The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 5/Notes from Lectures and Discourses/The aim of Raja-Yoga
THE AIM OF RAJA-YOGA
Yoga has essentially to do with the meditative side of religion, rather than
the ethical side, though, of necessity, a little of the latter has to be
considered. Men and women are growing to desire more than mere revelation,
so called. They want facts in their own consciousness. Only through
experience can there be any reality in religion. Spiritual facts are to be
gathered mostly from the superconscious state of mind. Let us put ourselves
into the same condition as did those who claim to have had special
experiences; then if we have similar experiences, they become facts for us.
We can see all that another has seen; a thing that happened once can happen
again, nay, must, under the same circumstances. Raja-Yoga teaches us how to
reach the superconscious state. All the great religions recognise this state
in some form; but in India, special attention is paid to this side of
religion. In the beginning, some mechanical means may help us to acquire
this state; but mechanical means alone can never accomplish much. Certain
positions, certain modes of breathing, help to harmonise and concentrate the
mind, but with these must go purity and strong desire for God, or
realisation. The attempt to sit down and fix the mind on one idea and hold
it there will prove to most people that there is some need for help to
enable them to do this successfully. The mind has to be gradually and
systematically brought under control. The will has to be strengthened by
slow, continuous, and persevering drill. This is no child's play, no fad to
be tried one day and discarded the next. It is a life's work; and the end to
be attained is well worth all that it can cost us to reach it; being nothing
less than the realisation of our absolute oneness with the Divine. Surely,
with this end in view, and with the knowledge that we can certainly succeed,
no price can be too great to pay.