Self-Realization Fellowship (Paramahansa Yogananda)
International Hindu-derived organisation founded by Paramahansa Yogananda (1920) and best known for his 'Autobiography of a Yogi'. Operates monastic order (SRF Monastic Order). Sister Indian organisation Yogoda Satsanga Society of India.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — long-established yoga lineage; mostly low control with some monastic-life concerns.
Profile facts
In context
SRF teaches Kriya Yoga meditation as a sequential discipleship taught through correspondence courses and at Mt. Washington (Los Angeles) headquarters. The monastic order (SRF Monastics) has produced some ex-monk accounts of difficult conditions; for lay students the practice is largely voluntary and self-paced. Internal succession disputes followed Daya Mata's 2010 death.
Key control doctrines
- Kriya Yoga lineage from Mahavatar Babaji
- Six gurus (lineage masters)
- Monastic discipline for ordained members
Legal cases & controversies
- SRF v. Ananda / Swami Kriyananda copyright disputes (1990s–2000s)
This profile is in progress — history, deeper BITE evidence and survivor voices are still being added. Contributions welcome via GitHub.
Timeline
- 1920Yogananda arrives in USA; founds Self-Realization Fellowship
- 1946'Autobiography of a Yogi' published
- 1952Yogananda dies
- 2010Sri Daya Mata (third successor) dies; succession disputes follow
Sources
- Paramahansa Yogananda, 'Autobiography of a Yogi' (1946) search ↗
- Various former SRF monastics' accounts search ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. The search ↗ link runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.