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The Paths Of Yoga > Page1
"Seers of the vast illumined seer logically control their intelligence and mind. The One knower of all the ways of wisdom, he ordains the invocations of the Gods. Great is the affirmative being of the Divine solar Will."
Rig Veda, V.81.1.
The Paths Of Yoga : Yoga
In the Vedic teaching it is not enough merely to learn something theoretically or conceptually. The intellect is not the instrument of real knowledge. Whatever we learn must be put into practice in our daily life, with body, speech, mind and full awareness. It is only when it becomes part of our nature, when through it we change our who we are and thereby return to our higher nature, that it can be said to be really known or accomplished.
This practical application of the Vedic teaching is called Yoga. As practice is more important than theory Yoga is more important than Veda, though neither need be separated from the other. The term Yoga itself means to "combine, coordinate, harmonize, integrate, utilize". It indicates the maximum coordination of energy towards transformation or liberation. All these meanings are present in the basic root of yoga, 'yuj'. This in turn is based on a more simple root "yu". "Yu" evolves from the vowel sound "i" meaning "will, direction, velocity, command, concentration".
Author : David Frawley
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