Paramhansa Yogananda's treasury of Indian tales will delight both the casual reader and students of Eastern thought. Featuring a gamut of characters-from saints to thieves, God-realized masters to lions and frogs-these stories were all told by the Master himself in his lectures, informal talks, and writings.Yogananda knew that stories have a way of bringing out in us a childlike openness, regardless of our age. In that openness, heart and mind make connections the intellect alone may miss. He told these tales to illustrate the spiritual and practical truths he was teaching.It is not enough to be inspired by spiritual truths. We must be able to apply those teachings to our daily lives. Each story is followed by a "Wisdom Gem," illuminating spiritually vital qualities such as Right Action, Courage, Unconditional Love, Faith, and Wisdom-an enjoyable way to explore and reflect on these universal principles. For ease of use, the stories are indexed by the qualities they illustrate.Whether you are a teacher, parent, student, or devotee, these stories are an excellent resource to turn to again and again for inspiration, sharing, and personal study.