The Wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Ravi Ravindra
Ranked #6,935 in Culture & Society, #141,501 overall
A new translation and guide
But Jiddu Krishnamurti doesn't get quoted as much as Madame Jeanne de Salzmann, 'the closest pupil and successor of Gurdjieff', as she's called in the book jacket.
The best line ever:
Yoga does not require sitting on a cushion in meditation and it is not limited to a specific hour or a particular posture. Each moment is the right moment and the present moment is the best one. Each place is the right place - the place where I now am can be a sacred space.
(p. 3)
Studying the Yoga Sutras
The advantage of this is that the reader who perseveres will learn the basic Sanskrit terminology. But that advantage is also a disadvantage: it means that casual reading is hardly possible with this book.
This translation and commentary is best used as a tool for contemplation: read a segment, and let the contents simmer in your brain. Ponder, let it in. Ravindra tries to show us another world, and the book is of no use if that's not what you're after too. Contemplation is a form of meditation in which thought is a tool as much as a hindrance.
Ravi Ravindra
No avoiding controversial topics
The first is unavoidable in an honest commentary of the Yoga Sutras: the very aim of the text by Patanjali is for the yogi to unify himself with Ishvara (the Divine in each of us).
The second is central, as Ravi notes, to our physical lives. Sex is an energy hard to avoid, and the first we think of when the word 'sin' gets mentioned. Even so, pride is higher up on any list of vices. Ravi treats the subject briefly, but honestly.
The last topic is the one of miraculous powers: their existence, use and misuse. Their existence is part of the Yoga Sutras. Patanjali doesn't do much more than enumerate the possible siddhis (as they're called). Ravi goes on to note that when growth in conscience isn't at pace with a growth in power, misuse is likely to follow. This is black magic.
Disclaimer
This book was given to me by the author, who hoped I'd do a book review on it. As you can see: I did. However, there are many authors who are disappointed. I only review the books I think are worth talking about.
The Wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras
A New Translation and Guide by Ravi Ravindra
The Wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: A New Translation and Guide by Ravi Ravindra
Amazon Price: $8.88 (as of 02/17/2012)
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The Wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras
A New Translation and Guide by Ravi Ravindra
The Wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: A New Translation and Guide by Ravi Ravindra
Amazon Price: $8.88 (as of 02/17/2012)
Buy in Europe (Amazon.co.uk)
Some of yoga's most important writings, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras have remained relevant for 2,300 years because of their wisdom and inspiration. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali prescribes adherence to eight "limbs" or steps to quiet the mind and achieve the sacred state of kaivalya. Spread throughout are Patanjali's 196 aphorisms, found in each of the book's four chapters: "Samadhi Pada" (blissful state where the yogi is absorbed into the One), "Sadhana Pada" (practice or discipline), "Vibhuti Pada" (power or manifestation), and "Kaivalya Pada" (liberation). In The Wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, noted scholar and longtime practitioner Ravi Ravindra offers a fresh, direct translation of Patanjali's text. Ravindra's enriching, extensive commentary and his spiritual exercises make this book an integral part of daily practice.
