The Four Main Paths by Swami Sivananda The four main spiritual paths for God-realisation are Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. Karma Yoga is suitable for a man of active temperament, Bhakti Yoga for a man of devotional temperament, Raja Yoga for a man of mystic temperament, and Jnana Yoga for a man of rational and philosophical temperament, or a man of enquiry. Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga or Kundalini Yoga, Lambika Yoga and Hatha Yoga, are other Yogas. Yoga, really, means union with God. The practice of Yoga leads to communion with the Lord. Whatever may be the starting point, the end reached is the same. Karma Yoga is the way of selfless service. The selfless worker is called the Karma-Yogin. Bhakti Yoga is the path of exclusive devotion to the Lord. He who seeks union through love or devotion is called the Bhakti-Yogin. Raja Yoga is the way of self-restraint. He who seeks to have union with the Lord through mysticism is called the Raja-Yogin. Jnana Yoga is the path of wisdom. He who seeks to unite himself with the Supreme Self through philosophy and enquiry is called the Jnana-Yogin.

Guiding Lights on Yoga by Swami Sivananda 1.Love is the greatest force on this earth. It is the Power of the Soul. Develop it. 2.Mind is now annoyed and now quiet. Never yield to it. Be serene. 3.Sex-instinct is the greatest urge in human life. Sublimate it. 4.Equal vision is wisdom. All unnatural cravings and wild desires are enemies of peace and knowledge. 5.The best way to remove an evil traits is to think of the opposite virtue. Perfect yourself. Entertain sublime thoughts. 6.Be mild but firm; be gentle but bold; be humble but courageous; be simple but dignified. 7.Conquer all that is base in you. Let truth, justice and reason rule your life. 8.Greed is the root of all evil. Confusion and destruction are caused by greed. 9.Look at the veneer and glitter of the world! Fools are immersed in it! The wise are vigilant. Grow wise. 10.Cultivate a melting heart, the giving hand, the kindly speech and an impartial attitude. 11.Ignorance obstructs your true vision and deceives and degrades you. Destroy it. 12.The Lord is Omnipresent. Feel His Divine Presence everywhere. You need not despair. 13.Prayer that comes from a sincere, pure heart is at once heard by the Lord. 14.Spiritual evolution cannot be attained all at once by a miracle. Be dynamic and diligent in spiritual practices

The First Part of Yoga-Practise by Swami Sivananda Purification of mind is the first part of Yoga-practice In everyone there are still various impurities of the mind. There are subtle evils lurking in the crannies of one’s mind. Unless the barriers of subtle jealousy, subtle hatred, and evil desires are surmounted, one cannot attain the fullness of Knowledge, Enlightenment and Glory. God-consciousness or communion with the Lord is the acme of ethico-religious discipline of Yoga. Ethical development is more difficult than the attainment of intellectual eminence. The truths of Life, the Knowledge of God can only be grasped and attained by that Yoga student who possesses a pure and untainted heart. Conquer your internal and external nature. Fight against the dark antagonistic evil forces through remembrance of God and meditation. Abandon all sorts of wrong beliefs, weaknesses, superstitions, wrong notions and ideas of impossibilities. Have a wide outlook on life. See God in everything, in every face. Give up all that is false and untrue. Lead a life of virtue and happiness. Stick tenaciously to your principles and ideals. Live a simple, vigorous and active life. Melt all illusory differences. Destroy sex-obsession by constantly thinking of the Truth that is sexless and bodiless Reality. Cheer up your spirit. Have perfect trust in God. Be sincere. Serve all with love. Exert. Apply yourself diligently and ignite the spiritual dynamo within. You will have immortal Life, infinite peace and absolute Happiness.

What Does Yoga Teach You? by Swami Sivananda Yoga teaches you the truth that every one has within oneself various potentialities and capacities. Man has within himself tremendous powers and latent faculties of which be has really never had any conception. He must awaken these dormant powers and faculties by the practice of Yoga. You can transmit your powerful, soul-stirring, beneficial thoughts to others; because, Yoga tells you, you are an image of God, nay, you are God Himself. The inner essence in you is Omnipotent. The moment the veil of ignorance enshrouding you is rent asunder you will shine in all the Splendour and Glory of the Effulgent Reality. Everyone of you is a power in yourself. You can influence others. You can radiate joy and peace to millions upon millions of people far and near. You can elevate others even from a long distance. Take to Yoga-practice and awaken your dormant powers. Awaken yourself to the conscious realisation of the Divine Light in you. Let your neighbours actually feel how entirely a changed being you are, a superman. Let them smell the Divine Fragrance from you. A full-blown Yogi can never be concealed. His healing powers, his spiritual Purity, his all-embracing Love, his selfless actions, his magnetic personality will be felt by everyone with whom he comes in contact. Just as fragrant fumes emanate from scented sticks, so also sweet spiritual fragrance will emanate from the body of the Yoga-practitioner the moment he attains perfection in Yoga. There is a peculiar charm in his smile, and great power in his words emanating from his heart. He produces a very profound impression upon the minds of everyone he comes in contact. Within you is the hidden God, the immortal soul, within you is the inexhaustible spiritual treasure. Within you is the fountain of joy and happiness. Practise. Feel. Assert. Enjoy the Supreme

This is Yoga by Swami Sivananda Yoga is an exact science. It is a perfect, practical system of self-culture. It is the discipline of the mind, senses and the physical body. It helps the student to attain perfect concentration of the mind, ethical perfection, moral excellence and spiritual calmness. It is the master-key to unlock the realms of Peace and Bliss, Mystery and Miracle. Yoga does not consist in sitting cross-legged for six hours or stopping the beatings of the heart or getting oneself buried underneath the ground for a week or a month; these are mere physical feats. Real Yoga is the attainment of the highest divine knowledge through conscious communion with God. The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root “Yuj” which means “to join.” Yoga is the science that teaches us the method of uniting the individual soul with the Supreme Soul, of merging the individual will in the Cosmic Will. Yoga transmutes the unregenerate nature of the student and raises him to the highest state of Divine Glory and Splendour. It bestows on you increased energy, vitality, vigour, longevity and a high standard of health. It will infuse in you a sense of security, a new strength, confidence and self-reliance. Yoga brings a message of hope to the forlorn, joy to the depressed, strength to the weak, and knowledge to the ignorant. It kills all sorts of pain, misery and tribulation. By practice of Yoga you can turn out efficient work within a short space of time, resist temptations, remove disturbing elements from the mind and attain full success in every walk of life. Through the practice of Yoga you can control the subtle forces within the body and command nature. You can unfold all your latent faculties and develop physical, mental, supernatural and divine powers. The whole mystery of Nature will become an open book to you. You can live in the Eternal Light and Glory of God.