By persevering effort and mastery, the totally purified yogi,
perfected through many births, reaches the Supreme Goal.
The yogi is superior to ascetics, and considered superior to jnanis
and superior to those engaged in Vedic rituals.
Therefore be a yogi.
(Bhagavad Gita 6:45-46)
This is a compilation of random thoughts I put down quite some time ago that were completely without any order. Unlike Satsang With the Abbot, it is now somewhat arranged according to subjects. I hope it will be useful to those who read it.
This is not a book about the technique of yoga, but about the Yoga Life which makes the successful practice of yoga possible. Yoga is not just a practice or a philosophy; it is an entire way of life. And by yoga I mean the quest for liberation of the spirit, for Yoga is an eternal science intended to reveal and manifest the Eternal.
Consider a tree. The bark is not the tree; the leaves are not the tree; the branches are not the tree; nor are the roots the tree. But taken all together, that is a tree. If a single one of these elements is missing, then the tree will die. It is the same with yoga: nothing can be missing.
Some words I have used in this book will be unfamiliar to many readers, so we recommend you reference A Brief Sanskrit Glossary on our site or in print.
In various places mention is made of Soham Yoga. I recommend that you consult my book, Soham Yoga: The Yoga of the Self.
Abbot George Burke
(Swami Nirmalananda Giri)
Next in Living the Yoga Life: Climbing the Ladder of Consciousness