Author: Eminent Contributors
Editor(s): Georg Feuerstein
Publisher: Shambhala
Year: 1997
Language: English
Pages: 236
ISBN/UPC (if available): 1569570124
Description
Millions of Americans have taken up the practice of Yoga as a way of reducing stress, increasing flexibility, and improving overall health. But Yoga is more than a physical discipline; it is a four thousand-year-old tradition with a rich philosophical and spiritual literature. The readings in this book offer an inspirational introduction to this vast treasury of texts. Presented here are a wide range of the most accessible writings, including:
Teachings on the path of liberation from the ancient Hindu Upanishads
Devotional songs in praise of Krishna by the celebrated sixteenth-century poet Mirabai
Insights on the attainment of joy from the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata
Inspiring sayings and teachings from contemporary figures such as Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, and Gopi Krishna
Contents
Editor's Preface
On the Way to the Divine
The Preciousness of Human Embodiment
The Time to Realize God Is Now
The Significance of Human Life
The Potential of the Body
Strengthen the Body to Liberate the Mind
Microcosm and Macrocosm
The Transmuted Body of the Yogi
I Am The Body Is a Lie
Fell the tree of I and Mine
The World Is Illusory
The Fishing-Net of the World
The Umbrella of Mental Impressions
Suffering Is Omnipresent
The Truth about Joy and Sorrow
Cutting through Desire
Instruction in Happiness
The Value of Contentment
The Conquest of Desire
The Two Streams of the Mind
The Bottleneck of the Mind
The Power of Thought
The Mind Is the Cause of Bondage and Liberation
The Ego
Delete the I-Thought through self-Inquiry
The Five Hindrances
Mental Restlessness
Tether the Mind
Be Grateful to the Mind
The Steed of the Mind
Three Great Obstacles on the Path
The Fault of Indecisiveness
The Metaphor of the Chariot
The Nature of Knowledge
Self-Knowledge
Yoga and Wisdom
The Ultimate Futility of Intellectual Learning
Book Knowledge versus Self-Knowledge
The Need for Discipline
Making Time for the Divine
Practice Makes Perfect
Daily Discipline
Asceticism Is Everything
Success in Yoga
The True Guru
Characteristics of a Superior Teacher
Three Kinds of Preceptor
Characteristics of a Disciple
Four Types of Yoga Practitioners
The Need for Initiation
Kinds of Initiation
Good Company
Association with Holy Folk
The Path to Liberation
Intending Liberation
Think of Yourself as Immortal
The Caged Nightingale
The Inner Treasure
Yoga and the Divine Life
The Foundation of Faith
The Supreme Value of Faith
The Eight Limbs of Yoga
The Eightfold Path
The Middle Path
The Path Is Difficult
Spontaneity
Freedom in Action
Commune with Nature
Channeling Emotions
Base Emotions
Overcoming Depression
Give Up Pride
Humility
Nonviolence
The Do's and Don't s of Spiritual Life
Life Is a Test
Inner Transformation
Ripe and Unripe Beings
Control of Impulses
Silence
Truthfulness
The Nature of Truth
Three Kinds of Giving
Solitude
Always Serve Others
Worship with the Body
True Worship
The Liberating Power of Devotion
The Path of Devotion
Mad with Love
Love is the Self
The Yoga of Tears
The Road to Heaven Is through Hell
How to Overcome Defects
Real Fasting
The Best Posture
The Life Force
Breath Control
Restraining the Senses
Recitation Only
Successful Mantra Practice
The Pleasing Inner Sound
Concentration
Be the Observer
The Greatest Work
Transform the World through Meditation
Obstacles to Meditation
Ecstasy
Pathway to Ecstasy
Psychic Powers
The Seven Stages of Wisdom
The Self Is the Foundation of All
For the Sake of the Self
The Immortal Inner Controller
The Serpent Power Awakens
The Long-Haired Ascetic
Floating in the Divine
Embodied Liberation
The Liberated Sage
The Supreme Swan
How Does the Liberated Sage Behave?
Open-Eyed Ecstasy
Levels of Bliss
Bliss beyond Pain
I Am Food
Salutation to Myself!
Cosmic Consciousness
I Am He
Immortality
Sources
Recommended Reading
Acknowledgements
About the Editor/Translator