Yoga Defined

1. What is Yoga?

2. Yoga is the process of recognizing the identification of the inner self with the thinking brain; and separating the two,

3. allowing the inner self to stand in its own true form;

4. while understanding that one can choose to identify with any role at other times.

5. There are 5 kinds of painful and pleasurable states of the mind;

   1. free,

   2. inverted,

   3. deluded,

   4. sleeping, and

   5. remembering.

6. The free mind has no barrier to direct perception and experience and is not impeded by false cognition.

7. The inverted mind interprets truth as falsity not related to actuality.

8. Delusion is the correct perception of the nonexistent.

9. Sleep is the absence of conscious involvement.

10. Memory includes the collected wisdom of self and society.

11. These states of the mind can be completely controlled through renunciation and dedication.

12. Dedication is maintaining a direction through life,

13. that is firmly grounded in long and continuous effort.

14. Renunciation is the removal of thirst for direct and indirect experiences.

15. The greatest renunciation is accomplished by identification with Divine inner power which shields one from opposing forces.

16. One practice is concentration on the form of an object which leads one to experience the blissful functioning of the mind and the source of thoughts.

17. Another practice is meditation on the self before it was born or upon the eternal nature of the self.

18. Meditation on the source of inner vital energy leads to the merger of self with the blissful energy flow and separation from the physical body.

19. Another practice is observing the in-flow of wisdom which requires intense energy coupled with faith in the Divine.

20. Those who practice with intensive effort quickly attain the union.

21. There is a distinction between those practicing mildly, moderately and with extreme intensity.

22. Complete trust in the Divine power of one's Ishvara or personal God also brings positive results.

23. The Divine power is unaffected by one's sins, actions or tendencies.

24. The Divine power is the basis for any knowledge, insight or guidance.

25. The Divine power is the teacher of the gurus and is beyond time and space.

26. The Divine power is manifested by the nadam or inner sound of the ear.

27. One needs to constantly seek, open and become one with the inner sound.

28. Immersion in the inner sound opens one to direct consciousness of the higher mind and an absence of barriers to that consciousness.

29. The barriers are disease, indolence, doubts, lack of motivation, laziness, worldliness, erroneous perceptions, failure to reach and hold higher state of concentration and distraction of spurious thoughts.

  30. Depression, worry, restlessness and tension in the body, excessive and            irregular breathing are symptoms of distraction.  

  31. Dwelling upon the nadam circumvents these barriers.

32. Be one with those who are contented; feel compassion toward those who are virtuous; be unconcerned about those who are suffering and indifferent towards those who are evil natured. This will purify the mind.

33. One can control distractions with exhalation and the control of breathing.

34. Oneness with the subtle and sensual nature of the world stabilizes the mind,

35. as does illumination free from sorrow;

36. and freedom from passion of the mind;

37. so also the knowledge found in dreams and dreamless sleep;

38. or appropriate meditation freely chosen.

39. Mastery extends from the smallest details to the infinite universe.

40. The mind without modifications finds the awareness of the difference between the knower, means of knowing and the known yet also perceives that each is a reflection of the others just as a crystal reflects objects adjacent to it.

41. The union of the physical form of an object, the associated mental word and its utility is a function of the conditioned thinking brain.

42. Perception of an object shining in its own inherent nature, devoid of conditioned associations is a function of the higher intuitive mind and is called samadhi.

43. Similarly there are two mechanisms for exploring or defining the realm of the subtle: processes driven by the conditioned mind and those that emanate from the intuitive.

44. The realm of the subtle is defined as existing without characteristic attributes.

45. These are all seeds for samadhi.

46. Directed intuitive mentation upon the subtle results in undisturbed spiritual illumination.

47. In samadhi, knowledge acquired by intuitive knowledge is identical with absolute truth and

48. cannot be compared with the wisdom or beliefs of the world.

49. Oneness of mind overcomes worldly conditioned mind stuff.

50. Seedless meditation prevents further conditioning.

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