RAJA YOGA

Raja means King and Raja Yoga is the Royal Path of self-realization. Raja Yoga is the Path of Meditation. The goal is to stop the fluctuations of the mind (thoughts) so that you can feel the true natural state of bliss of the soul.

One of the most famous and important texts about Raja Yoga is the “Yoga Sutras” written by the sage Pantajali. This text included 195 aphorisms, which synthesized the yogic practices of that time, which aimed to free the soul from earthly suffering through meditation.

Pantajali is the father of yogic philosophy today. He did not invent these teachings; he only synthesized them and integrated them into a text intended for the liberation of the soul from the prison of matter.

In the Yoga Sutras, it is explained that every human being on Earth is in suffering. This is because the human being perceives himself to be only matter (body). Through this body, he is bound and dependent only on material nature. Pantajali explains that the spiritual soul is the true nature of the human being, and it is always in a state of bliss and freedom, not being conditioned by anything.

This ignorance of man (of being matter and not spirit) is the source of human suffering. Out of ignorance, we tend to identify only with the external reality and aim in life to accumulate material things to be happy. Some people end up not getting what they want, others get part of what they want, and others get what they want. In Pantajali’s view, all these people are suffering. Those who don’t have suffer because they don’t have and those who have suffer because they can lose everything they have. Material happiness is temporary, uncertain and conditioned by the outside.

Pantajali says that man’s true happiness is his natural state of bliss in the soul. The soul is the true ruler of the human being. The mind and body are only instruments for experiencing material nature on Earth. Man’s big problem is that he identifies with the tools and not with the leader. Raja Yoga aims to direct man’s attention to his true nature and to untie him from the illusion of matter.

The human being has access to two main realities: the inner and the outer. The inner reality is the true one (Soul) and the outer one is the false one (material nature). Matter is perceived by the mind through the senses. All these senses keep the mind always active and always directed outward. As long as the mind is active and looking outside, it cannot see within, it cannot enter the world of the Soul. Pantajali wants to guide us to quiet the mind so that we can redirect our attention within, where we will find all that we desire.

The mind has a changeable nature, and it is quite difficult to keep it perfectly still in order to enter the supreme state of Yoga, namely Samadhi. In this state, man connects with his true spiritual nature. It takes a lot of practice and dedication to achieve this state of Oneness with the Universe.

Raja Yoga is also called the Yoga of the 8 Limbs because it offers 8 stages to reach soul communion. It is not easy to suddenly be able to turn your attention inward. To aid in the meditative process of soul liberation, 8 essential steps are recommended. These stages are in order and are aimed at gradually quieting the mind.

Yamas – social contracts (how you should behave in society)

a) Ahimsa (non-violence) is the Law of Peace with the outside. The yogi adopts and understands the perception that the Outer World is an extension of the Inner World. He knows that any aggression or negative energy directed outward will come back to him. The yogi must refrain from any kind of violence, whether physical, verbal or mental.

b) Satya (truth) is the Law of Sincerity. Through the truth, we show our true face, both to others and to ourselves. In this way, we can get to know each other better and attract people similar to us. Lying creates much agitation in the mind and distracts the yogi from the inner path.

c) Asteya (non-theft) is the Law of Respect. Theft comes from a state of external lack. Yoga teaches us that everything we need lies within, and external things are temporary illusions of happiness and wealth. Yoga teaches us to respect others and to be happy for them for everything they have. If you end up stealing from another, in reality you are stealing from yourself spiritually and you will also attract people who will also steal from you materially.

d) Brahmacharya (celibacy) is the Law of Abstinence. Raja Yoga excludes any form of sexuality. Sexual desires are very strong in man and keep the mind occupied to be satisfied. Raja Yoga sees sexuality as insignificant compared to the state of soul liberation and treats it as an obstacle.

e) Aparigraha (non-accumulation) is the Law of Simplicity. A yogi who seeks spiritual wealth does not need material wealth. He is limited to the outside on as little as possible, his goal being the cultivation of the Inner World. Material things are something that burdens his mind with thoughts and slows down his progress. The simpler the lifestyle, the better it is for inner evolution.

Asanas are the postures in which meditation is practiced. The posture must be relaxed and balanced. The most practiced postures for meditation are the postures on the bottom with the legs crossed. The best posture is the lotus posture (Padmasana) where the soles of the feet are placed on the opposite thighs. To be able to stay in these postures for a long time, a relaxed and balanced body is needed. Most people are stiff and cannot stay in these postures at all, let alone tens of minutes. Hatha Yoga aims to completely relax the body to prepare it for meditation. The postures of Hatha Yoga give the body the flexibility to sit in any meditative posture. Also, Hatha Yoga helps to slow down and calm the mind.

Pranayama refers to breath control. Through breathing, the flow of pranic energy flowing through the human being is controlled. Prana is the universal energy that binds and nourishes everything in the universe. Through the breathing practices of Pranayama, one can quiet the mind a lot and create a greater and greater connection with the extraordinary energy that comes from within.

Pratyahara refers to the disconnection of the senses from the outside. Everything that has been practiced so far is aimed at helping the practitioner to be able to free himself from the temptations of the outside. He ends up no longer feeling attracted to anything external and can focus entirely on his inner self. He manages not to be disturbed by any information coming through the 5 senses and remains connected only with the Internal Universe.

Dharana is his ability to concentrate. It refers to the ability to stay focused on just one thing. All the previous stages enable him to stop having fluctuations in his thoughts. His power of concentration is unwavering.

Dhyana is the ability to meditate without interruption. Prolonged concentration turns into meditation. The practitioner can only remain connected to the object of his meditation. Pantajali says that we can meditate on anything beneficial, and we will become what we meditate on.

Samadhi is Divine Communion. Prolonged meditation on Divinity or one’s own Divine Soul turns into Samadhi. In the moments of this state, man becomes one with the Universe and feels the Universal Flow of Divine Energy, which flows through his entire existence. There are different forms of Samadhi, some simpler and some more advanced.

Raja Yoga is a very vast spiritual science. This article presents only the basic information. Much more information can be found about this form of Yoga, both online and in books. A very good book that introduces Raja Yoga is “YOGA SUTRAS OF PANTAJALI” by Edwin F. Bryan.