C O L L E C TO R ’ S S E R I E S – No.

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An informal talk by ParamahansaYogananda

AWAKE IN THE
COSMIC DREAM
 Awake in the Cosmic Dream

Paramahansa Yogananda
(1893–1952)
“As a bright light shining in the midst of darkness, so was Yogananda’s presence
in this world. Such a great soul comes on earth only rarely, when there is a real
need among men.”
— His Holiness the Shankaracharya of Kanchipuram (1894–1994)
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 A world teacher whose presence among us illumined
the path for countless souls, Paramahansa Yogananda lived
and taught the highest truths of life. All who came within
the sphere of his influence were profoundly touched and
changed. Expressing a perfect balance of wisdom and divine
love, his was a life of complete dedication to God and selfless
service to humanity.
Born in Gorakhpur, India, on January 5, 1893, Paramahansa
Yogananda came to the United States in 1920 as India’s del-
egate to an international congress of religious leaders. He
brought a timeless and universal message: that there is one
goal shared by all religions—union with God—and that the
lasting happiness and fulfillment sought by every human
being may be found in the realization of that Divine Presence
within.
For the next decade, Paramahansaji* traveled exten-
sively, giving lectures and classes in India’s ancient science
and philosophy of Yoga and its time-honored methods of
meditation. In 1925 he established the international head-
quarters of Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles,
and from there the spiritual and humanitarian work he
began continues today under the guidance of one of his
closest disciples, Sri Mrinalini Mata, current president of
Self-Realization Fellowship. In addition to publishing
Paramahansa Yogananda’s writings, lectures, and informal
* “Ji” is a respectful suffix added to names and titles in India.
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 talks—including a comprehensive series of Self-Realization
Fellowship Lessons for home study—the society oversees
temples, retreats, and meditation centers around the world;
the monastic communities of the Self-Realization Order; and
the Worldwide Prayer Circle, which serves as an instrument
to help bring healing to those in need and greater peace
and harmony among all nations. The Eastern headquarters
of Paramahansa Yogananda’s work (known as Yogoda Sat-
sanga Society of India) is located in Dakshineswar, near
Kolkata (Calcutta), and serves centers and meditation
groups throughout India.
The life and teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda are
described in his Autobiography of a Yogi. Since it was first
published in 1946, this book has come to be regarded as a
spiritual classic, and is now used as a text and reference
work in colleges and universities throughout the world.
Revealing the essential unity of the world’s great religious
traditions, Autobiography of a Yogi has been an inspiration to
millions of truth-seekers.

About the Talk

Awake in the Cosmic Dream was recorded on January 5,
1952, during a joyous gathering at the Self-Realization
Fellowship Mother Center in honor of Paramahansa Yoga-
nanda’s birthday. The occasion was especially significant—
for it was just two months later that the great Master left his
body.
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 During the events of the evening, Paramahansaji
addressed the gathering several times, not as one might
speak in a formal lecture or public address, but in a spon-
taneous outpouring of his heart and soul to his closest dis-
ciples and friends. Aware that soon he would no longer be
physically with them, Paramahansaji touches upon the entire
spectrum of spiritual living—all of the vital necessities for
creating a dynamic, living relationship with God. He con-
veys with delightful humor and compassionate understand-
ing why God is the only permanent solution to the enduring
problems of human existence.
Through personal stories and practical guidance, and
through the example of his own intimate communion with
the Divine Beloved who manifested to him even as he spoke,
Paramahansaji gives an unforgettable glimpse of that awak-
ened consciousness in which all mortal dreams of limitation
melt away in the blissful awareness of God, the sole Reality.
Awake in the Cosmic Dream is the second in a special col-
lector’s series of recorded talks by Paramahansa Yogananda.
Self-Realization Fellowship is happy to present these sat-
sanga recordings, which make it possible to know not just
what the great Master said, but how he actually spoke—to
hear his words and feel in them the power, the wisdom, and
the all-embracing love and compassion of his God-illumined
consciousness.

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 Recordings by Paramahansa Yogananda

—Talks—
Beholding the One in All
Awake in the Cosmic Dream
The Great Light of God
Be a Smile Millionaire
Self-Realization: The Inner and the Outer Path
Follow the Path of Christ, Krishna, and the Masters
To Make Heaven on Earth
One Life Versus Reincarnation
Removing All Sorrow and Suffering
In the Glory of the Spirit
Collector’s Series Boxed Set 1 (Compact Discs 1 – 5)
Collector’s Series Boxed Set 2 (Compact Discs 6 – 10)

—Music—
Songs of My Heart

To view our complete line of books, recordings, and devotional

items visit our website at: www.srfbooks.org
Or, you may request a printed version of our
catalog by contacting us at:
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 Self-Realization Fellowship
3880 San Rafael Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90065-3219
Telephone: 818-549-5151
Fax: 818-549-5100
www.yogananda-srf.org

Self-Realization Fellowship was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda as

the instrument for the worldwide dissemination of his teachings. The
Self-Realization Fellowship name and emblem (shown above) appear on
all SRF books, recordings, and other publications, assuring one that a work
originates with the society established by Paramahansa Yogananda and
faithfully conveys his teachings.
Authorized by the International Publications Council of Self-Realization
Fellowship.

© 1987, 2007 Self-Realization Fellowship

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Printed in the U.S.A.
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jA L S O A V A I L A B L E i