Raja Yoga
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I have been reading Raja yoga and am interested in how the ideas presented there in correlate to the wider views of magick and thelema. For instance the book seems to suggest to some extent that you go into monastic living. Having experimented with this now for a few days, I find this interesting.
1)My questions are, where does True Will fit into the indian system if anywhere? (I have not read the sutras or shiva sanhita)
2)How does Indian mysticism relate to the path of a magickian? Explanation: In the book Raja Yoga vivekananda seems to give the impression that yoga is all one needs to attain, (then what is the reason for magickal work?) Also, when one is doing Aura strengthening work such as the LBRP, why?, if one is living in a monastic style?
Any knowledge to reconcile the 2 philosophys is appreciated, I have read crowley's eight essays on yoga.
3)Also, Crowley suggest that Yama and Niyama are just so that nothing disturbs the mind from it's course rather than being beneficial in and of themselves. This being said, it would still be beneficial to apply them, but how long should they continue to be applied? When is the magickian sound enough mentally to not be bothered by things outside himself sufficiently for it to interupt his practice?
4)Is this a matter of Will, or some other organ of the soul?
Whomever can answer these, I would have infinite gratitude.
Danke Schoen,
Kenneth
93,93/93 -
@Techpries said
"1)My questions are, where does True Will fit into the indian system if anywhere? (I have not read the sutras or shiva sanhita) "
I'm going to take "Indian" as "Hindu" in this case. - I'm not aware that True Will is a distinctive concept in Hinduism. (There are surely related terms that infer the same thing.) - But that speaks to Hindu culture more than to a specific technique.
"2)How does Indian mysticism relate to the path of a magician?"
It depends on the magician and individual karma. - However, all of the main branches of yoga are distinctive parts of the A.'.A.'. formal training and testing system.
"Explanation: In the book Raja Yoga vivekananda seems to give the impression that yoga is all one needs to attain, (then what is the reason for magical work?) Also, when one is doing Aura strengthening work such as the LBRP, why?, if one is living in a monastic style?"
Read a wide range of Vivekananda's books. I do think that mostly he had the position you hold and, for some people, it may be that yoga is all one needs. This varies from person to person. The A.'.A.'.'s method is to train everyone in all major tools and techniques of magick and mysticism (1) so that everyone has the particular technique they need for their own path and (2) so that everyone is fully equipped to deliver the complete system to those who come behind them.
"Any knowledge to reconcile the 2 philosophys is appreciated, I have read crowley's eight essays on yoga."
Read John St. John for one of the very best examples of the interplay of magick and yoga - at a time that he was homing in on how to formulate the A.'.A.'. curriculum. That paper is a gold mine!
"3)Also, Crowley suggest that Yama and Niyama are just so that nothing disturbs the mind from it's course rather than being beneficial in and of themselves. This being said, it would still be beneficial to apply them, but how long should they continue to be applied? When is the magician sound enough mentally to not be bothered by things outside himself sufficiently for it to interupt his practice?"
The ultimate goal is to discover what circumstances most contribute to your ability to practice yoga optimally. One then lives in conformity with that for the rest of one's life, more or less (not always living optimially!)
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Thanks so much for the reply,
That clears much up. I am reading John St. John as I type this, quite interesting.