Triple Yoga

Born on the 8th September, 1887, in the illustrious family of Saga Appayya Diskhita and several other renowned saints and savants, Sri Swami Sivananda had a natural flair for a life devoted to the study and practice of Vedanta. Added to this was an inborn eagerness to serve all and an innate feeling of unity with all mankind. His passion for service drew him to the medical career; and soon he gravitated to where he thought that his service was most needed. Malaya claimed him. He had earlier been editing a Health Journal and wrote extensively on health problems. He discovered that people needed right knowledge most of all; dissemination of that knowledge he espoused as his own mission. It was divine dispensation and the blessing of God upon mankind that the doctor of body and mind renounced his career and took to a life of renunciation to qualify himself for ministering to the soul of man. He settled down at Rishikesh in 1924, practiced intense austerities and shone as a great Yogi, Saint, Sage and Jivanmukta. In 1932 he started the Sivanandashram. In 1936 was born The Divine Life Society. In 1948 the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy was organized. Dissemination of spiritual knowledge and training of people in Yoga and Vedanta were their aim and object. In 1950 he undertook a lightning tour of India and Ceylon. In 1953 he convened a 'World Parliament Reliogions'. He is the author of over 300 volumes and has disciples all over the world, belonging to all nationalities, religions and creeds. To read his works is to drink at the fountain of Wisdom Supreme. On 14th July, 1963 he entered Mahasamadhi.

Publishers' Note:

Several works of Sri Swami Sivanandaji on different system of Yoga have already been published. The present publication can be called, in other words, the Yoga of Synthesis; for herein can be found, at a glance short, analytical notes on the systems of Raja Yoga, Bhakti and Vedanta.

It is generally agreed that Karma Yoga forms the preparatory basis for the other three paths. Therefore, a separate section on the same subject has been appended to this book.

The first section is comprised of the primary lessons on Raja Yoga given through the correspondence course of the Yoga-Vedanta Forest University (now Academy).

It should be noted, however, that no system can effect by itself an integral spiritual development of the personality of man. All systems are in fact inter-connected with each other. It is also true that some are very emotional by temperament, some prefer occultism and psycho-analytical investigations, and yet some others appreciate the philosophy of Vedanta more than any other system.

Each one has a particular preference for a particular course of Sadhana, and is at liberty to follow the path suited to his temperament. But if he is to achieve quick progress at all, on his chosen path, it is essential that he must take recourse to the help from the other systems. Triple Yoga, therefore, meets that need - providing the reader with an elementary knowledge of all the important branches of Yoga Sadhana.---1st January---THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY