YOGA: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Book Specification
Item Code: | IDG055 |
Author: | Swami Sivananda |
Publisher: | THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY |
Language: | English |
Edition: | 2005 |
Pages: | 116 |
Cover: | Paperback |
Other Details | 8.6" X 5.5" |
Weight | 140 gm |
Book Description
Born on the 8th September, 1887, in the illustrious family of Saga Appayya Diskhita and several other renowned saints and savants, Sri Swami Sivananda had a natural flair for a life devoted to the study and practice of Vedanta. Added to this was an inborn eagerness to serve all and an innate feeling of unity with all mankind. His passion for service drew him to the medical career; and soon he gravitated to where he thought that his service was most needed. Malaya claimed him. He had earlier been editing a Health Journal and wrote extensively on health problems. He discovered that people needed right knowledge most of all; dissemination of that knowledge he espoused as his own mission. It was divine dispensation and the blessing of God upon mankind that the doctor of body and mind renounced his career and took to a life of renunciation to qualify himself for ministering to the soul of man. He settled down at Rishikesh in 1924, practiced intense austerities and shone as a great Yogi, Saint, Sage and Jivanmukta. In 1932 he started the Sivanandashram. In 1936 was born The Divine Life Society. In 1948 the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy was organized. Dissemination of spiritual knowledge and training of people in Yoga and Vedanta were their aim and object. In 1950 he undertook a lightning tour of India and Ceylon. In 1953 he convened a 'World Parliament Reliogions'. He is the author of over 300 volumes and has disciples all over the world, belonging to all nationalities, religions and creeds. To read his works is to drink at the fountain of Wisdom Supreme. On 14th July, 1963 he entered Mahasamadhi.
Publishers' Note:
This is an age in which all disciples cannot sit at the feet of a Guru in obedience to the Gita-teaching: Tad-viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya.
Specially so in the case of a World-Guru like Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj who has disciples all over the world. They have all their own ways of prostrating to him, doing total self-surrender unto hi, 'questioning him on matters pertaining to Yoga-practice and Vedantic philosophy, and serving him. They have his picture in their meditation-chamber; and as it is aglow with spiritual light, they prostrate to it. Sri Swamiji is easily accessible to them by post and the aspirants get his guidance and he clears their doubts and leads them on the path. And, they take upon themselves the sacred task of serving Sri Swamiji's mission in every way they can-by dissemination of spiritual knowledge, by broadcasting his message, by helping the parent institution (the Divine Life Society, etc. Thus they fulfil the three-fold injunction of the Gita.
The questions asked by the average aspirant and Sri Swamiji's answers to them have been arranged nicely and published in this volume for the benefit of all spiritual aspirants. 22nd December 1957 THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
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1. DISCRIMINATION, INTROSPECTION, SELF-ANALYSIS | 3 | |
2.DISPASSION AND CONTINUOUS PRACTICE | 4 | |
3. METHODS OF MENTAL PURIFICATION | 4 | |
4. SUCCESS IN MEDITATION | 5 | |
5. SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND THE PURPOSE OF RELIGION | 6 | |
6. A SAINT AND A YOGI | 6 | |
7. PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE AND HATRED | 7 | |
8. CONQUEST OF ANGER AND COSMIC LOVE | 7 | |
9. PROBLEMS OF SEX-ENERGY | 8 | |
10. CELIBACY AND GOD-REALISATION | 9 | |
1. SAHAJA SAMADHI AND NIRVIKALPA SAMADHI | 11 | |
2. ENTRY INTO THE BEYOND | 12 | |
3. THE AROMA OF SAHAJA AVASTHA | 13 | |
4. CHITTA SHUDDHI FOR SAMADHI | 13 | |
5. EXPERIENCES IN SAMADHI | 13 | |
6. CONTEMPLATION AND SUPERCONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE | 14 | |
7. EXPERIENCES AND MYSTICS | 15 | |
1. PRACTICAL METHOD OF SELF-RELISATION | 16 | |
2. THE IDEA OF GOD-REALISATION | 17 | |
3. THE MEANING OF SALVATION | 18 | |
4. NEED FOR SALVATION | 18 | |
5. PRE-REQUISITES OF REALISATION | 18 | |
6. CONCEPT OF THE SUPERCONSCIOUS | 19 | |
1. HATHA YOGA AND RAJA YOGA | 20 | |
2. PRANAYAMA AND KUNDALINI SHAKTI | 20 | |
3. KHECHARI MUDRA AND PRANAYAMA | 21 | |
4. HATHA YOGA AND A REALISED GURU | 21 | |
1. YOGA AND THE LIFE DIVINE | 23 | |
2. THOUGHT AS POWER | 24 | |
3. INTUITION AS EYE OF WISDOM | 24 | |
4. MIND AND SOUL | 25 | |
5. THE DISTRACTIONS | 25 | |
6. THE UNIVERSALISED MIND | 26 | |
7. EASY PATH TO CONCENTRATION | 26 | |
8. CHITTA SHUDDHI AND SOUL | 26 | |
9. BENEFITS OF MEDITATION IN BRAHMAMUHURTA | 27 | |
10. WORLDLY THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION | 27 | |
11. ENTRY INTO SAMADHI | 27 | |
12. LORD HARI AND OBJECT OF CONCENTRATION | 28 | |
1. THE GREATNESS OF NAME | 29 | |
2. MAHAMANTRA AND BHAKTI | 29 | |
3. LORD HARI AND THE BHAKTAS | 30 | |
4. THE TWO ARCH-ENEMIES OF BHAKTI | 31 | |
5. THE EIGHT SIGNS OF BHAKTI | 31 | |
6. THE FIVE REQUISITIES | 31 | |
7. BHAKTI AND JNANA | 32 | |
8. PARA AND APARA BHAKTI | 33 | |
9. SAKAMYA AND NISHKAMYA BHAKTI | 33 | |
10. NAVAVIDHA BHAKTI | 34 | |
11. NUANCES OF DIVINE LOVE | 34 | |
12. THE FIVE FORMS OF WORSHIP | 34 | |
13.FOUR DEGREES OF BHAKTI AND FOUR KIND OF MUKTI | 35 | |
14. THE PRACTICE OF BHAKTI YOGA | 35 | |
15. THE ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF A BHAKTA | 36 | |
16. EASY PATH TO SELF-REALISATION | 36 | |
17. DEFINITION OF FAITH AND DEVELOPMENT OF DEVOTION | 37 | |
1. JAPA AND DHYANA | 38 | |
2. JAPA AND MOKSHA | 38 | |
3. THE SCIENCE OF MANTRA REPETITION | 38 | |
4. DOUBT'S IN JAPA YOGA SADHANA | 40 | |
5. THE MANTRA AND ITS MEANING | 42 | |
6. EXPERIENCE IN MANTRA SADHANA | 42 | |
7. ORAL AND MENTAL JAPA | 42 | |
8. SELFLESS SERVICE AND JAPA | 43 | |
9. THE SAGUNA-NIRGUNA MANTRA | 44 | |
1. THE INFINITE AND THE VEIL OF IGNORANCE | 45 | |
2. THE NATURE OF THE ATMAN | 45 | |
3. THE ADVAITA PHILOSOPHY | 46 | |
4. DEHADHYASA AND THE ADHIKARI | 46 | |
5. RENUNCIATION AND UNREALITY OF THE WORLD | 46 | |
6. THE PROBLEM OF IGNORANCE | 47 | |
7. THE MYSTERY OF EMBODIMENT | 48 | |
8. ATMAN AND PARAMATMAN | 49 | |
9. BRAHMAN: ITS DEFITION AND ITS KNOWLEDGE | 51 | |
10. SOME TECHNICALITIES IN VEDANTA | 52 | |
11. VEDANTA: ITS FOURFOLD THEME | ||
12. THE PREPARATORY DISCIPLINES | 54 | |
13. VAIRAGYA AND JAHAD-AJAHAD LAKSHANA | 54 | |
14. DUHKHAPARAMPARA AND THE FOURFOLD | ||
PROCESS OF REALISATION | 55 | |
15. SHAD LINGAS AND THE TWO TANTRAS | 56 | |
16. VIDYA AND AVIDYA | 56 | |
17. THE TWO VAADAS AND THE NATURE OF MOKSHA | 58 | |
18. THE FOUR GREAT DECLARATIONS AND | ||
THE SEVEN PLANES OF SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS | 58 | |
1. EPISTEMOLOGY: EASTERN AND WESTERN | 60 | |
2. THE ESSENTIALS OF EXISTENTIALISM | 60 | |
3. PHILOSOPHY | 61 | |
4. THE METHOD OF INTUITION | 61 | |
5. THE QUALITY OF MIND: A DEFINITION | 62 | |
6. EXPRESSION OF THE INFINITE | 62 | |
7. TRUTH AND FREEDOM | 62 | |
1. EVOLUTION ON THE UNIVERSE | 64 | |
2. THE UNIVERSE AND ITS CREATOR | 65 | |
3. GOD AND MAN | 66 | |
4. EXISTENCE, NATURE, WORSHIP OF GOD | 67 | |
5. GOD AND MORAL PHENOMENON | 69 | |
1. GOAL OF LIFE AND LIFE AND DEATH | 72 | |
2. LIFE AND THE PROBLEM OF EVIL | 74 | |
3. LIFE AND LIBERATION | 74 | |
1. ART AND TALENT | 76 | |
2.GREATNESS AND GOODNESS | 76 | |
3. COWARDICE, NON-VIOLENCE, HAPPINESS | 77 | |
4. PHYSICAL LOVE AND GOODLUCK | 78 | |
5. ACTIONS: GOOD AND BAD | 78 | |
6. PHILOSOPHER'S CONCEPTION OF MORALITY | 79 | |
1. DEATH AND THE FACT OF LOWER BIRTHS | 80 | |
2. PAST LIFE AND THE POPULATION PROBLEM | 80 | |
3. HEAVEN AND HELL | 81 | |
4. THE CLASH OF DOCTRINES | 82 | |
5. KNOWLEDGE OF PREVIOUS BIRTHS | 82 | |
6. REBIRTH AND GOD-REALISATION | 83 | |
1. CINEMA AND PUBLIC MORALS | 85 | |
2. THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE | 85 | |
3. WOMEN AS YOGINIS | 86 | |
4. DIVINITY OF MOTHERHOOD AND POLYGAMY | 86 | |
5. LITERARY CRITICISM AND REACTIONARY TRENDS | 87 | |
6. CASTE SYSTEM AND SOCIAL LAWS | 88 | |
1. HINDU AND THE HINDU SCRIPTURES | 89 | |
2. MASTERY OVER KARMA | 90 | |
3. SPIRITUAL HUNGER AND ENLIGHTENMENT | 91 | |
4. EVOLUTION AND THE LAW OF KARMA | 92 | |
5. DESTINY, HARD FATE, SELF-EFFORT | 93 | |
6. FAITH, PRAYER, RELIGION | 93 | |
7. GOD, IDOL WORSHIP, SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION | 94 | |
1. THE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL GUIDE | 97 | |
2. THE ATTAINMENTS OF A GURU | 98 | |
3. THE MASTER AND THE DISCIPLE | 99 | |
4. THE PROBLEM OF TWO GUIDES | 100 | |
5. POWERS OF A PERFECT MASTER | 102 | |
6. THE QUESTION OF AVATARHOOD | 104 | |
7. OCCULT POWERS AND THE PERFECT MASTER | 105 | |
8. COMMUNICATION OF GODS WITH MEN | 106 | |
9. THE SUPRAMENTAL RACE | 107 | |
1. WORLD STATE AND WORLD PEACE | 108 | |
2. WORLD-WARS | 109 | |
3. UNIVERSAL LOVE AND UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD | 109 | |
4. SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS FOR WORLD-UNITY | 110 | |
5. DIVINE LIFE AND WORLD SOLIDARITY | 111 | |
1. THE SELF OF DELIGHT AND ITS ENEMIES | 113 | |
2. THE BEST AND THE WORST | 113 | |
3. THE STRONG, THE WEAK, THE HAPPY | 114 | |
4. THE SPIRITUAL STANDARDS | 115 | |
5. EVALUATION OF PERSONAL THOUGHT, NATURE, ACTION | 115 |
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**Contents and Sample Pages**