Max Mednik

In Steve Jobs' bio, it said he read Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda every year. So I figured there must be something to it. (I had also heard of the book several times from other yogis and figured I would give it a try.)

The book was slow to start (and sometimes included way too much detail), and I had trouble getting used to the writing style for a while. I also didn't really understand the overall point or trajectory of the work. Then, part of the way through, I began to enjoy it, and I noticed more and more pearls of wisdom on the pages.

The book is about religion, but it's also not about religion. It's about faith and spirituality and the common one-ness uniting everyone, and I like those ideas. (The book is not about doing yoga sports exercises. It's about meditation and mind control, some of the most difficult and rewarding activities a human can apparently engage in.) The book featured many accounts of supernatural episodes (visions, reincarnations, levitation, and teleportation); those didn't sit well with me, but I will tolerate it as there's enough good elements in the book ignoring the supernatural events.

After reading the book, I'm wondering what parts of it appealed most to Jobs. Meditation? Spirituality?

Below are my notes. I apologize for butchering the spellings of many of the people and places mentioned in the book; I was listening to the audio version (which again unfortunately but understandably featured a reader with an English accent).

Ch. 1: My parents and early life

• Bengali
  
• Life as infant
  
• Born 1/5/1893 near Himalayas
  
• Kshatriya caste parents
  
• Aversion of instant acceptance
  
• Due reflection
  
• Recreation in spiritual practices
  
• No luxuries
  
• No pursuit of money
  
• Started bank but didn't want shares in it
  
• Man arrives penniless and departs same way
  
• Magic power of man's words spoken confidently
  
• Guru photo 
  

Ch. 2: Mothers' death and amulet

• Saw vision of mother dying and was true
  
• Powerfully drawn to Himalayas where yogis and swamis lived from vision
  
• Guru told his mom he would be yogi and bring souls to light
  
• Magical amulet materialized for mom who gave it to son
  

Ch. 3: The saint with 2 bodies

• Second pension from divine of peace
  
• Story of transportation/2 bodies of swami
  
• Yogi Lahiri Mahasaya
  

Ch. 4: Interrupted flight to Himalayas

• Escape failed
  
• Got tutor at home
  
• Deep meditation
  
• Learned Sanskrit
  
• Kriya yoga
  
• Magic healing
  

Ch. 5: Perfume saint

• Perfume magic
  
• Electrons and protons manipulated by prana lifetrons
  

Ch. 6: Tiger swami

• Fought tigers with hands
  
• Mind and determination control body
  
• Tamer of wild passions
  

Ch. 7: Levitating saint

• Only true way to know divine is love
  

Ch. 8: Indians great scientist JC Bose

• Botany and physics research
  
• Uniform plan links all life
  

Ch. 9: The blissful devotee

• Classroom boredom
  

Ch. 10: I meet my master

• Unprepared for school finals
  
• Finished school and ready to leave home to seek divine
  
• Had to detach from family
  
• Finally met guru
  
• Had to leave ashram
  

Ch. 11: Two penniless boys

• Passed tests to show faith in divine
  
• Went without money, found people who provided for him
  

Ch. 12: Years in my master's hermitage

• Guru told him to get university degree so would be more accepted in future by westerners
  
• Vegetarian
  
• Morning strolls with guru
  
• Be comfortable within your purse
  
• Sri Yukteswar
  
• Yogic trance with no vital signs
  
• Super conscious state
  
• Mosquitos: just change consciousness and will not bite
  
• Thoughts heal, placebo
  
• Every natural passion can be mastered
  

Ch. 13: A sleepless saint

• Thought would have to go to Himalayas to study
  
• Guru told him does not need to do so
  
• What one does not find within cannot be found outside
  

Ch. 14: An experience in cosmic consciousness

• Cosmic vision of connection to all life
  
• Soul must have cosmic reach while body does daily mundane work
  

Ch. 15: The cauliflower robbery

• Importance of music
  

Ch. 16: Outwitting the stars

• Astrology
  

Ch. 17: Sasi and the 3 sapphires

• Divine responds to urgent prayers
  
• Astrological bangles
  

Ch. 18: A Mohammedan wonder worker

Ch. 19: My master

• Teleportation
  

Ch. 20: We do not visit Kashmir

• Got sick when wanted to go to Himalayas
  

Ch. 21: We visit Kashmir

• Guru finally blesses him to go to Himalayas
  
• Physical transfer of disease to cure others
  
• Lots of mentions and comparisons to Jesus
  

Ch. 22: The heart of the stone age

• Reformed brother in law through example of spiritual miracle
  

Ch. 23: University degree

• Little time for study
  
• Repeatedly doubted divine and then was saved
  
• Received degree
  

Ch. 24: I become monk of swami order

• Guru finally allowed him to join order
  
• Selected new name
  
• Yoga and swami orthogonal
  
• Yoga is science of mind control
  
• Patanjali Yoga Sutras
  
• Eightfold path
  
• Yama: moral
  
• Viyama: religious
  
• Asana: posture
  
• Pranayama: breath
  
• Pratyahara: withdraw from external
  
• Dharana: concentration
  
• Dhyana: meditation
  
• Samadhi: super conscious experience
  
• Yoga ok for worldly people
  
• Hatha yoga just one branch
  

Ch. 25: Brother and sister

• Brother died and he felt sad
  
• He and his guru healed sister
  

Ch. 26: Science of Kriya yoga

• Cause and effect
  
• Rejuvenates body
  
• Transmute cells into energy to teleport
  
• Christ used it
  
• Life force control
  
• Neutralize lungs and current
  
• Om sound to concentrate / Amen
• Life force controlled by breath action
  

Ch. 27: Founding yoga school

• Man must have some family, either wife or school
  
• So founded school
  
• Class instruction outdoors
  
• Yoga and agriculture
  
• True development of body and mind
  
• Death doesn't end all
  
• Unattachment: let dead move on to higher role
  

Ch. 28: Reborn and discovered

• Relocated reborn child
  

Ch. 29: Compare schools

• Visited other school
  
• Also outdoors, child's natural setting
  
• All learn yoga concentration skill
  

Ch. 30: The art of miracles

• Maya world of illusion
  
• Relativity
  
• Unified field theory
  
• Light
  
• Duality of nature
  
• Light speed only world constant
  
• Matter energy duality
  
• All matter light, yogi can manipulate
  
• Motion pictures directed by people like yogis can direct real light and matter
  
• Miracles are just natural to masters
  
• Everything is a miracle
  

Ch. 31: Interview with sacred mother

• Wife of Lahiri Mahasaya
  
• Levitation in lotus pose
  

Ch. 32: Rama is raised from the death

• Account needed in west of Lahiri Mahasaya
  

Ch. 33: Babaji Christ of India

• Guru of LM
  
• Avatar: body free from material bondage
  

Ch. 34: Materializing a palace In the Himalayas

• Spiritual enlightenment comes to worldly people who still fulfill civic responsibilities
  

Ch. 35: Christ like life of LM

• Life of balance
  
• Kriya initiation to worldly
  

Ch. 36: Babaji's interst in the West

• Saint told author to write book equalizing Christian and Indian beliefs
  
• LM reincarnated
  

Ch. 37: I go to America

• 2 legged newspaper (word of mouth)
  
• Invited to speak at conference in Boston
  
• Chosen to spread message of Kriya yoga to West
  
• Meant to unite nations under one holy father
  
• Lectured throughout America
  
• Started Self-Realization Fellowship at Mount Washington in LA
  
• Spent 15 years in America 
  

Ch. 38: Luther Burbank

• Plant breeding from talking to plants and love
  

Ch. 39: Therese Neumann

• Eager to meet saint in Germany
  
• Saint who lived without food
  
• Stigmata wounds on hands
  
• Weekly trance of Christ's Passion
  
• Visited holy sites of Europe
  

Ch. 40: I return to India

• Return to see guru
  
• Created permanently endowed school
  
• Free hospital
  

Ch. 41: An idyl in south India

• Wanted to have best exchange between East and West
  

Ch. 42: Last days with my guru

Ch. 43: Resurrection of Sri Yukteswar

• Went to be prophet of astral planet
  
• Detailed description of astral beings and logistics
  
• Anything can be created from thought like we create any image on TV
  

Ch. 44: With Gandhi

• Weekly day of silence to devote to correspondence and spirituality
  
• Husband as guru of wife
  
• Worship of all religions equally
  
• Taught yoga to Gandhi
  
• Nonviolence
  
• Forgiveness is holiness
  

Ch. 45: The Bengali joy-permeated mother

Ch. 46: The woman who never eats

• Was at first over-eater
• Stopped eating at age 12
  
• Lives by external light
  
• No bodily excretions
  
• Uses Kriya breathing technique 
  

Ch. 47: I return to the West

• Lecture in London
  
• Christmas mediation in LA
  

Ch. 48: Encinitas California hermitage

• Retreat by the ocean
  

Ch. 49: The years 1940-51

• East West magazine
  
• Hollywood temple
  
• Translated New Testament and Bhagavad Gita
  
• Saw vision of Jesus
  
• Kriya yoga: breath as key to world and spirit
  
• Leave a few mysteries to explore in eternity
  

Afterword

• After died, his body did not decay (in mortuary records)
  
• One of India's great saints
  

A friend of mine recommended to me The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson, which recently won the Man Booker Prize. The book explores the question of religious (Jewish) identity in modern times through one man's daily life experiences. The book features both Jews and non-Jews, and the different levels of religious observance (or anti-observance, including self-hatred) tell the story of how different people viewed religious identity differently. I found it remarkable how various non-Jews in the book, like the main character, did more to be Jewish (and wanted to become Jewish), while the Jews behaved in the opposite manner. The book raised many questions, like the meaning of religion and its differences from culture and family (style and tradition).

Overall, the book started very slowly and was quite a long read. It takes place in England, and the audio version featured a reader with an English accent. While this was "authentic," it was painfully difficult to understand (at double or triple speed like I like to listen to audio books); it took me about half the book to get up to triple speed with good comprehension. (Audio books should be offered with multiple speakers to choose from!)

I found the book mostly depressing and sad (this was also the main character's recurring personality), with many themes related to mourning and death and little in the way of humor or comedy. I guess it's not my preferred genre, but after making it through to the end, I do realize why the book won its prize, and the central questions of religious identity and cultural tolerance the book raises are important for everyone to consider. I did enjoy the actual language and literary style as there were many plays on words and cool language tricks that I appreciated.

My notes on the book are below; I'm sure I must have messed up some chapter numbering (and name spelling) at some point, but I hopefully captured the main elements of the plot and my most important takeaways.

Part 1

Ch. 1

• Treslove: Journalist at BBC, non-Jew
  
• Student, writer from Oxford
• Sam Finkler: Jew
  
• Stereotype
  
• Role of Israel
  
• Philosophy
  
• Death of wives
  
• Grief
  
• Bereavement
  
• Loneliness
  
• Trouble finding and keeping love
  
• Robbed and called a Jew by a woman who mugged him 
  
• Libor: teacher, wife Malki beautiful and passed away
  
• Finkler: Jewish, dad pharmacist with stomach pill, wife passed away
  
• Tresolve: BBC journalist, works as a party lookalike, trouble with women
  

Ch. 2

• Role of guilt
  
• Widower bonding
  
• Mistaken identity
  
• Real Jew not faithful
  
• Non-Jew confused with Jew
  
• Had 2 sons with different women who left him
  
• Rodolpho and Alfredo
  

Ch. 3

• Woman who liked him mistook him for Jew
  
• 2 mis-identifications as Jew
  
• Made love to Finkler's wife (Finkler cheated on his wife too)
  
• Finkler's wife Tyler converted to Judaism
  
• Finkler preferred shiksas
  
• Lots of global antisemitic attacks
  
• Thinks others think he's Jewish
  

Ch. 4

• Two girlfriends that had his sons but couldn't be with him
  
• Could he be with a living woman?
  
• Jews aren't the only broken-hearted people.
  

Ch. 5

• Ashamed Jews
  
• Antizionist Jews
  
• "Jewess" word
  
• Cut or uncut: preference by women
  
• Seder
  
• Met woman from fortune teller: Juno
  

Part 2

Ch. 6

• Finkler didn't like Gaza reaction, platform against it
  
• Boycott from universities
  
• Tresolve took vacation with sons
  
• Sons asked if he's Jewish
  
• Just because parents Jewish doesn't mean children necessarily
  
• Can you be part-Jewish?
  
• Antisemitic attacks in London
  

Ch. 7

• Fell in love with Jewish woman Hepsiba
  
• Studied Yiddish dictionary to woo woman
  
• Gave up working as a double at her request so he could be himself
  
• Became assistant curator for Anglo-Jewish museum

Ch. 8

• Can you be defined by what you're not?
  

Ch. 9

• Antisemitic attack at university against Finkler's son Emanuel
  
• Sister Blaise
  
• Emanuel accused Jews of stealing a country (followed what Finkler said)
  
• Emanuel (who is Jew) did an antisemitic attack
  
• Treslove learned Hebrew and Jewish history
  
• Circumcision to limit lust
  
• Book: Moses Maimonides
  
• Commentary on commentary
  
• Hep is true Jewish mother, large body
  
• Bacon smeared on museum doors
  

Ch. 10

• Want to think ill of Jews in their own way
  
• Blogger who tries to restore circumcised foreskin
  
• Meetings of ashamed Jews
  
• Treslove wants to be Jewish to feel more gloom

Ch. 11

• Trouble with women, relating to people
  
• Face-painting incident
  
• Talking feverishly about hating being Jewish is being Jewish
  
• Finkler: online poker
  

Ch. 12

• Libor committed suicide by jumping off ledge
  
• Burdened Libor with info on Treslove's affair
  
• Libor funeral at Jewish cemetery
  

Ch. 13

• Treslove hits Arab demonstrator at museum opening and falls on ground
  
• Stands up for something as a Jew 
  

Epilogue

• Hep said Kaddish for Libor
  
• Cried for Julian
  
• Finkler doesn't give up saying Kaddish for wife after 30 days
  
• Last line: "There are no limits to Finkler's mourning." (True Jew in end?)
  

The high holydays this year have passed, and it was a time of deep introspection and re-thinking of life for me and my family.

I particularly enjoyed hearing my rabbi's sermon this year, and I wanted to share it with anyone interested. It's a lot more wisdom than religion, and I think it has something for everyone. Below are my main takeaways from it; the full speech can be read here.

• Life isn't always fair.
  
• Whatever befalls us, life is still good.
  
• Life is short; cut your losses earlier.
  
• Let go of your desire to accommodate difficult people or situations.
  
• Only do what enhances you spiritually and morally.
  
• The time to plan for retirement is when you're young.
• Develop your passions and interests.
  
• Make peace with your past so it won't confound your present.
  
• One doesn't have to win every argument.
  
• Love the people close to you.
  
• Don't compare your life to anyone else's. You already have all you need.
  
• Who is happy? One who is content with his own portion.
  
• If you can't publish what you want to say or do, don't say or do it.
  
• You don't need to publish all your thoughts -- no need to over-share.
  
• Don't gossip. Guard your tongue.
  
• Speak the truth but only when you know you can be effective and only when it won't do harm; otherwise, stay quiet.
  
• Don't procrastinate seeing your doctor. Eat less and better; exercise more.
  
• Carpe diem
  
• Joy and happiness come from humility, gratitude, and generosity.
  
• Breathe deeply as it calms the heart, mind, and soul.
  
• Take your shoes off wherever you are.
  
• Too much alcohol dulls the mind.
  
• To know the purest and sweetest love, get a dog.
  
• When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
  
• Over-prepare, strive for excellence, and then go with the flow.
  
• Loosen up more to release yourself from entrenched habits.
  
• It's not what you say, it's how you say it.
  
• Stand up to bullies, wherever they are.
  
• Time does heal all wounds.
  
• Change is natural, necessary, and an opportunity for growth.
  
• Being outdoors is always better.
  
• Be modest.
  
• Be forgiving.
  
• Be kind.
  
• Be generous.
  
• Be grateful.

As a fan of Penn and Teller, when I heard that Penn released a book, I knew I had to read it. I didn't know it would turn out to open my mind to new ways of thinking about religion, science, and magic, and make me laugh so much.

It was especially a treat to hear Penn himself read the book in the audio version.

Below are my main notes and takeaways from Penn Jilette's G-d, No!.

Atheism

• Being atheist means saying I don't know
  
• Richard Feynman said I don't know
  
• Work hard to learn but state clearly the limit of your knowledge
  
• Not the belief that science knows everything
  
• (Lots of jokes and curse words omitted.)
  
• Humility of saying I don't know and being an atheist
  
• Believing in G-d means saying you know and understand
  
• If you say, "I don't know," it means you don't believe until you see evidence. It doesn't mean you say it will never happen.
  
• Believing in prayer that can change the world is arrogant since you believe you can make G-d change his mind. (I'm curious what Penn says about some studies that purport to have studied prayer's effects.)
  
• Started with a dishwashing job as a kid
  
• Suggestion: The highest ideals are human intelligence, creativity, and love. Respect these above all.

Art and magic

• The purpose of art is to inspire.
  
• The purpose of art is to stand naked on the stage.
• Loves the purity of Siegfried and Roy
• S&R created the big Vegas magic show; before, everyone just toured.
  
• Even though he made fun of them, they were the true artists.
  
• He stood by Roy's side in hospital
  

What's the g on the joint?

• What's the gaffe, the trick?
  
• Likes word "trick" because any trick is an illusion, and it should be that way.
  
• Should never lie to audience and want to make them believe; should lie and make it really obvious you are lying
  
• Penn started as juggler
  
• Can't fake or lie in juggling
  
• David Blaine, Chriss Angel wanting to make others believe when they lie
  
• Even if he really did some stunt, it doesn't matter.
  
• Still all just show biz stunt
  
• Never science or reality
  
• (Blaine still his friend)
  

King of the ex-Jews

• They always greet the audience after their show.
  
• Amazing Randy was his mentor.
  
• Richard Dawkins was his idol.
  
• Penn married stalker fan girl he met after show.
  
• Met ex-Orthodox Jew who became atheist after reading his book
  
• Atheist baptism naked parties with no alcohol or drugs; just celebration of loving and life
  
• Ate traif together
  
• Suggestion: Do not put things or ideas above human beings.
  

Fake tits, tattoos, and autotune

• Fake tits: all that matters is how much the owner of the tits likes them
• Never judge a stripper; she is showing herself better than you can.
  
• No real magic secrets; all secrets ugly.
  
• Real secret is that magicians are guarding an empty safe.
  
• Likes tattoos and big fake tits because they're a celebration of technology, humanity, and individual control
  
• Autotune technology makes all voices sound in tune with music -- amazing
  
• All of these are atheist
  
• Proselytizing is a moral imperative
  
• If you believe in truth, you must share it.
  
• Robert Houdin first came up with magicians dressing as audience (hat and tails) instead of like wizards.
  
• Agnostic is an intellectual term, not a religious one.
  
• Is there a G-d? You can say "I don't know."
  
• Do you believe in G-d? You must give a yes or no answer.
  
• Must speak what you think; spit it.
  

Learning to fly, strip, and be weightless on a 747

• Vomit comet: airplane ride going up and down to make you feel weightless.
• ZeroG company
  
• It's easier to be yourself when you decide there's no chance you will be a supreme court justice.
  
• Went to Club Baths gay bath in SF just to prove he could and wasn't a pussy
  
• No one approached them or hit on them; was pissed at rejection and didn't understand.
  
• (Funny story about sex underwater while diving omitted.)
  
• Suggestion: Love your family. Love is better than honor.
  

Libertarian atheism

• Celebrates secular commercial "X-mas" tradition
  
• Libertarian atheist
  
• Be open with your agenda.
  
• Both of his parents died when he was performing.
  
• It's ok; keep performing, joke, embrace pain of life and live on.
  
• Lies are ok when for good purpose like family health.
  
• Libertarian: Should help others yourself; don't use government to force people to do something for you.
• You don't have to do anything for your country; just love your family and take care of others yourself.
  
• Hates TSA
  
• Wants to start a Pork, Bacon, and Kiss Airline
  
• 9/11: people attacked liberty, and we lost more liberty.
  
• Most people in the world are good.
  
• Allow people to bring anything they want on planes, and let the bad guys racially profile others. Good people will defend each other.
  
• Blame faith, not specific religion, for terrorism.
  
• "The Amazing" conference in Vegas