The Divine has loved me as mother, as father, and as friend, behind all friends.
Paramahansa Yogananda
Behind All Friends
Topic: Family & Friendship
The Divine has loved me as mother, as father, and as friend, behind all friends. I searched for that one Friend behind all friends, that one lover whom I now see glimmering in all your faces. And that friend never fails me.
Paramahansa Yogananda, born Mukunda Lal Ghosh on January 5, 1893, in Gorakhpur, India, is considered one of the most influential spiritual teachers of the 20th century. From a young age, he showed a deep interest in spirituality, seeking guidance from saints and sages in India. In 1915, after completing his education, he became a monk of the Swami order, taking the name Yogananda, meaning "bliss through divine union." His early work focused on teaching and promoting Kriya Yoga, an ancient meditation practice aimed at self-realization.
In 1920, Yogananda traveled to the United States and established the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) in Los Angeles. Through SRF, he shared the philosophy and practices of Kriya Yoga, bridging Eastern spirituality with Western culture. His Autobiography of a Yogi, published in 1946, remains one of the most widely read spiritual texts, offering a personal account of his spiritual journey and inspiring readers across the globe.
Yogananda passed away on March 7, 1952, in Los Angeles, after a lifetime devoted to promoting unity among all religions and the transformative power of meditation. The organizations he founded, including SRF and the Yogoda Satsanga Society in India, continue to share his teachings today. His legacy endures through these institutions, and his message of spiritual unity and inner peace continues to inspire millions worldwide.
The Divine Romance
Yogananda, Paramahansa. "The Divine Romance: Collected Talks and Essays on Realizing God in Daily Life." Self-Realization Fellowship, 2016].
Paramahansa Yogananda
Theme: Friendship
About This Paramahansa Yogananda Quotation [Commentary]
Paramahansa Yogananda speaks of an intimacy that is personal and steady: “The Divine has loved me as mother, as father, and as friend, behind all friends.” In that order—“mother,” “father,” “friend”—he names a love that nurtures, guides, and accompanies. The Divine is not distant, but near enough to be known as care, strength, and companionship.
He continues with the longing beneath human connection: “I searched for that one Friend behind all friends.” The search is for “that one Friend,” not merely for comfort from many directions. And when he says, “that one lover whom I now see glimmering in all your faces,” he describes how the search ripens into recognition—seeing the same Presence “in all your faces.” In this light, friendship is not reduced to preference or familiarity; it becomes a way of meeting one another while remembering the One who is “behind all friends.”
Then he rests the whole movement in trust: “And that friend never fails me.” Human friends can be faithful and still limited; lives change, attention fades, distance grows. Paramahansa Yogananda points to a companionship that does not withdraw. Loved as “mother,” as “father,” and as “friend,” sought as “that one Friend,” seen “in all your faces,” and trusted because “that friend never fails me,” the Divine shapes how we practice friendship—more constant, more sincere, and more able to recognize the Beloved “behind all friends.”
A Paramahansa Yogananda, Friendship—Grandest Relationship of Human Loves [Excerpt]
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