Yoga: The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 7

Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Talks given from 01/01/76 am to 10/01/76 am

English Discourse series
10 Chapters
Year published:
During the early 1980's it was planned to publish the "Yoga: The Alpha and the Omega" volumes as "Yoga: The Science of the Soul". Only the first three volumes were actually published, the title stayed as "Alpha and Omega" for the other seven volumes.
Yoga: The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 7
Chapter #1
Chapter title: Ask a Question Close to Home
1 January 1976 am in Buddha Hall

DHARANA, CONCENTRATION, IS CONFINING THE MIND TO THE OBJECT BEING MEDITATED UPON.
DHYAN, CONTEMPLATION, IS THE UNINTERRUPTED FLOW OF THE MIND TO THE OBJECT.
SAMADHI IS WHEN THE MIND BECOMES ONE WITH THE OBJECT.
THE THREE TAKEN TOGETHER -- DHARMA, DHYAN, AND SAMADHI -- CONSTITUTE SAMYAMA.
BY MASTERING IT, THE LIGHT OF HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS.

Once a Master of Zen invited questions from his students. A student asked. "What future rewards can be expected by those who strive diligently with their lessons?"
Answered the Master, "Ask a question close to home."
A second student wanted to know, "How can I prevent my past follies from rising up to accuse me?"
The Master repeated, "Ask a question close to home."
A third student raised his hand to state, "Sir, we do not understand what is meant by asking a question close to home."

"To see far, first see near. Be mindful of the present moment, for it contains answers about future and past. What thought just crossed your mind? Are you now sitting before me with a relaxed or with a tense physical body? Do I now have your full or partial attention? Come close to home by asking questions such as these. Close questions lead to distant answers."

THIS is the yoga attitude towards life. Yoga is not meta-physical. It does not bother about the distant questions.-faraway questions, about past lives, future lives, heaven and hell, God, and things of that sort. Yoga is concerned with questions close at home. Closer the question, the more is the possibility to solve it. If you can ask the question closest to you, there is every possibility that just by asking, it will be solved. And once you solve the closest question, you have taken the first step. Then the pilgrimage begins. Then by and by you start solving those which are distant -- but the whole yoga inquiry is to bring you close at home.

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