Re: Astanga Yoga IS Raja Yoga

10-04-2001, 12:39 PM

Your statement that astanga yoga is not raja yoga
imho needs some correction, DMcG.

The Founder's
Message may not mention raja yoga, but the YOGA MALA
does:

(in the section on pranayama,
pp.29-30)
"Regulating the breathing stabilizes the mind and makes it
firm. The method for directing the stabilized mind
towards the Inner Self is what is known as *hatha*
yoga.
If the mind moves towards the Self by means of
*hatha* yoga, this is known as *raja* yoga. Many people
wrongly believe that *hatha* yoga and *raja* yoga are
different, but this is not true. As Swatmarama explains in
the *Hatha Yoga Pradipika*:

[Because of the
ignorance of the many opinions of those who through error
do not understand raja yoga, the compassionate
Swatmarama offers the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (the Illumination
of Hatha Yoga).] -- Hatha Yoga Pradipika i : 3
"

This compassionate poster deduces from all this that,
since astanga vinyasa yoga is hatha yoga, it in fact
*IS* raja yoga.

10-05-2001, 07:43 AM

My point is simply that this list is oriented
towards those who have embraced Jois' approach to the
8-fold path, a method _popularily_ known as Astanga
Yoga.

The method promoted by the Brahma Kumaris group, know
_popularily_ as "Raja" yoga, has an entirely different
approach.

Jois' students should not be critized or insulted on
their own list for following their teacher's
directives.

Omprem should proselytize elsewhere.

10-10-2001, 07:50 AM

ddm

If you are following Jois'
promulgation of an 8-fold path, then all I'm doing is
suggesting that you actually follow ALL of those 8 angas
instead of just the 2 physical ones.

Raja Yoga is
the name given by Patanjali to the 8 angas of yoga.
He also calls those 8 angas Ashtanga Yoga. Ashtanga
Yoga and Raja Yoga are interchangeable
terms.

Please do not try to shift this discussion of the 6
non-physical angas of Patanjali's Raja or Ashtanga Yoga away
to some personal diatribe that you have against the
group you refer to as Brahma Kumaris. If you have a
beef with them, go visit their website (assuming that
they have one). This is an Ashtanga Yoga
club.

omprem