Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda (in Spanish, Dhyana)

1. Knowledge, religion and the Science of Raja Yoga
2. Concentration of the mind to dominate the universe and control nature
3. Discriminative knowledge
4. The Sankhya Philosophy: The pillar of Raja Yoga

1. Yoga Philosophy
2. The eight limbs of Raja Yoga: Yamas, Niyamas, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi
3. Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Yoga Aphorisms)
4. Yoga Sutras by Swami Vivekananda
5. Yoga Shastra: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Bhagavad Gita

1. Akasha: The infinite and omnipresent material of this universe
2. Objective of Pranayama: control Prana (the life force in every being)
3. The subtle vibration of the universe

1. Pingala, Ida, Sushumna and Kundalini
2. Muladhara, Sahasrara and Manipura
3. The awakening of Kundalini: The path to achieving Divine Wisdom

1. Pranayama techniques
2. Changes in face and voice
3. Ojas: The higher energy of man
4. Pratyahara and Dharana
5. Pratyahara: The mental strength to ignore the senses
6. The mind like a crazed monkey stung by a scorpion
7. Dharana: The strength of one-pointed concentration

1. Dhyana: meditation as one of the paths of yoga
   1. The Yoga of Meditation
2. Samadhi: The state of supraconsciousness

1. Raja Yoga in brief (based on the Kurma Purana)
2. There is no virtue higher than non-harm (Ahimsa)
3. The history of Narada: The God-Yogi

1. Shvetashvatara Upanishad
2. Yajnavalkya quoted by Shankara
3. Sankhya (Books III, IV, V and VI)
4. Sutras of Vyasa-Sutras

Aphorisms (Sutras) / verses (Shlokas, Bhagavad Gita)

Raja Yoga declares that every man is only a conduit for the infinite ocean of knowledge and power that lies behind humanity.

All orthodox systems of Indian philosophy have one goal: The liberation of the soul through perfection. The method is through Yoga. The word Yoga covers an immense terrain, but both the Sankhya and Vedanta Schools point to Yoga in one way or another.

The topic of this subject is that form of Yoga known as Raja Yoga. Patanjali's Aphorisms of Patanjali (Yoga Shastra) are the highest authority on Raja Yoga and form his reference book.

1. Samadhi Pada
2. Sadhana Pada
3. Vibhuti Pada
4. Kaivalya Pada

Patanjali's system is based on the system of the Sankhya philosophers, with very few points of difference. The two most important differences are, first, that Patanjali admits a Personal God in the form of a first teacher, while the only God the Sankhyas admit is a nearly perfect being, temporarily in charge of a cycle of creation. Secondly, the yogis hold that the mind is equally all, pervaded by the soul, or Purusha, and the Sankhyas are not.

Raja Yoga is divided into eight limbs. The first is Yama: non-killing, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence and not receiving any gifts. Next is Niyama: cleanliness, contentment, austerity, study and surrender to God.

Next comes Asana, or posture; Pranayama, or control of Prana; Pratyahara, or restriction of the senses of its objects; Dharana, or fixing the mind in one place; Dhyana, or meditation; and Samadhi, or supraconsciousness.

Both Yama and Niyama are moral trainings; Without these as a foundation, no Yoga practice will be successful. As these two become established, the yogi will begin to realize the fruits of his practice; Without these he will never bear fruit. A yogi should not think of hurting anyone, whether by thought, word or action. Mercy will not be only for men, but will go further and embrace the entire world

Synthesis of Raja Yoga:

1. Every soul is potentially divine
2. The objective is to manifest this inner Divinity through the control of nature, external and internal
3. Do this either through Work (Karma Yoga), worship (Bhakti Yoga), psychic control (Dhyana Yoga) or Philosophy (Jnana Yoga), through one, or more, or all of these, and be free
4. This is the whole religion. Doctrines, dogmas, rites, books, temples or forms are nothing more than secondary details

Source: Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda by Swami Vivekananda. Volume 1, Raja Yoga.

Edited, revised, improved (several verses from the Bhagavad Gita have been added, the preface translated), etc. by Pedro Nonell.

The rest of this summary on “Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda” is only available to students of the Gita Institute

Free e-book: Life of Swami Vivekananda (summary)

Additional information:

1. What is Yoga according to the Bhagavad Gita?
2. Yoga Sutras (formal), Bhagavad Gita (poetry)
3. Bhagavad Gita (dialogue), Yoga Sutras (scientific text)
4. Non-repetition technique of the Yoga Sutras
5. Length Yoga Sutras Patanjali

Dhyana (Raja): The Meditation as one of the Paths of Yoga