Raja Yoga (Vol. 4)
by Swami Sivananda
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Paperback: xii+373 pages
ISBN: 81-7052-220-X
Book Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 450 grams
Life and Works of Swami Sivananda
Volume 4
Other books in this series:
Sivananda: Biography of a Modern Sage (Vol. 1)
Health and Hatha Yoga (Vol. 2)
Karma Yoga (Vol. 3)
Raja Yoga (Vol. 4)
Bhakti Yoga (Vol. 5)
Vedanta (Vol. 6)
Table of Contents
| About This Book (Back Cover) | |
| Preface | vii |
| Acknowledgements | viii |
| Introduction | ix |
| Chapter 1: Yoga | 1 |
| What is Yoga? | 1 |
|
Different Paths in Yoga |
4 |
| Benefits of Yoga | 5 |
|
Outline of Raja Yoga |
7 |
| Practice | 10 |
| Who is a Yogi? | 11 |
| Karma, Bhakti and Jnana in Raja Yoga | 12 |
| Chapter 2: Sadhana | 15 |
| Four Letters From Lord Yama | 18 |
| Be Regular | 19 |
| Difficulties in Sadhana | 20 |
| Necessity for a Guru | 22 |
| Three Things | 25 |
| Chapter 3: Mysteries of the Mind | 26 |
| Nature of the Mind | 27 |
| Time — A Mode of the Mind | 34 |
| Atman is One | 34 |
| Metaphysics of the Inner Man | 35 |
| The Power Within | 36 |
| The Subconscious Mind | 38 |
| Mind is Like a Chameleon | 39 |
| Marvels of the Mind | 41 |
| Power of Thought | 41 |
| Chitta | 44 |
| Vrittis — Modifications of the Mind | 46 |
| Samskaras | 50 |
| Gunas | 51 |
| Chapter 4: Control of Mind | 57 |
| Balance of Mind | 57 |
| Purification of Mind | 62 |
| The Two Wings of the Mind-bird | 65 |
| Control Thoughts | 66 |
| Victory Over Mind | 71 |
| Desires — The Cause of Bondage | 74 |
| Vasanas — Subtle Desires | 79 |
| Vairagya — Dispassion | 84 |
| Abhyasa — Practice | 85 |
| The Mind and the Senses | 86 |
| The Sense Organs (Indriyas) | 88 |
| Control of Senses | 89 |
| Tongue (The Most Turbulent Indriya) | 90 |
| Vow of Silence (Mauna) | 92 |
| Chapter 5: Afflictions of the Mind | 95 |
| What are Afflictions? | 95 |
| How to Remove Likes, Dislikes and Clinging to Life | 99 |
| How to Remove Evil Thoughts | 100 |
| What is Pratipaksha Bhavana? | 100 |
| Root of Afflictions | 101 |
| Fruits of Afflictions | 103 |
| Karma and Environment | 104 |
| Avoid Misery | 105 |
| The Cause of Misery | 105 |
| The Means for Kaivalya | 107 |
| Chapter 6: Yama | 109 |
| Ahimsa — Non-violence | 110 |
| Satyam — Truthfulness | 118 |
| Astheyam — Non-stealing | 120 |
| Brahmacharya — Purity | 122 |
| Practice of Brahmacharya | 125 |
| Aparigraha — Non-covetousness | 127 |
| Chapter 7: Niyama | 129 |
| Saucha — Purity | 130 |
| Santosha — Contentment | 130 |
| Tapas — Austerity | 132 |
| Svadhyaya — Study of Scriptures | 135 |
| Ishvara Pranidhana — Self-surrender | 136 |
| Chapter 8: Asana | 138 |
| Asanas for Meditation | 139 |
| Benefits of Asanas | 140 |
| Chapter 9: Pranayama | 141 |
| What is Prana? | 141 |
| What is Pranayama? | 144 |
| Control of Breath | 144 |
| Pranayama and the Mind | 146 |
| Physical Benefits of Pranayama | 148 |
| Hints for Practice | 148 |
| Pranayama Exercises | 150 |
| Pranayama and Hatha Yoga | 152 |
| Pranayama and Pratyahara | 153 |
| Chapter 10: Pratyahara | 154 |
| Chapter 11: Dharana | 159 |
| Concentration as Part of Raja Yoga | 162 |
| Benefits of Concentration | 164 |
| Concentration in Daily Life | 165 |
| Ethical Basis | 167 |
| A Hard Task | 168 |
| Useful Hints for Concentration | 170 |
| Exercises in Concentration | 173 |
| Concentration on Anahata Sounds | 175 |
| Objects of Concentration | 176 |
| Attention and Interest | 178 |
| Hatha Yoga Techniques | 184 |
| Chapter 12: Dhyana | 187 |
| What is Meditation? | 187 |
| What Happens in Meditation? | 189 |
| Benefits of Meditation | 192 |
| Meditation and Rest | 195 |
| Mind and Meditation | 196 |
| Qualifications for Practice of Meditation | 204 |
|
Requisites |
207 |
| Chapter 13: Hints on Meditation | 209 |
| Places for Meditation | 217 |
| Important Places for Meditation | 218 |
| Seclusion and Meditation | 221 |
| Meditation Room | 223 |
| Best Time for Meditation | 224 |
| Reasons for Failure | 227 |
| Preparation for Meditation | 232 |
| Signs of Progress | 233 |
| The Power of Silence | 235 |
| Meditation and Work | 236 |
| Chapter 14: Kinds of Meditation | 238 |
| Light of Lights | 240 |
| Meditation on a Buffalo | 242 |
| Meditation on Virat Purusha | 243 |
| Saguna Meditation | 244 |
| Simple Saguna Exercises | 245 |
| Meditation on a Rose | 247 |
| Meditation on Twelve Virtues | 247 |
| Meditation on Divine Songs | 248 |
| Meditation on Gita Slokas | 248 |
| Meditation on Gayatri | 249 |
| Uddhava’s Meditation | 250 |
| Vedantic Meditation | 251 |
| Formulae for Meditation | 253 |
| Meditation on Mahavakyas | 255 |
| Positive Meditation | 256 |
| Negative Meditation | 257 |
| Nirguna Meditation | 257 |
| Simple Nirguna Exercises | 258 |
| Saguna and Nirguna Meditation Compared | 259 |
| Meditation and Action | 261 |
| Chapter 15: Philosophy of OM | 265 |
| Where it is Heard | 266 |
| OM as Brahman | 269 |
| Japa of OM | 271 |
| Meditation on OM | 272 |
| Meditation Exercises | 273 |
| Meditation on Soham | 276 |
| Benefits of Chanting OM | 278 |
| Chapter 16: Practice of Samyama | 280 |
| Chapter 17: Obstacles | 282 |
| Obstacles in Meditation | 282 |
| (a) Physical Obstacles | 285 |
| (b) Mental Obstacles | 289 |
|
Obstacles on the Spiritual Path |
300 |
| (a) Subtle Obstacles | 310 |
| (b) Psychic Obstacles | 316 |
| Chapter 18: Experiences in Meditation | 323 |
| Physical Sensations | 323 |
| Feeling of Separation | 325 |
| Astral Journey | 326 |
| Visions | 327 |
| Vision of God | 328 |
| Lights in Meditation | 329 |
| Anahata Sounds | 331 |
| Experiences of Sadhaks | 332 |
| In the Hours of Meditation | 335 |
| Chapter 19: Siddhis | 336 |
| Stories of Siddhas | 338 |
| Requirements for Attaining Siddhis | 339 |
| Real Nature of Spiritual Experiences | 340 |
| Chapter 20: Samadhi | 343 |
| How to Attain Samadhi | 346 |
| The Mind in Samadhi | 349 |
| Deep Sleep and Samadhi | 350 |
| Cosmic Consciousness | 351 |
| Turiya — The Fourth State | 353 |
| Jada Samadhi and Chaitanya Samadhi | 354 |
| Savitarka Samadhi and Nirvitarka Samadhi | 356 |
| Savichara Samadhi and Nirvichara Samadhi | 357 |
| Sananda Samadhi — The Blissful Samadhi | 359 |
| Sasmita Samadhi | 359 |
| Raja Yoga Samadhi | 359 |
| Jnana Yoga Samadhi | 363 |
| Bhakti Yoga Samadhi | 365 |
| Samadhi and Work | 366 |
| Glossary | 368 |
About This Book
A long-awaited text book on raja yoga, not by a Western scholar or Indian pundit, but by one who has attained the goal of yoga — Self-realisation. Instruction is given in language of simplicity, clarity and force. As in all his books, the spirit of Swami Sivananda permeates every page, compelling the reader to put the ideals into practice.
This book is a must for all who aspire to control their mind.
Instructive, inspiring, illuminating.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We am indebted to:
We are indebted to:
H.H. Sri Swami Venkatesanandaji Maharaj, whose mammoth task was to compile and edit almost 300 of Holy Master Sri Swami Sivanandaji’s books into 19 volumes, in spite of his demanding programmes and failing health.
Swami Lakshmi Ananda for the final editing.
The Publishers
INTRODUCTION
The Inward Path to Liberation
Yoga is the union of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul. Just as camphor melts and becomes one with the fire, just as a drop of water when it is thrown into the ocean becomes one with the ocean, the individual soul — when it is purified, when it is freed from lust, greed, hatred and egoism, when it becomes pure — becomes one with the Supreme Soul.
The process of yoga embodies an ascent into purity, into that absolute perfection which is the original state of man. It implies therefore the removal of the enveloping impurities, the stilling of the discordant vibratory tempo of the lower sheaths and the establishment of a state of perfect balance and harmony.
Now, all the above-mentioned factors that bind down the individual soul may be seen to be operating on a larger scale through humanity as a whole. The present age is enmeshed in ignorance (characterised by restlessness, a blind clinging to earthly existence, perverted individualism and voluptuous abandonment to pleasures of the flesh) and violence, strife and discord in all walks of life.
Modern age is the machine age. As such it is power-ridden. Discovery of newer ways of generating power, exploiting fresh aspects of known forces and inventing machines to make machines is the present craze under man’s control, but man himself does not have his senses and his mind under his control. This has resulted in the misuse and abuse of the fruits of civilisation and science, because all power corrupts. The adoption of the yoga way of life is the release from and the guarantee against such abuse of power and the resultant disaster. Training in yoga brings to man several supernormal powers that no machine can ever generate. Yet the discipline laid down on the path ensures against their abuse.