Paramahansa Yogananda or Paramhansa Yogananda (1893 –1952) was an Indian yogi and teacher who introduced millions of westerners to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga . Excerpted from his writings on The Purpose of Life.
Giving love to all, feeling the love of God, seeing His presence in everyone, and having but one desire — for His constant presence in the temple of your consciousness — that is the way to live in this world.
Mankind is engaged in an eternal quest for that “something else” he hopes will bring him happiness, complete and unending. For those individual souls who have sought and found God, the search is over: He is that Something Else.
Many people may doubt that finding God is the purpose of life; but everyone can accept the idea that the purpose of life is to find happiness. I say that God is Happiness. He is Bliss. He is Love. He is Joy that will never go away from your soul. So why shouldn’t you try to acquire that Happiness? No one else can give it to you. You must continuously cultivate it yourself.
Even if life gave you at one time everything you wanted — wealth, power, friends — after a while you would again become dissatisfied and need something more. But there is one thing that can never become stale to you — joy itself. Happiness that is delightfully varied, though its essence is changeless, is the inner experience everyone is seeking. Lasting, ever new joy is God. Finding this Joy within, you will find it in everything without. In God you will tap the Reservoir of perennial, unending bliss.
