Raja-Yoga
by Swami Vivekananda

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Book Reviews of Raja-Yoga

Book Review: A Definitive Work for the Serious Yoga Practitioner
Summary: 5 Stars

The first part of the book is comprised of several lectures delivered over 50 years ago by Swami Vivekananda to his classes in New York, and the second part is, to use his own words, a "rather free translation" of the Aphorisms of Patanjali.

Though Vivekananda's writing style strikes me as rather philosophical and high-minded at times, he does provide an accurate and valuable map of the eight stages of yoga (also called 'ashtanga' yoga). He outlines the correct approach to pranayama and meditation and accurately explains the more advanced meditation practices of Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. The latter is something I've noted other authors tend to either avoid entirely or, if they do attempt to explain it, make mistakes that indicate they don't really know the purpose of such states or what goes on in them.

What I found most reassuring about this book is that Vivekananda makes no mistakes in regard to the functions, methods and purposes of the various stages of yoga. His descriptions and explanations match my experiences completely and I therefore feel he can be relied upon to steer the intelligent reader in the right direction.

What I didn't find helpful were his digressions, primarily in the first part of the book, into what seem to be debates on obscure points of yoga philosophy. He often seems to be debating with unseen opponents, or perhaps trying to distinguish himself from other philosophies and schools of thought popular in his day. I found some of his reasoning in this regard clearly flawed though, or at least lacking the consideration of other, more apparent, possibilities. Perhaps this was due to the texts being transcriptions of on-the-spot lectures instead of carefully considered and worded essays.

In any case, the practical information Vivekananda openly outlines in this book on yoga and its methods is clear and, in my opinion, highly worthwhile. I recommend this book for the serious yoga practitioner.

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