With the greatest joy I am honored to be able to share with you my experiences with this wonderful 2-volume set of holy books: The Second Coming of Christ - The Resurrection of the Christ Within You by Paramahansa Yogananda.

With over 1,600 pages of text and beautiful museum quality pages of illustrations I hardly know where to begin to tell you about the value and insight this work has been to me the past few months.

The scope is really beyond words because it is no ordinary spiritual instruction book. What is reinforced is that through studying scripture, through contemplation and deep meditation we can awaken experience of Christ within.

A brief quote from the introduction:
"Though I emphasize the message of Lord Jesus in the New Testament and the yoga science of God-union delineated by Bhagavan Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita as the summum bonum of the way to God-realization, I honor the diverse expressions of truth flowing from the One God through the scriptures of His various emissaries. All such scriptures have a threefold meaning - material, mental, and spiritual. They are divine wells of "living waters" that can quench humanity's thirsts of body, mind, and soul. The timeless revelations sent by God through illumined prophets serve human beings on each of the three levels of their nature."

Open the volumes to any page and the question of the moment is answered, and to me that is a sign of a truly valuable book on the path to experiencing Christ within.

The two volumes together are divided into 77 chapters. Let me share with you a few of the chapter titles: 1. Divine Incarnations: God's Emissaries; 4. The Infancy and Youth of Christ; 9. Jesus Meets His First Disciples; 13. The Second Birth of Man - In Spirit; 20. "Thy Son Liveth": The Healing Power; 26. The Beatitudes; 40. Jesus' Counsel to Ministers of God's Word, Part I.; 43. The True "Bread of Life"; 53. Fulfilling the Two Greatest Commandments; 54. An Esoteric Perspective on The Lord's Prayer; 56. God-realization: The Heavenly Treasure of Individuals and Nations; 61. "The Kingdom of God Is Within You"; 75. "Lo, I Am With You Always."

When words poured forth as fine wine from Sri Yogananda he was drawing from insight after years of deepest meditation. In these volumes we learn from the essence of many world scriptures that which we all seek - how to experience direct communion with God.

Highest recommendation!

Details - 1,696 pages; Self-Realization Fellowship Publishers - Slipcase edition (September 2004); 10 by 6.6 inches; ISBN: 0876125550

Just a little side note - at the time of this review this 2-book set had a 5 star rating with 22 reviews at Amazon.com. I think that fact alone speaks volumes on the value of holding this set of books in your library for a lifetime of reference.

This book can be ordered from Amazon.com at this link:

The Second Coming of Christ - The Resurrection of the Christ Within You by Paramahansa Yogananda

Review by Susan Kramer

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Also by Paramahansa Yogananda
Autobiography of a Yogi
Man's Eternal Quest