Yoga treaties

by Iulia Bontaş   YOGA SUTRA, the fundamental YOGA treaty written by the sage Patanjali is a summary of the yogic path and contains its spiritual quintessence. In its four chapters, this treaty reveals to the aspirants, who are full of fervor in their quest to the Supreme Absolute, essential teachings of the…
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1. To enter the state of the householder without means of sustenance produceth self- imposed trouble as doth an idiot eating aconite. 2. To live a throughly evil life and disregard the Doctrine produceth self- imposed trouble as doth an insane person jumping over a precipice. 3. To live…
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1. Our body being illusory and transitory, it is useless to give over-much attention to it. 2. Seeing that when we die we must depart empty- handed and on the morrow after our death our corpse is expelled from our own house, it is useless to labour and to suffer privations in order to make for oneself a home in this world. 3. Seeing…
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1. To have but little pride and envy is the sign of a superior man. 2. To have but few desires and satisfaction with simple things is the sign of a superior man. 3. To be lacking in hypocrisy and deceit is the sign of a superior man. 4. To regulate one’ s conduct in accordance with the law of cause and effect as carefully as one…
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1. It is indispensable to have an intellect endowed with the power of comprehending and applying the Doctrine to one’s  own needs. 2. At the very beginning it is indispensably necessary to have the most profound aversion for the interminable sequence of repeated deaths and births. 3. A guru capable of guiding thee on the Path of…
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1. A religious devotee showth weakness if he allow his mind to be obsessed with wordly thoughts while dwelling in solitude. 2. A religious devotee who is the head of a monastery showeth weakness if he seek his own interests . 3. A religious devotee showeth weakness if he be careful in the observance of moral discipline and lacking in…
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1. If, after having been born a human being, one give no heed to the Holy Doctrine, one resembleth a man who returneth empty- handed from a land rich in precious gems; and this is a grievous failure. 2. If, after having entered the door of the Holy Order, one return to the life of the householder, one resembleth a moth plunging into…
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1. In being free from attachement to all objects, and being ordained a bhik su(1) into the Holy Order, forsaking home and entering upon the homeless state, one doth not err. 2. In revering one’s spiritual preceptor one doth not err. 3. In thoroughly studying the Doctrine, hearing discourses thereon, and reflecting and meditating…
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1. Desire may be mistaken for faith. 2. Attachment may be mistaken for benevolence and compassion. 3. Cessasion of thought- processes may be mistaken for the quiescence of infinite mind, which is the true goal. 4. Sense perceptions may be mistaken for revelations of Reality. 5. A mere glimpse of Reality may be mistaken for complete…
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1. Weakness of faith combined with strength of intellect are apt to lead to the error of talkativeness. 2. Strength of faith combined with weakness of intellect are apt to lead to the error of narrow- minded dogmatism. 3. Great zeal without adequate religious instruction is apt to lead to the error of going to erroneous extremes . 4.…
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