What is Knowledge : Ch-6-1.

Chapter- 6:- Being in Balance with the World-1.

Asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana and dhyana, which are stages in the yoga system of Patanjali, mean the posture that is maintained, the harmonised flowing of the breathing process, the adjustment of sense activity with mental operations, the concentration of the mind on that which it finally seeks, and its absorption in that object.

These essentially are the directly practical aspects of yoga.


We are almost entering the inner court of yoga practice when we begin with the adjustment of our personality with not only human society, but with nature itself.
The earlier stages, known as yama and niyama, are concerned mainly with performing a great feat of attuning ourselves to the laws which are called social or external in the human sense of the term.

These earlier stages are difficult because one cannot adjust oneself with another always and in every way.

That is a great hardship.

But a greater difficulty arises now, when you have to face nature itself and the constituents of your own personality, finally leading up to the total attunement of the world and yourself with the Ultimate Reality.

Swami Krishnananda
To be continued  .....