SANATANA DHARMA AND THE MODERN WORLD

What is the Importance of a Yogic Tradition?

Spiritual traditions exist to various degrees and for various purposes. What is necessary is a comprehensive spiritual tradition that contains a complete and practical science of Self-realization. Fragmentary, broken or incomplete spiritual and occult traditions have some benefit but they may not be sufficient for full realization.

A comprehensive spiritual tradition must contain all the different paths of knowledge, devotion, yogic technique and service and in the proper proportion. It must recognize the importance of posture, breath, mantra and meditation. It must employ the use of ritual, form and image, as well as direct, formless and imageless approaches. It must be based upon an understanding of the law of karma and the process of rebirth. Yet it must be free of fixation upon any particular personality, book, name or idea. And it must be connected to teachers who have realized this truth. The advantage of the yogic tradition is that it is such a tradition applied to all human temperaments, and through thousands of years of experience.

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