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Raja Yoga
The path of meditation
Raja yoga is the path of
control over body and senses (developed by Patanjali 200 BCE or earlier).
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Moves beyond both body
and mind
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An inner withdrawal of
consciousness from the physical world to focus on the inner, spiritual life.
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Over many many years of
practice, through a series of 8 stages, one gradually approaches the state
of pure Being, pure Consciousness, pure Bliss, known as SatChitAnanda
(Pure Being-Pure Consciousness-Pure Bliss).
The 8 stages begin with moral
discipline (the "do's" and "don'ts"):
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five abstentions (Yama)
- things to avoid: injury, lying, stealing, sensuality, greed
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five observations (Niyama)
- things to do: cleanliness, contentment, self-control, studiousness,
devotion
...move on to physical
discipline:
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physical postures (Asana)
- control of the body so as to not distract from meditation
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breath control (Pranayama)
- calming the mind, increasing spiritual energy
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control of and
withdrawal from the senses (Pratyahara)
...then turn to mental
discipline to achieve an altered state of consciousness:
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concentration (Dharana)
- a focusing of the mind, often through use of a focusing
"device" e.g., a mantra (sacred sound e.g., OM) or yantra
(sacred symbol). Sometimes music is used as a centering device
See
some yantras Here's
a Web page that shows how a Yantra is constructed
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deep meditation (Dhyana)
-
absorption (Samadhi)
- achieving the state of SatChitAnanda in which the self (Atman)
is totally merged as one with Brahman
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