The first part of this audiobook comprises several lectures to classes delivered by the present author in New York. The second part is a rather free translation of the aphorisms (sutras) of Patanjali, with a running commentary. Effort has been made to avoid technicalities as far as possible and to keep to the free and easy style of conversation.

Bhakti yoga is a real, genuine search after the Lord, a search beginning, continuing, and ending in love. One single moment of the madness of extreme love to God brings us eternal freedom. “Bhakti is greater than karma, greater than yoga, because these are intended for an object in view, while Bhakti is its own fruition, its own means, and its own end.”

Karma Yoga (the yoga of action) is a book of lectures by Swami Vivekananda, as transcribed by Joseph Josiah Goodwin. It was published in February 1896 in New York City. Swami Vivekananda delivered a number of lectures in his rented rooms at 228 W 39th Street in New York City from December 1895 to January 1896. In 1895, friends and supporters of Swami Vivekananda hired Goodwin, a professional stenographer, who transcribed some of the lectures which were later published as this book. Goodwin later became a follower of Vivekananda.

Here we stand, and our eyes look forward sometimes miles ahead. Man has been doing that since he began to think. He is always looking forward, looking ahead. He wants to know where he goes, even after the dissolution of his body. Various theories have been propounded, system after system has been brought forward to suggest explanations. Some have been rejected, while others have been accepted, and thus, it will go on, so long as man is here, so long as man thinks. There is some truth in each of these systems.

What Hinduism needed, amidst the general disintegration of the modern era, was a rock where she could lie at anchor, an authoritative utterance in which she might recognize her self. And this was given to her in the words and writings of the Swami Vivekananda.

Said to be the world's longest poem, Mahabharata was originally composed in 100,000 Sanskrit verses by the ancient Indian sage Vyasa. Revered as a sacred text within Hinduism, it contains the great spiritual teaching Bhagavad-gita. Krishna Dharma has condensed the epic into a fast paced novel that fully retains the majestic mood of the original. A powerful and moving tale, it recounts the history of the five heroic Pandava brothers, sons of the Emperor Pandu.

The practice of what is commonly known as hatha yoga is but one of eight branches of the body of knowledge that is yoga. Yoga is a sophisticated system of self-empowerment that is capable of harnessing and activating inner energies in such a way that your body and mind function at their optimal capacity. It is a means to create inner situations exactly the way you want them, turning you into the architect of your own joy. A yogi lives life in this expansive state, and in this transformative book Sadhguru tells the story of his own awakening.

Stephen Mitchell brings to life his acclaimed translation of these most famous and revered Hindu scriptures - the timeless story of the paths of knowledge, devotion, action, and meditation.

This is the first volume in a bold new series that tells the stories of all peoples, connecting historical events from Europe to the Middle East to the far coast of China, while still giving weight to the characteristics of each country. Susan Wise Bauer provides both sweeping scope and vivid attention to the individual lives that give flesh to abstract assertions about human history. This narrative history employs the methods of "history from beneath" - literature, epic traditions, private letters, and accounts - to connect kings and leaders with the lives of those they ruled.

What is karma? Most people understand karma as a balance sheet of good and bad deeds, virtues and sins. The mechanism that decrees that we cannot evade the consequences of our own actions. In reality, karma has nothing to do with reward and punishment. Karma simply means action: your action, your responsibility. It isn’t some external system of crime and punishment, but an internal cycle generated by you. Accumulation of karma is determined only by your intention and the way you respond to what is happening to you.

Upanishads are mankind's oldest works of philosophy, predating the earliest Greek philosophy. They are the concluding part of the Vedas, the ancient Indian sacred literature, and mark the culmination of a tradition of speculative thought first expressed in the Rig-Veda more than 4,000 years ago. Remarkable for their meditative depth, spirit of doubt and intellectual honesty, the Upanishads are concerned with the knowledge of the Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, and man's relationship with it.

Dhammapada means "the path of dharma", the path of harmony and righteousness that anyone can follow to reach the highest good. This classic Buddhist scripture is a collection of vivid, practical verses gathered from direct disciples who wanted to preserve what they had heard from the Buddha himself. Easwaran's translation of this classic Buddhist text is the best-selling translation in the US.

Tantra Illuminated takes the listener on a fascinating journey to the very heart of original Tantra: its key teachings, foundational lineages, and transformative practices. Since the West's discovery of Tantra 100 years ago, there has been considerable fascination, speculation, and more than a little misinformation about this spiritual movement. Now, for the first time in the English language, Tantra Illuminated presents an accessible introduction to this sacred tradition that began 1,500 years ago in the far north of India.

Manly Palmer Hall (1901-1990) was a Canadian-born author, lecturer, astrologer, and mystic. The Secret Teachings of All Ages is a comprehensive compendium of the ancient occult and esoteric traditions of the world.

The first two limbs of the eight-fold path of yoga sutras - the basic text for classical yoga - are examined in this spiritual guide to the practice of yoga. Foundational to all yogic thought, they are considered to be the guidelines to the yoga way of living that free individuals to take ownership of their lives, direct them toward the fulfillment they seek, and gain the skills to choose attitude, thought, and action.

What Hinduism needed, amidst the general disintegration of the modern era, was a rock where she could lie at anchor, an authoritative utterance in which she might recognize her self. And this was given to her in the words and writings of the Swami Vivekananda.

Patanjali Yoga Sutras is an age-old treatise written on the four-fold path of yoga. It delves into the workings of our mind, body and spirit. Originally written in Sanskrit, this book is by Swami Vivekananda, detailing each sutra, simultaneously guiding us on ways to reach our goals. Starting from the very basics like concentration and meditation, to higher goals like attaining liberation and self-realization, these sutras are meant to teach us ways that help elevate lives and spirits.

Explore the foundational text of yoga philosophy with Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as interpreted by Swami Vivekananda. This insightful commentary on the ancient sutras reveals the essence of yoga practice, encompassing the physical, mental and spiritual dimensions. Swami Vivekananda's clear and profound explanations make these teachings accessible to modern audiences, offering a comprehensive guide to achieving mental clarity, inner peace and ultimate self-realization.

This modern and practical guide is designed for both beginners and advanced practitioners, offering an in-depth exploration of the ancient teachings of the Yoga Sutras. The Daily Guide to the Yoga Sutras is unique in that it offers an interactive experience through external resources that link the listener to meditations and physical practices that bring each sutra to life. This book is filled with insights that encourage introspection, self-discovery, and personal growth.

The writings and lectures of Swami Vivekananda on meditation, its advantages, and its practices are collected in this book. It is a book that offers lessons drawn from Swami Vivekananda's life to help audiences navigate their own personal turbulence. According to Swami Ji, meditation should be unfavorable. Consider everything. By using your will alone, analyze anything that comes to mind. Next, declare ourselves and what we truly are: beings of existence, wisdom, and happiness. His entire philosophy on meditation and its practices is covered in this book.

Sri Ramakrishna is revered in India and the West as a prophet belonging to the spiritual line of Krishna, Buddha, and Christ. Seekers of all religions will find in this book courage, faith, hope, and illumination. You will feel God to be very real and within reach. Listen to Sri Ramakrishna’s conversations and be in the company of a great soul.

The Yoga Sutras are a complete manual for the study and practice of Yoga. Through his translation and commentary on the classic text, Sri Swami Satchidananda shares his practical, down-to-earth advice on mastering the mind and achieving physical, mental, and emotional harmony in life through applying the ancient, yet timeless techniques of Raja Yoga.

Easwaran's classic manual is a unique source of practical spiritual support for new and experienced meditators, and gives all the instruction needed to establish a vibrant meditation practice and keep it going. In passage meditation, you focus attention on passages, or texts, drawn from all the world's sacred traditions. You choose the passages that appeal to you, so this universal method stays fresh and inspiring, prompting you to live out your highest ideals.

Swami Rama imparts a message of inspiration and optimism—that every person is responsible for making his life happy and emanating that happiness to others. Whether you are on a spiritual quest or are simply looking for a way to improve your life, The Art of Joyful Living offers a simple philosophy of living and practical suggestions for being happy.

Millions of Americans know yoga as a superb form of exercise and as a potent source of calm in the midst of our stress-filled lives. Far fewer are aware of the full promise of yoga as "the way of the fully alive human being" - a 4,000-year-old practical path of liberation that fits the needs of modern Western seekers with startling precision. Now Stephen Cope, a Western-trained psychotherapist who has lived and taught for more than 10 years at the largest yoga center in America, offers this marvelously lively and irreverent "pilgrim's progress" for today's world.

Yoga nidra is the master key to initiating shifts in conscious sleep states where change happens outside of doing. In yoga nidra, you enter a state of non-doing in which transformation happens from beyond the mind rather than through the mind. This comprehensive guidebook explores the core of Yogic philosophy and modern applications of yoga nidra backed by scientific research - affirming what Yogis have known for thousands of years.

Freedom from suffering is not only possible, but the means for achieving it are immediately within our grasp - literally as close to us as our own breath. This is the 2,500-year-old good news contained in the Anapanasati Sutra, the Buddha's teaching on cultivating both tranquility and deep insight through full awareness of breathing. In this book, Larry Rosenberg brings this timeless meditation method to life.

The Christlike character and divine personality of Bhagavân Srî Râmakrishna is revered and worshiped in India today as an ideal manifestation of the divine glory. His life was so extraordinary and unparalleled that within 10 years after his departure from earth, it aroused the admiration, wonder, and reverence not only of all classes of people in his own country, but of many distinguished English and German scholars of the 19th century.

These 1028 poems, grouped as 10 ‘Circles’ (mandalas), have variously been called hymns, poems or songs by Sanskrit scholars. The Rik (so pronounced by the ancient Angirases clans, or Seer-Priest families) was an experiment with sound. The emphasis is always on sounding the words perfectly. The focus tends to be on the ideas rather than on the authors in Vedic literature, they are largely religious in nature, reflecting the world view and spiritual preoccupations of ancient India.

Here we stand, and our eyes look forward sometimes miles ahead. Man has been doing that since he began to think. He is always looking forward, looking ahead. He wants to know where he goes, even after the dissolution of his body. Various theories have been propounded, system after system has been brought forward to suggest explanations. Some have been rejected, while others have been accepted, and thus, it will go on, so long as man is here, so long as man thinks. There is some truth in each of these systems.