STORY OF THE MONTH
(Apr 2026)


Open Your "Bank Account" With God

(As Narrated by Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda)

"Several years ago, when I was on the train going to Los Angeles, I met a man whose manner and general appearance immediately attracted my attention.

He was a well-dressed, prosperous-looking businessman, with every indication that he was blessed with all the good things of life and had every reason to be happy. But regardless of all these favourable outer impressions, I felt very sorry for him because he emanated deep gloom.

I said to myself:
“What is the matter with this man? He seems to have buried himself beneath this artificial habit of gloom. I must resurrect him.”

Looking straight at him, I said:
“Are you happy?”

He tried to discourage me with a fierce look, but I returned his gaze squarely. I reasoned that by his glare he had already annihilated me in his mind, so he could not kill me again.

Finally he spoke.
“Is that your business?”

“Yes,” I replied.
“I resurrect the walking dead.”

Shortly, he said, “Yes, I am happy.”

“No,” I insisted. “I can tell what is in the mind.”

“Why shouldn’t I be happy?” he retorted.
“I put fifty to sixty thousand dollars a month in the bank.”

“Poor soul!” I thought, realizing that he believed that his happiness lay in depositing those large sums in the bank.

But I said, “Tomorrow you may not be here to carry a cent. Have you opened your ‘bank account’ with God?”

Later he invited me to lunch, but he was still inwardly antagonistic to me. Then we talked again, and he became more reasonable.

“Do not rely on riches,” I advised. “You may die and not even have a chance to make a will. These material riches are not yours. Open your ‘bank account’ with God.”

He had become interested, so he suggested, “Meet me in Boston.” I countered with the proposal, “Meet me in Los Angeles.”
But he did not have time.

Later, when in Boston, I was in the hotel where he had told me he stopped. When I inquired about him, the hotel manager said,
“Don’t you know what happened to him? He was coming from a hockey match and was struck down by a truck. He never regained consciousness.”

I felt very bad. He had awakened a little, but not enough.

Open your “bank account” with God—it will never be lost. You can use it through all your travels, now and in eternity, whether in an airplane or an astral plane."

 
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Notes:

* Excerpts from the book, "Journey To Self-Realization" published by Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India

* The above story is from a talk that Paramahansaji gave to his students of Washington D.C. Centre on April 7, 1929

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