Yogananda is somewhat unique in that he wanted people to follow his message, and not him personally. His teachings combined both Hinduism and Christianity and he quoted Jesus frequently. Yogananda believed in Christ Consciousness, an awareness of our oneness with God that was achieved by Jesus. He teaches that Jesus did not come to earth to draw people to himself. He came to draw them to the truth which Jesus said “shall make you free.” In Yogananda’s words, “Discover who you are, behind your outer trappings, and you will discover who Jesus was.”

What follows are insights from The Essence of Self-Realization, the Wisdom of Paramhansa Yogananda. The book contains the teachings of Yogananda as recoded and compiled by a direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) who was with the guru during the final years of his life. When Yogandanda spoke, or was asked questions, Walters dutifully wrote down his words and the book captures the essence of Yoganada’s core teachings.

I have lightly edited and reordered the information from the book below, turning some thoughts into questions. It should give you a sense of Yogananda’s life philosophy which many spiritual people find is easily relatable. (For additional insights from Yogananda, see my story on life tips from Steve Jobs’ guru.)

8 Spiritual Insights from Yogananda

“What is the purpose of life?” Your purpose is to find God, that is the only reason for your existence. Jobs, friends, material interests—these things in themselves mean nothing. They can never provide you with true happiness, for the simple reason that none of them is complete. Only God encompasses everything.
“Where can I find God?” Its within your own self that God must be realized. Your own body is the temple of God. Whatever places you visit outwardly, or whatever rituals you perform, the ultimate pilgrimage must be within.
“How do I locate God within?” Close your eyes and concentrate at the point between your eyebrows. Gaze deeply into the darkness and penetrate the thick veil. In time, you will see the inner light, for it is always there, shining in your forehead. Just like everyone has eyes, everyone has this spiritual eye within their forehead. It is discovered through deep concentration within.
“Can God also outside be found outside the body?” Walk outside your door and consider that everything around you is a part of your own awareness of God. Sense the leaves trembling on the trees, the meadow grasses as they wave in the wind. God is present. Listen to the birds singing, feel the sun’s rays on your skin. God is present. Imagine the breeze as God’s breath, inspiring all things and giving them life.
“How should I pray?” When you pray to God, pray from your heart. Say what you really feel, not what you think. Be completely sincere. Heartfelt prayer gives power to your thoughts. While it is alright to pray for things, it is better still to ask that God’s will be done in your life. God knows what you need and will do much more for you than the best you can imagine for yourself.
“What is the key to happiness?” When you are right inwardly, all things are right, for you see everything as part of God. You then accept all things as they are, without judgement, and look with kindness and sympathy on everyone. Make up your mind to be happy and no one on earth can take that happiness from you.
“What is the best religion?” It is not a religion at all, but self-realization, knowing that your true self is not the ego, but God, the vast ocean of Spirit. It is knowing that in all parts of your body, mind and soul, you are now in possession of the Kingdom of God. You do not have to pray for it to come to you. God’s omnipresence is your omnipresence. All you need to do is improve your knowing.

Some final words of advice from Yogananda:

When you are with others, be with them wholeheartedly. But when you are by yourself, be alone with God.

Previous Post

August 6, 2020

An 8-Step Guide to Living Your Life with Gumption

Next Post

August 19, 2020 2 Huge Revelations—from the Godfather of American Spirituality

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 50+ Spirituality 60 Second Inspiration Activism Adversity Afterlife agape aging Aliens Angels Angels and aliens anger animism Astrology Atheists Attention Attitude Authenticity Awareness Awe Ayahuasca Balance Beginnings Being Present Belief Bhagavad Gita Bible birth of Jesus Blessings Bliss Bono Breathing Buddha Buddhism Calling cats Centered Centering Prayer Chakras Change Character Character and Aging Christ consciousness Christianity Christmas Church Civility commencement speeches commitments compassion Connecting with God Consciousness Contemplation Contemplative Prayer Contentment Conversations with God Coping Coping mechanisms Corinthians Coronavirus Covid creativity Daily practice Dalai Lama David Brooks David Frenette Death Deathbed visions Decisions determinism Discernment disconnecting Donald Shimoda Dreaming of the Dead dreams Drinking Easter Eastern religion Eckhart Tolle ego Elders Emerson Engagement Enlightenment everyday magic Everyday Spirituality Evil Spirits Expectations experience Faith fate Fatima Fear Feel Finding God Fitness Fulfillment Gandhi Gary Zukav Generosity Giving Gnostic gospels Gnostics God God's will Golden Rule Good & Evil Gospel of Thomas Gospels Grace Gratitude Grief Growing Older Guardian Angels gumption Gurus Halloween Happiness health health and happiness Heaven Helping others High Strangeness Hinduism Holiday Season honesty Honor Hope Humility impostor syndrome inner music Inner Work Insights insomnia Inspiration Inspirational intuition Investing Jeff Bridges Jesus Jesus Christ John Templeton joy joy of life Justin Bieber Kaballah Kabbalah Karma Kindness koans Law of Attraction Life Life after Death Life and death Life Balance Life Hacks Life Lessons Life Path Life Philosophy Life Plan life purpose Life Rules Life Tips Life's Big Questions Lindsay Lohan Listening Living Intentionally Loneliness Love Magic Mark Twain Marriage Meaning of Life Meditation mentor Mentors Mid-Life Crisis Mindful Mindfulness Money Monks Multiverse Mysterious World mystical experience Mysticism Mystics Mythology Napoleon Hill Near Death Experience (NDE) New Thought New Year New Year's resolutions Noise Oprah Otherworldly out-of-body experience Parables Peace of mind philosophy Plant Intelligence Pope Francis Positive Thinking Prayer prayers for the spiritual Preachers Premonitions presence Prophecies Prophecy Prophets Psalms Purpose Purpose of Life quietude Quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Trine Reconnect Recovery reincarnation Relaxation Religion resolutions Resurrection Ritual Rituals Rules to Live By sadness Sam Harris Sandy Second Act Seeking self Self Mastery self-help self-improvement Seneca sermon sex shamans Sickness Silence Silence of God sleep small voice Smiling Social Activism solitude Soul Soul and Spirit Soul Awakening Spiritual Awakening spiritual beliefs spiritual guidance spiritual journey spiritual living spiritual path Spiritual philosophy Spiritual Practice Spirituality Spirituality and work Spooky Spirituality Stillness stoicism stoics Storytelling Stress Relief Success Suffering Suicide Surrender tao Thanks Thanksgiving the afterlife the bardo the Bible the Blues The Election the Kingdom the secret the self The Soul Thomas Keating Thomas Merton Thomas Moore Time Tony Robbins tradition UFOs Uncategorized Universe Values visualization Voice of God Wake Up Call Wake Up Call book Walls Walt Whitman Well-being Winter Blues Wisdom words to live by Work work/life balance worry Yogananda Zen

Select a Month November 2026 October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 July 2012 April 2012 March 2012 January 2012 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 December 2009 November 2009

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What tree were Adam and Eve told not to eat from?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Tree of Life Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil Olive Tree Fig Tree

Books by This Author Books by Wake Up Call

See All Titles »