Courtesy of: http://www.swamij.com/108.htm

Meaning of 108 beads on a mala
by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati
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On a mala, or set of mantra counting beads, there are generally 108 beads, or some fraction of that number. The question often arises: Why are there 108 beads on a mala?

Below are some of the many reasons that have been given for having 108 beads on a mala, as well as a few other points of interest. None of these reasons are being promoted here as more or less true than the others. However, you may notice that 108 appears to be somewhat like a road map of reality in general, and the human in particular.

Regardless of the meaning of 108, it is important that if a mala is used to count mantras, the mantra be remembered with sincerity, devotion, feeling, and full attention.

9 times 12: Both of these numbers have been said to have spiritual significance in many traditions. 9 times 12 is 108. Also, 1 plus 8 equals 9. That 9 times 12 equals 108.

Powers of 1, 2, and 3 in math: 1 to 1st power=1; 2 to 2nd power=4 (2x2); 3 to 3rd power=27 (3x3x3). 1x4x27=108

Harshad number: 108 is a Harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits (Harshad is from Sanskrit, and means "great joy")

Desires: There are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals.

Lies: There are said to be 108 lies that humans tell.

Delusions: There are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance.

Heart Chakra: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.

Sanskrit alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.

Pranayama: If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come.

Upanishads: Some say there are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient sages.

Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body.

Pentagon: The angle formed by two adjacent lines in a pentagon equals 108 degrees.

Marmas: Marmas or marmasthanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body.

Time: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.

8 extra beads: In doing a practice of counting the number of repetitions of the mala, 100 are counted as completed. The remaining are said to cover errors or omissions. The 8 are also said to be an offering to God and Guru.

Chemistry: Interestingly, there are about 115 elements known on the periodic table of the elements. Most of those, around or higher than the number 100 only exist in the laboratory, and some for only thousandths of a second. The number that naturally exist on Earth is around 100.

Astrology: There are 12 constellations, and 9 arc segments called namshas or chandrakalas. 9 times 12 equals 108. Chandra is moon, and kalas are the divisions within a whole.

River Ganga: The sacred River Ganga spans a longitude of 12 degrees (79 to 91), and a latitude of 9 degrees (22 to 31). 12 times 9 equals 108.

Planets and Houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108.

Goddess names: There are said to be 108 Indian goddess names.

Gopis of Krishna: In the Krishna tradition, there were said to be 108 gopis or maid servants of Krishna.

1, 0, and 8: Some say that 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.

Sun and Earth: The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.

Moon and Earth: The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.

Silver and the moon: In astrology, the metal silver is said to represent the moon. The atomic weight of silver is 108.

Numerical scale: The 1 of 108, and the 8 of 108, when added together equals 9, which is the number of the numerical scale, i.e. 1, 2, 3 ... 10, etc., where 0 is not a number.

Meditations: Some say there are 108 styles of meditation.

Breath: Tantra estimates the average number of breaths per day at 21,600, of which 10,800 are solar energy, and 10,800 are lunar energy. Multiplying 108 by 100 is 10,800. Multiplying 2 x 10,800 equals 21,600.

Paths to God: Some suggest that there are 108 paths to God.

Smaller divisions: The number 108 is divided, such as in half, third, quarter, or twelfth, so that some malas have 54, 36, 27, or 9 beads.

Hinduism: 108 is said to refer to the number of Hindu deities. Some say that each of the deities has 108 names.

Islam: The number 108 is used in Islam to refer to God.

Jain: In the Jain religion, 108 are the combined virtues of five categories of holy ones, including 12, 8, 36, 25, and 27 virtues respectively.

Sikh: The Sikh tradition has a mala of 108 knots tied in a string of wool, rather than beads.

Buddhism: Some Buddhists carve 108 small Buddhas on a walnut for good luck. Some ring a bell 108 times to celebrate a new year. There are said to be 108 virtues to cultivate and 108 defilements to avoid.

Chinese: The Chinese Buddhists and Taoists use a 108 bead mala, which is called su-chu, and has three dividing beads, so the mala is divided into three parts of 36 each. Chinese astrology says that there are 108 sacred stars.

Stages of the soul: Said that Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108 stages on the journey.

Meru: This is a larger bead, not part of the 108. It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the quiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala.

Dance: There are 108 forms of dance in the Indian traditions.

Praiseworthy souls: There are 108 qualities of praiseworthy souls.

First man in space: The first manned space flight lasted 108 minutes, and was on April 12, 1961 by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut.

Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural & spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. - Albert Einstein

Meditation (Dhyana): A Beginning Guide to Going Within

"Everything that happens in your mind is reflected in your body. So, meditate on the good!" T.K.V. Desikachar

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Acknowledgement: To Sherry Goldstein, thank you for the gift of So'Ham and for sowing the seeds of possibility within me. Om Namah Shivaya.

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med-i-ta-tion [med-i-tey-shuhn]

-noun

1. the act of meditation
2. continued or extended thought; reflection; contemplation
3. transcendental meditation

   a technique, based on ancient Hindu writings, by which one seeks to achieve a relaxed state through regular periods of meditation during which a mantra is repeated. Abbreviation: TM

4. devout religious contemplation or spiritual introspection

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WHY MEDITATE?

Why do we do anything we do? Hopefully, to learn more about ourselves. Since we, as individual beings, are linked by a common thread, learning about ourselves will benefit the greater good. As the Dalai Lama says: "World peace starts within." So, it would stand to reason that meditation cultivates inner peace, as well as a powerful, directed mind.

On a very practical level, there are many physiological and psychological benefits of meditation such as improved pain management skills, gastrointestinal function, hypertension and blood pressure, stress-related levels of cortisol and lactate, lung capacity, and DHEA levels. Creativity, vitality, and emotional stability increase. Anxiety, depression, irritability and moodiness decrease. When we feel healthier and better about ourselves, the door is opened to increased self awareness and self acceptance, which leads to greater compassion for ourselves and those around us.

Meditation can be practiced by anyone with the desire to gain self-knowledge, known as vidya. The process leads us down roads like no other tool of exploration. By meditating we can explore our internal workings in the physical, spiritual, and mental, while aligning ourselves with the external world. When we hone the mind we open ourselves up to endless possibilities. This can allow us to better cope with life in the material realm and expand our awareness in the spiritual dimension by harnessing the mind and regulating our energies.

The reason we begin meditate is deeply personal. The result of meditation is universal: liberation.

Thoughts for novices:

Don't enter into meditation with grandiose expectations. Go into meditation as a blank canvas. The more expectations you have going into meditation, the more challenging it will be to focus the mind. Shift your focus to creating space for awareness and gaining knowledge.

There are many flavors of meditation adapted to suit a wide realm of faiths, religions, beliefs, mind sciences, etc. The one you choose should feel innate and natural -effortless. You may want to explore a meditation class at a community center or yoga studio, or look for audio Cd's with guided meditations to start out. Taste the different flavors to find the one that sates your needs - be present and you will find the your method.

Just like we make time to exercise our bodies, we should make time to exercise our mindful beings. Starting a meditation practice - like a physical practice - should be started in smaller doses of time and built up as your endurance builds. Using mala beads, a timer, or a set music play list will take the anxiety out of the time factor.

YOGA AND MEDITATION

If we look at the Eight-Limb Path of Yoga, meditation or dhyana is the 7th of the 8 limbs of classical yoga to gain liberation. It comes after dharana (concentration) and before samadhi (enlightenment or liberation). The eight limbs are:

1. Yamas (the don'ts): ahimsa (nonharming), satyam (truthfulness), asteya (nonstealing), brahmacharya (moderation in all things), aparigraha (nongreediness)
2. Niyamas (the do's): saucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (discipline), swadhyaya (self study), ishwarapranidhana (living a life of honor to the higher power/love)
3. Asana: physical postures linked by the breath, meditation in motion
4. Pranayama: regulating the breath allowing prana (life force) to flow freely through the body
5. Pratyhara: sensory withdrawal from the external world, turning inward - sights, sounds, tastes, feels, and smells do not affect your being
6. Dharana: development of concentration
7. Dhyana: meditation is the result of practiced pratyhara and dharana to be able to sit in concentration with intent
8. Samadhi: divine liberation, union with the universal spirit

Meditation is a method for controlling the stumbling blocks of the mind called the kleshas:

• Avidya (lack of knowledge)
• Asmita (egoism – I am ness)
• Ragas (relying on people, places, animals, events to create happiness rather than creating it internally)
• Dvesa (aversion to people, places, animals, & events that cause pain)
• Abhinivesha (fear of death & closure)

By meditating on "who am I?" we come to know our true essence and release the ego's hold on us.

We can also use meditation as a tool along with karma yoga (the practice of serving others) and bhakti yoga (the practice of love and spiritual devotion) to harness the energy of the manomaya kosha. The manomaya kosha is like the third doll in a set of nested Russian dolls and houses mental body. "Often our minds are as overloaded as a freeway in Los Angeles, constricting the flow of your journey or yoga practice. If your mind is obsessed or is going in different directions, your breath becomes erratic and your sense of physical ease and balance wavers. Your breath can serve as a bridge between your body and mind. Expanded breath = Expanded mind = A sense of openness in the body." (Shiva Rea)

While it is ideal to have a special spot arranged to easily slip into meditation - any spot can quickly become a sanctuary with right intention. Historically, one would meditate for extended periods of time in isolated sanctuaries in mountains, caves, and forests. The area would have to be very clean, level, free from gravel and pebbles, free from noise and distraction, no fire place, protected from the wind, and visually pleasing. The meditator would face East honoring the rising sun or North honoring the power of the North Pole; both directions are said to have favorable magnetic vibrations. The prime times are said to be Brahma-muhurta (hour of Brahma) before sunrise from 4 am to 6 am, sunset, the hour before noon, and midnight. In today's world, a spot that allows you to comfortably sit undisturbed for even 10 to 20 minutes will work.

PREPARING FOR OUR INWARD JOURNEY

Meditation involves all aspects of ourselves: mind, breath, senses, reason, and logic. B.K.S. Iyengar says the practice is "a steady continuous flow of attention directed towards the same point or region." While it is all encompassing, only the simplest tool is needed to get started: BREATH.

Breath: This is the vehicle that carries our life force: prana. It grounds and expands the physical body and provides a focus that is with us always. Start by following your breath in and out, rising and falling. Take an emotional and physical inventory by tuning into the flow of the breath in and out; by observing the it we can discover the points in our being that are sticky and that are open. For beginners, the act of sitting comfortably, hands in anjali mudra (prayer hands), and observing the breath for even 5 minutes is a good place to start building endurance.

Make it an event: Turn off your phone - turn off the computer - turn off the TV - tune into a quiet place. Have props such as candles, music, pictures, and readings to set the mood.

It is nice to have the same time each day or week to meditate on a regular basis, however it is not a strict "rule"; it is better to grab time to meditate when you can than not at all. Length of time varies person to person; some can sit for hours, while others can only endure minutes. Strive for quality time over quantity and have patience.

Sitting comfortably: Your seat is very important - you will want to be supported and not straining. Wear non-binding clothes and no shoes. If you use a block in seated postures in yoga practice you will find it helpful in meditation too. A better option is a nice firm pillow that will lift the hips up and allow the knees to fall open in a cross legged position. There are also special zafu pillows and meditation chairs/stools available to try out. You may also find sitting up against a wall helpful. Meditation is highly personal so take the steps to make it your own and easy.

Our physical asana practice of Hatha Yoga (meditation in motion) is a great lead in to seated meditation. If you don't have time to do a full asana practice before meditation, to loosen up do several minutes of seated postures such as forward folds, twisting, arm movements complemented by deep slow breathing before coming into your seat. Back bends tend to energize and are not the best to practice prior to meditation.

Hands: Find a position for the hands that feels restful, not placed. They may lay on the knees palms down to ground, palms up for receiving, hands on knees in cin-mudra or "consciousness seal" (palms up, tips of the index finger and thumb touching, remaining fingers extended), or resting your hands in your lap right on top of left.

Gaze: Closing the eyes allows for visualization. Picturing in your mind's eye a beloved person(s) or pet, or a place that brings you serenity is helpful in attaining the healing of meditation.

Leaving the eyes open provides an external focus that then becomes internal when the eyes are closed once an impression is made. A candle flame and/or the Ohm symbol, a significant spiritual symbol, or a picture or statue of a deity to be focused upon. Once the eyes close, the focal image is imprinted in the mind's eye. The meditator merges with the imprinted image creating the knowledge of being one with the higher power and/or the universe.

Mantra: By definition, "man" is mind and "tra" is tool, so "mind tool". It is repeated silently as a focal point to still the chitta vritti, "mind chatter". Traditionally in the study of meditation, a sanskrit mantra is handed down from guru to devotee, teacher to student, as a sacred gift. However, you can have your own non-traditional mantra to use as a tool. Some examples of non-traditional mantras are "I am well" if you are healing, "I am free" if you are looking to unbind yourself from a situation that is imprisoning you, "I am love(d)" to mend the heart, or "I am one with the universe" to feel in union with the world community. A shorter mantra should be expressed on the exhale. If the mantra is too long for your exhale, express half on the inhale and half on the exhale.

Music is optional. If you plan to meditate on visual point, music can assist your journey inward. If you are using a mantra, focus on the internal musical vibration of the repetition rather than playing music. Music can be used like a timer to take the stress out of "how long should I sit here?' If you want to continue the meditation after your playlist has stopped, find the music of silence. Of course, you can also use a traditional egg timer to tell you how long you've been sitting.

A set of mala beads (or a rosary for that matter) can be used during meditation. Mala are in a string of 108 beads on which to contemplate, and there are probably 108 different explanantions as to why there are that many beads. There is a 109th larger sumeru bead, the meditation begins on a bead next to the sumeru. The beads are held in the right hand looped over the middle finger. The index finger does not touch the beads as it represents the ego, which can be a hinderance to self realization. The sumeru bead will rest toward you on the middle finger, and your count will start on the bead to the right of the sumeru. With a repetition of your mantra, flick the first bead toward you. Repeat your mantra again and flick the second bead toward you and so on. You will feel the tassle and sumeru bead come around as you complete the 108 repetitions. If you choose to go another 108, reverse the direction without going over the sumeru bead.

GUIDED PRACTICE

• Asana (preparation postures):
  • Come into a seated pose. Adjust your seat so you can feel your sitting bones grounding down.
  • Shrug the shoulders up an down and in circles both to the back and front
  • Bring the hands together in front of the heart clasping the fingers - exhale sending the palms forwards keeping the fingers intertwined - inhale the palms up over head reaching to the sky - exhale releasing the hands to the sacrum to clasp the hands again - inhale opening the heart, shoulders back and down - exhale releasing the hands reaching forward rounding the upper back - inhale the hands back to the heart. Repeat 2 more times. Let the breath initiate each movement.
  • Press your right hand down into the upper right thigh by the hip crease - breathe. Release after 5 to 6 nice long breaths. Repeat on the left side.
  • Lean back on the hands and bend the knees so the feet are resting flat on the floor, hip width apart. Bring the right ankle to rest just above the left knee. The shin is parallel to the chest and the right foot is flexed. Gently press the heart center toward the shin. Breathe.
  • Straighten the left leg. Reposition the right foot flat on the floor outside of the left knee.
  • Inhale fully lengthening the spine and on the exhale, gently twist to the right - hug the right knee with the left arm. The twist starts from the base of the spine, the head follows, and the chin is parallel to the floor. Inhale the spine long, exhale a little further into the twist. Left leg remains active and the foot is flexed. Hold for 5 to 6 breaths. Return to center.
  • Lift the the right foot slightly off the floor guiding it toward the left hip placing the side of right foot and ankle on the floor. The right knee lowers toward left knee. Readjust sitting bones to ground them. Leading with the heart, walk the hands forward folding over the legs. Hold for 5 to 6 breaths. Return to upright.
  • Straighten both legs in front of you and observe your physical being.
  • Repeat to the left side:
  • Lean back on the hands and bend the knees so the feet are resting flat on the floor hip width apart. Bring the left ankle to rest just above the right knee. The shin is parallel to the chest and the left foot is flexed. Gently press the heart center toward the shin. Breathe.
  • Straighten the right leg. Reposition the left foot flat on the floor outside of the right knee.
  • Inhale fully lengthening the spine and on the exhale, gently twist to the right - hug the left knee with the right arm. The twist starts from the base of the spine, the head follows, and the chin is parallel to the floor. Inhale the spine long, exhale a little further into the twist. Right leg remains active and the foot is flexed. Hold for 5 to 6 breaths. Return to center.
  • Lift the the left foot slightly off the floor guiding it toward the right hip placing the side of left foot and ankle on the floor. The left knee lowers toward right knee. Readjust sitting bones to ground them. Leading with the heart, walk the hands forward folding over the legs. Hold for 5 to 6 breaths. Return to upright.
  • Straighten both legs in front of you and observe your physical being.
  • Place the feet flat on the floor in front of you.
  • Drop the knees open to the sides and bring the soles of the feet together. Clasp the feet with both hands, round forward dropping the chin toward the chest, and press the elbows into the shins. Breathe into the spaces between the vertebrae. Hold for 5 to 6 breaths.
  • Return to upright.
  • Come into your comfortable seat with your cushion. Find your hands in their position.
  • Settle into your sitting bones.
  • Take a physical inventory with your breath - send your breath into any part of the body that needs to still soften.
  • Tailbone reaches to the earth, lighten the spine, crown of the head reaches toward the the sky. Feel yourself rooted, lifted, and grounded all at once.

• Breath
  • Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out. Spend some time here getting to know your breath, the vehicle for prana/life force.
  • Observe your breath: is it ragged? smooth? shallow? deep? Work to find an easy meter that you can easily maintain.
  • Listen to the breath - feel it moving in through the top of the head and down the spine to the base of your being - feel it turn at the base and return up the spine to top of the head in a cyclical fashion.

• Thoughts
  • What are your thoughts doing? Observe the thoughts without attachment and let them go. Don't judge thoughts that come up - let them flow through and dissolve without effort.
    • If the same thought comes up repeatedly, note it and come back to it once you have finished meditation, perhaps writing in a journal or talking to a trusted person about it. Perhaps an issue has come up that needs to be explored further.
  • Once thoughts are stilled awareness can be observed and expanded.

Note: These first 3 steps may all that can be accomplished while first practicing meditation and that's great!

Take your time - enjoy the experience - explore who you are right now.

• Dyhana
  • Coordinate your breath with visual or mantra and find unity with it.
  • Sit in your practice as long as it pleases you.
  • If you find your mind straying, reign it in with your breath and visual or mantra.

  • While fully engaged in meditation and your concentration is right on, you have that feeling of being in the "zone", the place that feels so natural, everything falls away and you feel your true essence. It's much like an artist completely absorbed in their medium, at one with their creation.

• Finishing
  • Slowly deepen the breath expanding your physical being. Drop your chin towards your chest for a few breaths.
  • Raise the chin. Make a few small movements to awaken, the eyes remaining closed.
  • Close your meditation with a prayer, a thought of personal gratitude for taking time for yourself, and/or chanting Ohm.
  • Slowly open your eyes, adjusting to what is before you gazing softly, and just sit a few minutes more.
  • Before moving on, pause and evaluate how you feel. Are you refreshed? Are you agitated? Did you gain any new insights? Do you feel the same or different, and is that OK with you? Once you have observed your post meditation state - acknowledge it and let the observation go.

Over time and practice, you will find your mind will want to always remain in the same calm observant state as in meditation. What a wonderful thing!

I would like to say my life is a meditation, but then those days of chaos sneak in and upset the apple cart. Then I stop, close my eyes, listen to my breath, and acknowledge what is occurring; I return to my center observing life and honoring the the common thread that links us all as one.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Internet Resources:

"200 Key Sanskrit Yoga Terms" By Georg Feuerstein http://www.yjevents.com/newtoyoga/159_1.cfm (accesses 2/7/2008)

American Psychological Association (APA): meditation. (n.d.) Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved January 21, 2008, from Dictionary,com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/meditation

"Benefits of Meditation" author unknown http://www.meditationiseasy.com/mCorner/benefits_of_meditation.htm (accessed 12/27/2007)

"Different styles of meditation" By Veronique Cartier http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Cartier1.html (accessed 2/1/2008)

"How to Meditate?" by Sri Swami Venkatesnandaa http://www.dlshq.org/messages/howmed.htm (accessed 1/21/2008)

"Meditation Basics from the Author 'Meditation for Dummies'" by Stephan Bodian http://www.soulfulliving.com/meditationbascis.htm (accessed 1/21/2008)

"Meditation - Benefits of Meditation" author unknown http://www.abc-of-yoga/info/article-printerversion.asp?id=188 (accessed 12/27/2007)

"Meditation Benefits the Brain" by John Davidson http://www.hdlighthouse.org/PHP/print/print.php (accessed 12/27/2007)

"Breathwork" author unknown http://breathmastery.com/breathworks.htm (accessed 10/30/2007)

"Practice of Meditation" by Sri Swami Venkatesnandaa http://www.dlshq.org/teaching/meditation.htm (accessed 1/21/2008)

"Salutation Seal: Anjali Mudra" author unknown. http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/484?message_add=1 (accessed 1/28/2008)

"Spirit and Yoga: Change Your Breathing and Your Mind" by Koo Stark http://hdlighthouse.org/see/diet/spirit/yoga.htm (accessed 12/27/2007)

"The Benefits of Meditation" By Colin Allen http://pschologytoday.com/articles/pto-20030424-000003.html (accessed 12/27/2007)

"The Science of Meditation" by Cary Barbor http://psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-20010501-000025&print=1 (accessed 12/27/2007)

"Turn to Yourself" author unknown http://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/display/printerfriendly.cgi?articleid=11208 (accessed 12/3/2007)

"Why Meditate?" by Sri Swami Venkatesnandaa http://www.dlshq.org/messages/whymed.htm (accessed 1/21/2008)

"Yoga and Meditation" by By Georg Feuerstein http://www.santosha.com/moksha/meditation1.html (accessed 1/21/2008)

"You are Here, The five koshas, or 'layers' of the body, constitute a map for navigating the inner journey" by Shiva Rhea. http://www.yogajournal.com/wisdom/460 (accessed 1/24/2008)

Books:

Clark, Bernie. YinSights: A Journey into the Philosophy & Practice of Yin Yoga. BookSurge Publishing (2007)

Dalai Lama, Ethics for the New Millenium. Riverhead TradeNew York (May 2001)

Dalai Lama, How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving Relationships. Atria Books, New York (June 2005)

Devananda, Swami Vishnu and The Sivananda Yoga Center. The Sivananda Companion to Yoga. Fireside, New Yok (1983)

Gates, Rolf. Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections in the Path of Yoga. Anchor Books, New York (2002)

Iyengar, B. K. S. and Menuhin, Yehudi. Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga. Schocken Books; New York (1995)

Sri Swami Satchidananda. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Integral Yoga Publications, Virginia (2003)

Yogananda, Paramahansa. Autobiography of a Yogi. Self-Realization Fellowship Publishers, California (2001)

Yogananda, Paramahansa. Man's Eternal Quest. Self-Realization Fellowship Publishers, California (1992)

Live Audience:

Dalai Lama, Salve Regina University, Thursday, November 17, 2005

Nothing in life is to be feared,
it is only to be understood.
Now is the time to understand more,
so that we may fear less.
- Marie Curie

Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been - I have great faith in a seed.

Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.




- Henry David Thoreau

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