This collection of Daya Mata's talks includes some of her most intimate experiences during the twenty years of yoga training she spent with Paramahansa Yogananda, including the instantaneous healing that she had upon first meeting him in 1931 and her NDE (clinical death) experience around 1951. Many of the chapters are transcripts of such intensely moving personal sharings that Sri Daya Mata only reluctantly shared with small groups of devotees on rare occasions when she received a clear inner sanction (most were previously available only on tape recordings).

The availability in book form of these intimate spiritual revelations is a memorable blessing to those who value the chance to dip back into the peak moments of a yogi-saint of untainted stature. Sri Daya Mata's own ego is illusive as she ever lets herself slide into the background, dedicating all action and credit to "God and Guru." In her interactions with her teacher we see in turn how he dedicated himself to "God and (his) Guru..." and so on ad inifinitum.

As one of Mataji's close associates put the challenge: although the average materialist thinks that it signifies a weak will to turn over one's will to Divine Guidance, in fact it takes EXTRAORDINARY will power to follow divine will when the ego is saying 'go this way' and the trivial momentary desires of the body are saying 'go that way.' In Sri Daya Mata's style and substance we see how the power, creativity and beauty of spirit shine through when the ego reaches that paradoxical pinnacle of spirituality: humility.

Daya Mata entered Paramahansa Yogananda's ashram in 1931 and is today his foremost living disciple. She inspires all with her great wisdom and love. She is president and spiritual head of the Self-Realization Fellowship. This remarkable book includes more than thirty chapters on her personal course for God-centered living. She convinces that we can know God and discover a hidden blessing in every adversity.

Daya Mata speaks with candid clarity about living a better and more rewarding life, much of it taken from her own unique experiences. This is an excellent spiritually motivating work which will answer many questions for the sincere novice and advanced devotee of any path.

A long time and loyal disciple of the great spiritual Master Paramahansa Yogananda, she expresses the Divine love of Self-Realization. The author has been the spiritual head of Self-Realization Fellowship and has succeded for over 40 years in maintaining the purity and spirit of Yogananda's tesching. She has also been an outstanding example of this divine path. Let her show you in her own words through this book.

Her straightforward communication never leaves one confused about how to live life with more joy and awareness of God's love. The elements of her pure and enlightened consciousness strengthens the readers spiritual determination.

This book has a universal appeal of non-sectarian approach.

Subjects Include: The divine Purpose of Life......The way to Peace. ..........Understanding the souls need for God. .............The world is Our Family.... ......God Communion: The thread uniting All Religions. ....Harmonizing Spirituality with Outer Achievements. ...............Free Yourself from Tension. .........Deepening Your Love for God. ...........Chanting as a form of Meditation........................ ..........Death: Mystery portal to a better Land ...............The Skilled Profession of child-rearing. ....Overcoming Character Liabilities. ......The Perfect Joy. .....Humility: Perpetual Quietness of Heart. ...........Paramahansa Yogananda-as I Knew Him. ..........Love Will Be a Saviour of the world. ...................Living a God-centered Life. ..........An Anthology of counsel..... AND MUCH MORE...

Also recommended: Only Love,..........Enter the Quiet Heart.......In the Sanctuary of the Soul......Only Love......Autobiography of a Yogi....The Journey to Self-realization. etc

What this book postulates is a new world view. The book is wriiten by recorded talks of Paramahansa Yogananda and the sisters and brothers of Self-Realization Fellowship. The whole book really represents an idea. I will be honest and state that I have trouble with it. Maybe you will not. One chapter is entitled, "Change Yourself, Transform the World." The other ideas stress this idea over and over again. This is an election year. I think that we all want a better world. The idea goes like this. Take 10 people. 3 Democrats, 3 Republicans, 3 Libertarians, and 1 of the Reform Party. The world world be a better place if one of these parties was dominent. Let's take the Republican Party. We have 3 "good guys" among the 10. Now let us swith to the new "transition" that this book proposes. Among the 10, there are two people who inflict pain on others(1 Republican and 1 Democrat), three people who constantly cheat on their spouse (2 Libertarians and 1

Democrat), and two more who cheat in business practices (1 Libertarian and 1 Republican). The 3 remaining people do no harm to others. Now the premise of this book is stating that the 3 remaining people are doing the most good for mankind. No matter what party they belond to - as long as they transform their "own" behavior. Politically, in other words, we are just a drop in the bucket. But Paramahansa Yogananda has stated, "Reform Yourself and You Will Reform Thousands." I have trouble grasping this, but perhaps the reader will understand. They even reply it to religion! A well-behaved Muslim or Buddhist can do more to help the world than even a Self-Realizationist. Or a Catholic priest! An athiest can be more spiritual than one who is a Self-Realizationist or Unitarian if he behaves him or herself and does good to others. AN ATHIEST! Yogananda does not seem against any political party or religious belief. On page 151, Yoganda states, "I believe that there will always be wars, until perchance we all become so spiritual that by the evolution of our individual natures, we will make war unnecessary." Okay. I love this book. Even though I don't quite "get it" yet. Oh! Yoganada was for voting. But for who, I can't imagine. It seems the best way to change the world is to change oneself. Well, maybe... Buy the book and decide for yourself.

A WORLD IN TRANSITION, is an excellent compilation of Parmahansa Yogananda's insight, prophecy and balaced wisdom, and positive suggestions.

This book expresses the purposes and ideals of the Self-Realization Fellowships own directions, expressing a profound respect for all religions and the need for ecuminicity and world brotherhood. If one would have a better understanding of this organization, this is a good place to start.

It also contains noteworthy samplings of the enlightened awareness of many SRF monastics who are also contributors to this inspiring spiritual overview.

also recommended; Autobiography of a Yogi..... Man's Eternal Quest........Inner Peace...........Finding the Joy Within You.......... Journey to Self-realization............. the Science or Religion............ God talks With Arjuna(Bhagavad Gita) ......... etc

"A World in Transition" offers the reader, the at-once practical wisdom of the timeless science of Yoga, clothed in a language for the modern times. Through the writings of one of the most revered spiritual leaders of the 20th century, Paramahansa Yogananda and, of his direct disciples, this book draws any seeker who has been contemplating the pursuit of the Yoga system of approaching spiritual life. Having known, closely followed, and interacted with some of the authors of the talks contained herein, I am offered with a compelling proof of the efficacy of the Kriya Yoga method in hastening our material and spiritual lives.

This is a book that will open heart,mind and spirit and change forever the life of the reader.A true disciple of P.Yogananda, in these pages, Sry Daya Mata,shows clearly what are the results of being trained by such an exalted being.Undoubtely a Mother of compassion,as Her name implies,Daya Mata gives the reader a glimpse of the divine nature of man and the entire cosmos,with humility and unparalled realization.One has the certainty that the Author is living what is preaching,which makes this book a rare gem of deep spiritual insights.A "must" for everyone that is truly searching.

Sri Daya Mata is the president of Self-Realization Fellowship.
Many people feel that she is a saint. And after you read this book, I don't think that you will have any doubts that this is true. I believe that she has glued herself so close to the teachings of her guru, Paramahansa Yogananda, that there is no
difference between her and the teachings. As one devotee has said, "She is love." This book is like a diamond. You will
see different facets of love for God as you turn each page. This is also a guide for loving God in modern life. How you can keep that love alive away from your meditation seat. I personally don't believe in God. I am ruled by the intellect
and I envy Sri Daya Mata very much. She is in touch with an existental being that cannot be defined by the intellect in words. Tibetan Buddhists say that Hindu-yoga is dangerous because it simply allows high concentration states which produce
bliss. But not wisdom-realizing emptiness. Please turn to page
558 of "God Talks to Arjuna" by Paramahansa Yogananda. Chapter 5
Verse 18. "A sleeping man, beholding a dream drama, may cry out:
'There's a low pariah! And there's my friend the priest! How
noisy it is here--dogs barking, cows lowing, and elephants trumpeting!' Yet, on awakening, he realizes (if he remembers the dream) that the various 'living' creatures possessed no inherent differences, all being unreal mind-spinnings." In this explanation of a verse, Yogananda makes in clear that a hindu-yogi does reach wisdom-realizing emptiness. That is, all things are merely what we impute on them. A "dog." A "cat." All unreal but at the same time real. In this book, Daya Mata exemplifys this position. She is not a "love-junkie." She is
not a "samadhi-junkie." She is in contact with an existential
force which proves itself by it's own existence. There is only one problem with this book. You may read it and get gooey-eyed
over "GOD." Go further. Sri Daya Mata asks you to put yourself to the test. Can you love God in modern day life? All the time?
Personally, I cannot. Can you?

Each page of this book is a declaration of a deep love for God by Sri Daya Mata and absolutely saturated with adulation. This alone would warrant 5 stars, however, if your relationship with God is more in the "getting to know you" stage this book might very well overwhelm you more than it will help you. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting (I was intrigued by the title), but I was almost turned off by its gushy sweetness. "Be drunk with Him who is Love," and the book leaves no doubt that Sri Daya Mata is "drunk" with God. Don't get me wrong, this is a deeply spiritual woman who is totally and intimately in touch and in love with God and I admire her for the loving being she is, but for those of us who are not so well-grounded yet her style can be pretty overpowering. What also bothered me a lot was her way of referring to God that left me with a mental picture of a person - mostly father-child (though she does refer to God also as "Mother"). This took me back to childhood church days where my personal search for God actually began, because a God who demands this and that of me before I am considered worthy, and who can be swayed by my behavior can not be "God." She says, "What is the easiest way to win anyone? Not through reason: through love. So the logical way to win the Divine Friend is to love Him." I don't think God can be influenced or won in any way nor do I believe that God can be pleased or displeased - God IS. C.G. Jung said, "Bidden or unbidden, God is present" - I believe that says it all. The only really valuable passage for me was when she wrote of telling Paramahansa Yogananda how she craved God's love and he answered: "Then I say this to you: Take that craving into meditation, meditate deeply, so deeply that your mind becomes filled with nothing but that desire for divine love, for God; and you will know Him who is Love." Now, THAT I can relate to. Had I been able to examine the book first, I would not have bought it; it is too sugary sweet and carries too much religious connotation for my taste. I do not want to discourage you from buying this booklet, it certainly is a great testimony of one woman's deep devotional love for God; but unless you are on the same wavelength with Sri Daya Mata and feel comfortable with the familiar father/mother-child cliche I would look for other books. Among the many excellent authors out there you might want to check out Lynn Robinson (Divine Intuition), Frederick & Mary Ann Brussat (Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life) -- you'll never part with this one!, Sam Keen (Hymns to an unknown God) and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (I am That).

After nearly fifty years as president of one of the world's most respected yoga institutions, Sri Daya Mata is the exemplar of taking meditative yoga to its pinnacle -- universal, unconditional love.

To someone like myself (raised in the sciences), the concept of "love" for a "personal God" was not a respectable thought until it was shown me (in Autobiography of a Yogi (by Daya Mata's teacher, Paramahansa Yogananda) ISBN 0876120834 ) how rationality and divine love were both mutually consistent and mutually supportive. Yogananda's expositions on Kriya Yoga (one expression of the meditative science of raja yoga) make it clear that systematic, scientific practice of proven techniques of clearing the mind and body are of utmost importance in helping one to open and expand the limited human heart.

Yogananda's classical spiritual instruction goes on to describe the importance of developing the ''right attitude'' in all activities and especially in the practice of one's yoga and meditation. Let this collection of wise and loving insights from Daya Mata serve as an inspiration for you to develop YOUR OWN personal relationship with the Creator. If at present you find the appeal limited (or the value unclear) of employing PERSONAL concepts for drawing closer to the Invisible Infinite, you might appreciate reading Yogananda's chapter, "Is God Personal or Impersonal?" in his volume "Man's Eternal Quest" (ISBN 0876122322 ).

Daya Mata, president of Self-Realization Fellowship, gives the reader the clearest and simplest guide to knowing divine love. Her own way is unique and encouraging to all who want to know the meaning and experience of true love. An exercise manual for the heart and soul!

She shares with us her own personal successful formula for knowing true love by learning to love God, the reality within us. Free from theology and dogma, free from the divisive confines of exclusivism, free from complexity.

This beautiful and valuable gift edition contains the cream of spiritual guidance for anyone who is serious about their inner personal growth and realization. It is the type of gift that one will never be tired of using, as a daily inspirational motivator and guide to a more complete and fulfilling life in the spirit.

In this most difficult of human quests, Daya Mata immediate takes the reader directly to the method of success.