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Hatha Yoga or Raja Yoga?

A discourse clarifying the distinctions between Haṭha and Rāja Yoga.

"Haṭha Yoga includes six kriyās... for the purification of the body and the purification of the mind."

"What you are doing is Āsana and Prāṇāyāma; you are doing Rāja Yoga, you are not doing Haṭha Yoga."

A speaker addresses common misconceptions in yoga practice, explaining that the popular focus on postures and breathwork aligns with the Rāja Yoga path, while classical Haṭha Yoga centers on six purificatory techniques. He emphasizes the need for correct knowledge and a genuine teacher, or Gurū, illustrating the point with an anecdote about the sage Mahāprabhujī's omnipresence.

Recording location: Australia, Sydney, Australian Tour

Patañjali has also written about Rāja Yoga and Haṭha Yoga. Haṭha Yoga includes six kriyās: ṣaṭkriyā, ṣaṭkarma—neti, dhautī, basti, naulī, kapālabhātī, and trāṭaka. These are six kriyās for the purification of the body and the purification of the mind. When I come to Australia, people say, "We are only interested in Haṭha Yoga, and we practice Haṭha Yoga." I am very happy for them that they practice Haṭha Yoga. But then I am surprised they practice Rāja Yoga. Because in Rāja Yoga, the first steps are called Yama, Niyama, then Āsana and Prāṇāyāma. So what you are doing is Āsana and Prāṇāyāma; you are doing Rāja Yoga, you are not doing Haṭha Yoga. But what to do? It is second-hand knowledge here. If you get first-hand knowledge, first-hand information, then you will get it correct and you will practice correctly. So please correct when you practice Rāja Yoga, Āsanas, Prāṇāyāmas, relaxation, concentration, and meditation. It means you are doing Rāja Yoga and not Haṭha Yoga. Haṭha Yoga, Āsanas and Prāṇāyāmas are mainly for your good health, and we need good health. Many of you came to this lecture and to yoga; you are going to get good health, relaxation, and concentration. After you come to know more about yoga, then you come to know there is something more: God, self-realization, and this. That comes through philosophy. Now you are on the right path. But again, you have to find a good master, a master, a Gurū. You call "master," we call "Gurū." You call "teacher," we call "Gurū." That's all. It's a difference of language. That's all. But in yoga, you need that Gurū, a brahmaniṣṭha śrotriya. Brahmaniṣṭha means knower of the Brahman, the Supreme. And śrotriya means one who can speak and inspire you. But those we have very rarely or few. So there are fewer Gurūs and more kangaroos. You know, that's it. They are just jumping here and there, making temptation so big, so big that, that is it. Because still they have desire, desire in them. A Gurū is completely satisfied. He is one with all. Someone said to Mahāprabhujī, "Come to a big town, to Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Delhi, and we will advertise, make a big program for you." So Mahāprabhujī, you see the picture here, who lived 135 years. He had all those qualities that a human can think of what God is. And anything he could do, anything, even he was able to give life to dead bodies, humans or animals. Mahāprabhujī said, "Why do you want me to come to Mumbai?" He said, "So that people will come to know that you are." He said, "I am there already with them. Where am I not? I am everywhere. I am with them. My physical body coming is not important. I know what you think, and I know what they think, and what's happening there, I can tell you just now." And that is called a brahmaniṣṭha śrotriya Satgurū. Such a master is rare in life to have darśan of. Recording location: Australia, Sydney, Australian Tour

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt, what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

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