Living the Science of Harmonious Union: Principles and Practice of Patanjali’s Yoga Sastra

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At the turn of the twentieth century a wise teacher from south India described the culmination of Yoga in a very alluring manner: "when mind, the bumble bee, sips the honey-like sweetness of oneâ€™s own bliss, fluttering ceases and it is drawn into union." This poetic description given by Narayana Guru echoes and elaborates the definition of Yoga given in one of the foundation texts of Yoga, the Bhagavad Gita (VI:23): "Yoga is disaffiliation from the context of suffering." These definitions are not academic. They speak directly to our experience of life, which can range from being punctuated by suffering to being permeated by it. They also speak to our constant yearning and search for happiness. Yoga originated as a natural response to this human condition. It is why it was developed, why its teachings have been followed, elaborated, and passed down from time immemorial to the present. Yoga is the science of harmonious union with one’s own self, the world, and the cosmic law that governs the entire universe, ranging from the cognizing of a sensation to the formation of a galaxy. This commentary by Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati unlocks the secrets of this perennial wisdom and shows how pertinent and valuable the transforming path of Yoga is to our lives today. A special appendix, "Letters to an Aspiring Yogi, "offers a basic orientation and initiation into the practice of Yoga, which, as Guru Nitya makes clear, "Is a common path for all human beings, irrespective of their cultural, geographic, and religious affiliations."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati

After his matriculation, Guru Nitya left home as a wandering mendicant to familiarize himself with the land and people of his country of birth. He met great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and poets of high repute and sat at the feet of several spiritual masters, including Sufi fakirs, Jain munis, and Buddhist monks, and Hindu teachers such as Ramana Maharshi and Nityananda. In 1947 he joined the University College, Alwaye, Kerala to continue his academic studies. After specializing in philosophy and psychology, he taught these subjects in Indian universities. In 1951, he accepted Nataraja Guru-founder and head of the Narayana Gurukula-as his spiritual preceptor. In 1973 he followed him as head and Guru of the Gurukula, a world community of spiritual seekers. Between 1970 and 1980 he taught courses in psychology, philosophy, yoga, and aesthetics at universities in the US and other countries. He also was the chairperson of the East-West University of Unitive Sciences and the Commissioner for World Education. Guru Nitya published over 120 books in Malayalam and 80 books in English, as well as countless articles on philosophy, psychology, social ethics, and aesthetics. His writings combine rare insight and profound wisdom with an ability to communicate in terms readily understood by students everywhere.