Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where do we go when we die? In this book, Paramhansa Yogananda - the great master of yoga and author of the classic Autobiography of a Yogi - offers answers to the most important questions about life and death and how to grow spiritually, answers that demonstrate a vision matched only by the greatest prophets in history. These jewels of wisdom were gathered by Yogananda's direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda. Swami Kriyananda writes in the introduction, "After I'd been with him a year and a half, he began urging me to write down the things he was saying during informal conversations." The ESSENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION, nearly 300 sayings rich with spiritual wisdom, is the fruit of that labor of love. Readers will discover: · The True Purpose of Life · Grace vs. Self Effort · The Need for Yoga · How to Pray Effectively · The Soul and God…and much more.