The Man Who Refused Heaven

Why is humor so deeply appreciated? Laughter is one of the great joys of life. Joy is fundamental to who we are. Yogananda’s experience of life, his experience of the goal of all life, was filled with joy. He lived in joy always, and sought to awaken it in others. Though he could be intensely serious and deep as appropriate, he also could express the greatest joy, often in unexpected situations. The humor in this book arose spontaneously from Yogananda’s deep joy. Sometimes he used humor to express an important spiritual principle. Sometimes he used it in training the disciples, to help them learn in a way that reasoned lectures could never achieve. This book is the 8th volume in The Wisdom of Yogananda series. Most of the humor in this book was taken from Yogananda’s writings. Also included are experiences with the master that demonstrate his playful spirit. These were written by Swami Kriyananda, from his years of being trained personally by Yogananda, or from stories that were shared with him by other close disciples.