Georg Feuerstein Ph.D. - Yoga Gems: A Treasury of Practical and Spiritual Wisdom from Ancient and Modern Masters

This book is intended for the tens of millions of Yoga practitioners around the world, for those many millions more who are curious about Yoga, and for those countless others who simply seek intelligent inspiration and encouragement in their daily life.

While the current wave of Yoga focuses on its value as a physical discipline for fitness and stress reduction, many people are cognizant of Yoga's psychological and spiritual potency as well. With Baby Boomers reaching the critical midlife period, which many psychologists recognize as a time for overall lifestyle and spiritual reappraisal, Yoga's future as a tradition of wisdom and core spiritual values is assured. Yoga's five-thousand-year-old heritage contains incredible nuggets of spiritual and psychological insight, which Yoga Gems seeks to make available through simple but profound quotations.

I have focused on the wisdom of modern Yoga masters, who speak our language more closely, but I have also drawn from the teachings of the ancient sages. In some cases, when there was no name attached to a particular piece of wisdom, I have cited the textual source. Traditional sources quoted from in this compilation include works written in Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, Prakrit, Marathi, Tamil, and English. They reflect the Yoga traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. These three world religionswhich are really whole cultureshave Yoga for their essence.

There are also many quotes from contemporary adepts from the Hindu and Buddhist Yoga traditions. In addition, I have selected poignant quotes from a few individuals who would not call themselves adepts but who practice Yoga and have expressed their thoughts about Yoga particularly well.

Yoga has produced a galaxy of extraordinary individuals who were not only spiritual giants but also philosophical and/or literary geniuses. As a professional Indologist, I have access to many of the traditional sources and have translated a good many Sanskrit texts into English. Few days go by when I don't read a passage or two from one of my favorite Hindu or Buddhist Yoga scriptures for my enjoyment and spiritual upliftment. As a practitioner and teacher for over thirty years, I have also become very familiar with the needs of ordinary people trying to make sense of life and Yoga.

Each page in Yoga Gems features one or more authoritative quotations of practical wisdom that has been selected because it may touch your heart, inspire your spiritual life, or stimulate your thinking about deeper matters. Themes include the value of silence; how to meditate; golden rules for living; how to infuse life with joy; creating hope; the importance of thinking positively; universal kinship; seeing the larger picture; overcoming suffering; dealing with grief, loss, anger, and jealousy; remembering one's true inner self; cultivating the good; developing self-discipline; the nature of love; cultivating patience, inner growth, caring, and so on.

There is nothing more powerful than Yoga, declares one medieval Sanskrit text. I hope that the sayings, poems, and anecdotes gathered here will convey something of the truth behind this claim. Ultimately, however, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. May this volume inspire you to explore the heritage of Yoga personally and practically. Having myself benefited from Yoga's versatile teachings over the past thirty-five years, I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

GEORG FEUERSTEIN

Yoga Research and Education Center
2400A County Center Drive
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
www.yrec.org