Thread: Patanjali Yoga Sutras

Discourse in English -Contains 4 files with 64 bits Plus one PDF The yoga

sutra of Patanjali (Sanskrit-English by Chip Hartranft)

This is one of the greatest classical text from the yoga school of Indian

philosophy ,the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali, These Sutras (threads) on

yoga or union, are extremely terse, stating concisely and often

precisely, essential points or techniques, steps, which may be listed as

follows:

1. Restraint(Yama) : nonviolence, not lying, not stealing, not lusting, and nonattachment

2. Observances: (Niyama) cleanliness, contentment, discipline, self-study, and surrender

3. Asana Posture or physical exercises

4. Pranayama: Breath control

5. Prathayahara: Sublimation or withdrawal from the senses

6. Dharana: Attention

7. Dhyana Concentration

8. Samadhi: Meditation

Meaning and Purpose of the Yoga Sutras

Yoga means Union and the purpose is to teach the practitioner of Yoga,

called the Yogi, how to achieve Union or Spiritual Absorption into the

Supreme Absolute or God. Yoga teachs us that our true self is the soul

and that our self identity is an illusion to be overcome.

These sutras do not go into the specifics of meditation, such as how to

sit, what postures are best, etc... because it was assumed this material

would be taught by a teacher to a student and that certain basics

would be part of the instruction. It is recommended that the reader

become famailiar with basic meditation techniques and postures before

practicing these precepts.

Organization of the Yoga Sutras

These sutras are in four padas (parts).

1. Samadhi Pada I: Contemplation and Meditation

2. Sadhana Pada II: The Steps To Union

3. Vibhuti Pada III: Union Achieved And Its Results

4. Kaivalya Pada IV: Illumination and Freedom

Free File Hosting Made Simple - MediaFire

ravi