How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali (Paperback)

by Swami Prabhavananda (Author), Christopher Isherwood (Author), Patanjali (Author)
Key Phrases: making samyama, perfect yoga, nirvikalpa samadhi, Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Krishna, Swami Vivekananda (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
A beautiful translation, and our personal favorite by far. --Books for Inner Development

A rendering at once lively and profoundly instructive of a world classic which ... remains as vividly topical, as realistically to the point, as when it first saw the light. --- Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World --Letter from the Author

The Soul does not love; It is Love Itself. It Does not Exist; It is Existence Itself. It does not Know; It is Knowledge Itself.--- Patanjali --Quoted by George Harrison in his final album

Product Description
The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali is a major work on the practice of yoga and meditation. Through these ancient aphorisms you will learn how to control your mind and achieve inner peace and freedom. Although these methods were taught over 2,000 years ago, they are as alive and effective today as they have ever been. The 2008 edition has been reset and now has an extensive index for reference.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Vedanta Press & Bookshop (December 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874810418
• ISBN-13: 978-0874810417
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,718 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #59 in

  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Hinduism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to know yourself., March 18, 2003

By	G. Merritt (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Although this book is a study of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, it will appeal to devotees of any religion--Hindu, Christian, or Buddhism--or to anyone interested in living a spiritual life. It is not so much a "how-to" guide in knowing God--for "there are innumerable approaches to him" (p. 66), as an examination of knowing one's real Self.

Patanjali's Sutras are dated sometime between the fourth century B.C. and the fourth century A.D. (p. 7), and they offer methods for gaining insights through our own experience into "the Godhead, the Reality which underlies this apparent, ephemeral universe" (p. 15). He observes that in order to know God, one must first cease identifying himself with the mind (p. 213). Our liberation, he tells us, is "retarded" by our past karmas, our fears and desires, our lack of energy (p. 52), our egotism, ignorance, and blind clinging (p. 55), and by such obstacles as sickness, mental laziness, sloth, doubts and despair (p. 64). However, the good news is that no effort to know God, however small, is wasted (p. 52), for God draws us to himself (p. 54). With a little exploration, it is possible to know God everywhere, "both within and without, instantly present and infinitely elsewhere, the dweller in the atom and the abode of all things" (p. 33).

Although I am not qualified to comment on their translation of Patanjali, Christopher Isherwood and Swami Prabhavananda's Vendantist commentary offers worthwhile insights into Patanjali's Sutras.

G. Merritt

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent translation, fair commentary, January 27, 2003

By	U. G. Desai (Denver, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews

Swami Prabhavananda has done an excellent job of translating the sutras into understandable sentences - something that surpasses 90% of all other translators, and for this reason alone the book should be in everyone's library. The commentary however reaches neither the depth of of Satchidananda's "Sutras" nor the the burning insights of McAfee's "Beyond the Siddhis". It is obscure and sometimes confusing. All in all, however, an excellent book to add to the true seeker's bag of tricks.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ancient but ever new, always true, September 1, 2002

By	Orva Schrock "[e-mail]" (goshen, in United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

over 1500 years ago the great indian sage, Patanjali, compiled these yoga aphorisms as a help and guide to his fellow humans. in the cosmic scheme of things 1500 years is the blink of an eye, and so it is these wise sayings remain fresh and workable for the modern lover of spiritual wisdom. the aphorisms stand on their own as originally given to the world. succint, vital, the feel of eternal truth is in them. to read and meditate on these sayings is to go another step closer to your own realization that indeed, it is only ignorance which stops us from seeing the reality of the Atman as One with eternal Brahman, the "satchitananda" or existance, conciousness, bliss, the eternal ground of all that is or ever could be. this beautiful classic is further enhanced by the translation and commentaries of the dynamic duo, swami prabhavananda and christopher isherwood. modern ideas about god and truth come and go, this book has stood the test of time and remains ever new because it's true. i highly recommend this little book to anyone interested in the light that comes when Truth is seen.