The Path of Yoga: Discovering the Essence and Origin of Yoga

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Yoga is now an integral part of our health-conscious cultural landscape, practiced by millions for health and fitness reasons. While Yoga is seen and practiced mostly as a body exercise program, the interest in the philosophical and spiritual dimension of Yoga is growing.

This book introduces us to Patanjali, the founder of ancient Yoga in India. It takes us step by step into a deeper understanding of the essence and origins of Yoga. Osho introduces and unlocks Patanjali's ancient sutras, revealing how contemporary this ancient message truly is. It quickly becomes clear that we are just on the cusp of a gaining a much deeper understanding of Yoga and its place in our evolving world. Surprisingly, the mind even more than the body is the focus of Patanjali's teaching. He says: "Yoga is the cessation of mind."

As Osho says:

"This is the definition of Yoga, the best definition. Yoga has been defined in many ways; there are many definitions. Some say Yoga is the meeting of the mind with the divine; hence, it is called yoga-yoga means meeting, joining together. Some say that Yoga means dropping the ego, ego is the barrier: the moment you drop the ego you are joined to the divine. You were already Joined; it only appeared that you were not joined because of the ego. There are many definitions, but Patanjali's is the most scientific. He says: Yoga is the cessation of mind.

"What is the mind? What is the mind doing there? What is it? Ordinarily we think that mind is something substantial there, inside the head. Patanjall doesn't agree, and no one who has ever known the inside of the mind will agree. Modern science also doesn't agree. Mind is not something substantial inside the head. Mind is just a function, just an activity."

This book is part one of a 10-part series of talks titled Yoga: The Science of the Soul, in which Osho speaks about Yoga.

Mind is not a thing, but an event. A thing has substance in it; an event is just a process. A thing is like a rock; an event is like a wave: it exists, but is not substantial. It is just the event between the wind and the ocean a process, a phenomenon.

This is the first thing to be understood: that mind is a process, like a wave or like a river, but it has no substance in it. If it has sub- stance, then it cannot be dissolved. If it has no substance, it can disappear without leaving a single trace behind. When a wave disappears into the ocean what is left behind? - nothing, not even a trace. So those who have known say mind is like a bird flying into the sky - no footprints are left behind, not even a trace. The bird flies but leaves no path, no footprints.

The mind is just a process. In fact, mind doesn't exist, only thoughts- thoughts moving so fast that you think and feel that some- thing exists there in continuity. One thought comes, another thought comes, another, and they go on. The gap between one thought and another is so small you cannot see it. So two thoughts become joined, they become a continuity, and because of that continuity you think there is a mind. There are thoughts - no mind; just as there are electrons no matter. Thoughts are the electrons of the mind. Just like a crowd... A crowd exists in a sense, doesn't exist in another. Only individuals exist, but many individuals together give the feeling as if they are one. A nation exists and exists not; there are only individuals. Individuals are the electrons of a nation, of a community, of a crowd.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages