This is a short transcript of a Heroic +1 episode (host Brian Johnson plus other speakers) discussing Paramahansa Yogananda's short essay "To Be Victorious in Life." The speakers define success using Yogananda's words — expansion of consciousness that brings glory and happiness to self and others — and emphasize that achievement requires battle against resistance. The transcript highlights practical metaphors (a plant struggling through soil, weeds, and bugs) and recommends teachers/gurus and meditation as means to cultivate inner strength and persist through opposition. The tone is motivational and interpretive, connecting Yogananda's spiritual teachings to contemporary heroic practice.
Chapters
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another heroic plus one.
Not too long ago, we took a.
Tour through Darren Donnelly's sports fable, Victory Favors the Fearless, as we explored the.
Seven fears that hold us back and.
What we can do about them.
Now, I always love connecting parallel wisdom across very different traditions.
So today we're going to dust off our notes on Yogananda's great little spiritual success manifesto called To Be Victorious in.
Life, as we explore what he has to say about how to be victorious.
As we've discussed many times, Yogananda was.
A 20th century spiritual teacher who came to the United States from India as a young man in 1920. Now, Nietzsche was said to deliver his.
Philosophy with a hammer.
And I think the same could be said of Yogananda.
But before we talk about how to.
Be victorious in life, let's define what Yogananda considers success.
He tells us, and I quote, success.
Is when you have so expanded your consciousness that your life is a glory and happiness to yourself and to others. Can I get an amen to that? Now? How do we attain that success?
Well, first we need to be on fire with purpose.
Check out that plus one.
Then we need to know that as.
The wise yogi tells us, and I.
Quote, without battle, you cannot achieve anything. In other words, as per rule number.
One of a good, noble, heroic life.
It'S supposed to be challenging.
Yogananda tells us, and I quote, it.
Is inevitable in this world of relativity.
Light and darkness, good and evil, that.
Whenever you try to expand, you will meet enemies.
This holds true in all endeavor.
The minute you try to accomplish anything, there is resistance. He continues by saying, as soon as a plant tries to emerge from its.
Seed, first there is resistance from the.
Earth, and then the bugs go after it, and then it has to struggle.
Against the weeds that compete for its food and water.
The plants need help from the gardener, and the same is true for human beings.
And he says, if because of adverse.
Circumstances or inner weaknesses, you haven't the.
Strength to put forth branches of success on the tree of your life, you.
Need the assistance of a teacher or.
A guru who can help you cultivate the power of your mind.
The guru teaches you the art of.
Meditation, of cauterizing the weeds, of limiting habits and bad karma that are trying to choke your ground, you must resist these enemies.
You must go on trying without battle.
You cannot achieve anything.
I repeat, resistance is part of the process. Resistance will always show up within our.
Own minds and in the world outside of us.
What do we do? We say good. We say, roger, that we say, perfect. Check out those plus ones.
We thank the heroic gods for giving.
Us the opportunity to practice our philosophy.
We show up, we struggle, we battle. We go on trying all day, every day. Especially, as always today.
