《Yoga The Alpha and the Omega Vol 9》.doc

Yoga: The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 9 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Talks given from 21/04/76 am to 30/04/76 am English Discourse series 10 Chapters Year published: During the early 1980s it was planned to publish the Yoga: The Alpha and the Omega volumes as Yoga: The Science of the Soul. Only the first three volumes were actually published, the title stayed as Alpha and Omega for the other seven volumes. Yoga: The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 9 Chapter #1 Chapter title: Mastery over the five elements 21 April 1976 am in Buddha Hall Archive code: 7604210 ShortTitle: YOGA901 Audio: Yes Video: No Length: 105 mins THE POWER OF CONTACTING THE STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS WHICH IS OUTSIDE THE MENTAL BODY AND THEREFORE INCONCEIVABLE IS CALLED MAHAVIDEHA. THROUGH THIS POWER THE COVERING OF THE LIGHT IS DESTROYED. PERFORMING SAMYAMA ON THEIR GROSS, CONSTANT, SUBTLE, ALL-PERVADING, AND FUNCTIONAL STATE BRINGS MASTERY OVER THE PANCHABHUTAS -- THE FIVE ELEMENTS. FROM THIS FOLLOWS THE ATTAINMENT OF ANIMA, ETC., PERFECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE REMOVAL OF THE ELEMENTS POWER TO OBSTRUCT THE BODY. BEAUTY, GRACE, STRENGTH, AND ADAMANTINE HARDNESS CONSTITUTE THE PERFECT BODY. THE yoga system of Patanjali is not a philosophical system. It is empirical. It is a tool to work with. But still it has a philosophy. That too is just to give an intellectual understanding where you are moving, what you are seeking. The philosophy is arbitrary, utilitarian, just to give a comprehensive picture of the territory you are going to discover; but the philosophy has to be understood. The first thing about the philosophy of Patanjali. He divides human personality into five seeds, five bodies. He says you dont have one body; you have layers upon layers of bodies; and they are five. The first body he calls annamaya kosha -- the food body, the earth body, which is made of earth and is constantly to be nourished by food. Food comes from earth. If you stop taking food, your annamaya kosha will