Monday 23 June 2014

Steve Jobs and Autobiography of a Yogi

As mentioned in Walter Isaacson’s ‘Steve Jobs’ – Steve loved reading the book
"Autobiography of a Yogi" from time to time. In fact, made sure to read it once every year. Probably gave him and his soul the spiritual solace he always yearned for; and reminded him of his hippie youth, and travels through India in search of a spiritual guru.
Hundreds of influential leaders in business, politics, and popular culture were introduced to Paramahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi at the 2011 memorial service of Steve Jobs, by express wish of the late business visionary and founder of Apple Computer, who passed away on October 5, 2011
“Benioff told his story of attending the memorial service following Jobs’ death, where the attendees were handed a small brown box on their way out. ‘This is going to be good,’ he thought. ‘I knew that this was a decision he made, and whatever it was, it was the last thing he wanted us all to think about.’

“The box contained a copy of Paramahansa Yogananda’s book, Autobiography of a Yogi. It was a spiritual book that inspired Jobs throughout his life. The book, first published in 1946, espouses ‘self-realization’ and the practice of Kriya Yoga meditation. "That was the message: Actualize yourself," Benioff recalled.
"If you look back at the history of Steve and that early trip to India...he had this incredible realization that his intuition was his greatest gift," Benioff said. "He needed to look at world from inside out...his message was to look inside yourself and realize yourself."

“According to [Walter] Isaacson's biography, ‘Jobs first read it as a teenager, then reread it in India and had read it once a year ever since.’ In 1974, Jobs traveled to India, seeking some spiritual enlightenment. ‘He had the incredible realization that his intuition was his greatest gift, and he needed to look at the world from the inside out,’ Benioff said