Brother Prafullananda and Brother Tyagananda

This is the 2nd in our series on Paramahansa Yogananda. Brother Prafullananda has been a monk of the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) monastic community since 1983. Born in North Carolina and raised in Gainesville, Florida, he earned undergraduate and Masters degrees in music education and performance from Lawrence University in Wisconsin and Florida State University, respectively. Brother Prafullananda—whose name means “Bliss through cheerfulness”—is the minister in charge of the SRF San Diego Temple. He has served in SRF’s Publications and Editorial Departments and currently speaks on Paramahansa Yogananda’s teachings throughout the world.
Brother Tyagananda (“Bliss through Inner Renunciation”) has been an SRF monk since 1987. Born in a small city north of Rome, Italy, he began practicing yoga in his early teens and was a student of the SRF Lessons by the time he was seventeen. He studied at the Catholic University of Milan before becoming an SRF monk. Brother Tyagananda is co-supervisor of SRF’s Center Department, which oversees the operations of over 600 meditation centers and groups around the world. He also serves as Assistant Minister-in-Charge at the SRF Fullerton Temple, leads guided meditation for beginners at Los Angeles-area temples, and lectures on Yogananda’s teachings in North America and Europe. Learn more about Self-Realization Fellowship here.