Sunday, September 1, 2013[jbox color=”white”][mp3t track=”2013-09-01-Shankara-RajaYogaAndThePersonalIdealOfGod.mp3″ play=”Listen Now -” stop=”Pause -” title=”"Raja Yoga and the Personal Ideal of God" – Br. Shankara”]
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The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali teach the practice of yoga and meditation — aspirants learn, step-by-step, how to control the mind and achieve inner peace and freedom (liberation). According to Swami Prabhava-nanda, Patanjali says, “Liberation … can be reached without devotion to God.” However, the swami also notes that, “Devotion to a personal ideal of God … sweetens the dryness of intellectual discrimination and calls forth the highest kind of love of which man is capable.” In late July, we started a discussion of Prabhava-nandaji’s translation and commentary on Patanjali’s yoga sutras. This talk (from September 2) briefly reviews what was covered previously, then defines and explains the benefits of a devotional approach to Raja Yoga. Swami Prabhavananda was Head of the Vedanta Society of Southern California from 1929 until his death on July 4, 1976. A disciple of Swami Brahmananda, who was a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, Prabhavananda also served and learned from many of the Master’s other direct disciples. |
