Yoga - SWAMI VIVEKANANDA - PATANJALI'S YOGA APHORISMS

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SWAMI VIVEKANANDA - PATANJALI'S YOGA APHORISMS

shabdahu

2006-05-03, 6:25 pm

http://www.amsi.ge/vivekananda.html

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

PATANJALI'S YOGA APHORISMS

INTRODUCTION (Part 2)

The really difficult part to understand is that this state, the
Absolute, which has been called the highest, is not, as some fear, that
of the zoophite, or of the stone. That would be a dangerous thing to
think. According to these thinkers there are only two states of
existence, one of the stone, and the other of thought. What right have
they to limit existence to these two. Is there not something infinitely
superior to thought? The vibrations of light, when they are very low,
we do not see; when they become a little more intense they become light
to us; when they become still more intense we do not see them; it is
dark to us. Is the darkness in the end the same as in the beginning?
Certainly not; it is the difference of the two poles. Is the
thoughtlessness of the stone the same as the thoughtlessness of God?
Certainly not. God does not think; He does not reason; why should He?
Is anything unknown to Him, that He should reason? The stone cannot
reason; God does not. Such is the difference. These philosophers think
it is awful if we go beyond thought; they find nothing beyond thought.

There are much higher states of existence beyond reasoning. It is
really beyond the intellect that the first stage of religious life is
to be found. When you step beyond thought and intellect and all
reasoning, then you have made the first step towards God; and that is
the beginning of life. This that is commonly called life is but an
embroyo state.

The next question will be, what proof is there that this state beyond
thought and reasoning is the highest state? In the first place, all the
great men of the world, much greater than those that only talk, men who
moved the world, men who never thought of any selfish ends whatever,
have declared that this is but a little stage on the way, that the
Infinite is beyond. In the second place, they not only say so, but lay
it open to everyone, they leave their methods, and all can follow in
their steps. In the third place, there is no other way left. There is
no other explanation. Taking for granted thhat there is no higher
state, why are we going through this circle all the time; what reason
can explain the world? The sensible will be the limit to our knowledge
if we cannot go farther, if we must not ask for anything more. This is
what is called agnosticism. But what reason is there to believe in the
testimony of the senses? I would call that man a true agnostic who
would stand still in the street and die. If reason is all in all it
leaves us no place to stand on this side of nihilism. If a man is
agnostic of everything but money, fame and name, he is only a fraud.
Kant has proved beyond all doubt that we cannot penetrate beyond the
tremendous dead wall called reason. But that is the very first idea
upon which all Indian thought takes its stand, and dares to seek, and
succeeds in finding something higher than reason, where alone the
explanation of the present state is to be found. This is the value of
the study of something that will take us beyond the world. "Thou art
our Father, and wilt take us to the other shore of this ocean of
ignorance;" that is the science of religion; nothing else can be.

howdydave

2006-05-03, 6:25 pm

If you do not happen to agree with the
Non-dualist philosophy there is no need
to throw out the entire Vedantic philosophy.

You can alway investigate the
Dualistic approach or the
Qualified Dualistic/Non-Dualistic approach.

"Qualified Dualism" and
"Qualified Non-Dualism"
are really the same thing, the only difference is
which approach you started from to get there.

Dave

shabdahu

2006-05-04, 1:25 am

In case there is any question regarding the Swami Vivekananda posts.
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