The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali is a classic Sanskrit treatise consisting of 195 'threads,' or aphorisms, describing the process of liberation through yoga. Although little is known about Patanjali (most scholars estimate that he lived in India circa 200 - 300 b.c.), his writings have long been recognized as a vital contribution to the philosophy and practice of yoga. This new, expert translation of the original Sanskrit text of Patanjali's best-known work presents his seminal ideas and methods in accessible, plain-language English.

Patanjali organized the sutra into four parts: Samadhi (absorption), Sadhana (practice), Vibhuti (supernatural powers), and Kaivalya (liberation). Each represents a step in breaking free of our limited definition of consciousness and training the mind to achieve oneness with the universe. Geshe Michael Roach, one of the most respected teachers of Tibetan Buddhism in America and a renowned scholar of Sanskrit, provides authoritative commentary on each of the sutras. His notes and clarification are straightforward and highly readable, untainted by obscure, academic terminology or New Age jargon. The first edition of the Yoga Sutra to present a Buddhist perspective, this paperback original will be welcomed by students and spiritual seekers alike.
Essential Yoga Sutra, Geshe Michael Roach and Christie McNally, Paperback, 144 pages, 2005, $13.00

Michael Roach is a fully ordained Buddhist monk who received his geshe (Master of Buddhism) degree from Sera Mey Tibetan Monastery after twenty-two years of study. A teacher of Buddhism since 1981, he is also a scholar of Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Russian, and has translated numerous works. Geshe Michael received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and worked in New York City as a director of a large diamond firm for many years. He founded and directs the Asian Classics Institute and the Asian Classics Input Project, and has been active in the restoration of Sera Mey Monastery. He lives in New York City and Arizona..

Foreword

First Cornerstone: The Chapter on Meditation

Second Cornerstone: The Chapter on the Way

Third Cornerstone: The Chapter on Practice

Fourth Cornerstone: The Chapter on Total Purity

Index of Important Ideas