Bhagavad Gita, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Vivekananda)



Dhyana Yoga (Concentration, Meditation): Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Philosophy) by Swami Vivekananda

Dhyana Yoga Course

Bhagavad Gita Subject

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Swami Vivekananda (translated into Spanish by Pedro Nonell)

1- Introduction to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Yoga Aphorisms)

  1. Yogic theory of religion

2- Spiritual uses of concentration

  1. Concentration and Yoga
  2. Chitta (mind substance) and Vrittis (mental fluctuations)
  3. Aptavakya: The direct evidence of the yogis
  4. Terms and states of meditation according to Patanjali: Vikalpa, Smriti, Samskaras, Vairagya, Samprajnata Samadhi, Avyakta, Savitarka, Nirvitarka, Savichara, Nirvichara, Sananda, (Samadhi), Sasmita Samadhi, Asamprajnata Samadhi
  5. The philosophy of Patanjali Patanjali Yoga based on the Sankhya Yoga Philosophy, but with one God (unlimited knowledge)
  6. OM: The primal sound
  7. Meditation techniques

3- The practice of concentration

  1. Kriya Yoga
  2. The Samskaras asleep in Chitta
  3. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas (Gunas)
  4. The true nature of man: The soul (Purusha), which is beyond all laws of causality
  5. Ignorance as a cause of pain and pleasure
  6. Knowledge that turns off ignorance
  7. Practice of the eight limbs of Yoga (Yoga Philosophy)

4- The powers of Yoga

  1. Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi, Samyana
  2. Obstacles and powers to overcome Samadhi

5- The independence of the yogi

  1. Establishing the power of knowledge in its own nature

Yogas Sutras of Patanjali (Swami Vivekananda) Course: Dhyana Yoga (Philosophy Gita)

Differences and similarities among the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Bhagavad Gita

  1. Yoga Shastra: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Bhagavad Gita
  2. Bhagavad Gita (revealed writing, Shruti) / Yoga Sutras (Smriti)
  3. Yoga Philosophy (Sutras of Patanjali) versus Vedanta (Bhagavad Gita)
  4. Aphorisms (Sutras) / verses (Shlokas, Bhagavad Gita)
  5. Style: Yoga Sutras (intellectual) / Bhagavad Gita (poetry)
  6. Format: Bhagavad Gita (dialogue Krishna-Arjuna) / Yoga Sutras (scientific text)
  7. Technique of repetition of the Bhagavad Gita versus Non-repetition of the Yoga Sutras
  8. Length of the Bhagavad Gita versus Yoga Sutras Patanjali

The Yoga Sutras, or “Yoga Aphorisms” of Patanjali are composed of four chapters or Books (Padas), containing 196 aphorisms:

Padas Yoga Sutras, or Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali

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

Man comes from God at the beginning, in the middle he becomes man and at the end he returns to God. This is the method to put it into dualistic form. The monistic way is that man is God and returns to Him again. There are much higher states of existence beyond reasoning. It is really beyond the intellect that lies the first state of religious life.

The yogis say that man can go beyond his direct sensory perception and also beyond his reason.

The philosophy of Patanjali Yoga is based on the Sankhya philosophy; only in the latter there is no place for God, while with the yogis God has a place.

The organs (Indriyas), together with the mind (Manas), the determinative faculty (Buddhi) and the egoism (Ahamkaara), form the group called Antahkarana (internal instrument). They are nothing more than various processes in the mental matter, called Chitta. Although Chitta is in all animals, from the lowest to the highest, only in the human form do we find it as intellect.

Obstructions to Yoga arise from lack of control and cause us pain. They can only be eliminated by denying the mind and keeping it under control, through Kriya Yoga.

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

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

Comments by Sri S. Satchidananda about the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Comments Sri Satchidananda sobre Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

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