YOGA, yogi (meaning, in Sanskrit, con centration) one of the six schools or sys tems of Brahmanical philosophy, that of Patan jali, the essence of which is meditation. It believes in a primordial soul which has had existence from an earlier period than primeval matter, and holds that from the two arose the spirit of life (Mahanatma). Theoretically at least, its devotees can acquire even in this world entire command over elementary matter by certain ascetic practices, such as long con tinued suppression of the respiration, inhaling and exhaling the breath in a particular man ner, sitting in 84 attitudes, fixing the eyes on the tip of the nose, and endeavoring, by force of mental abstraction, to unite themselves with the sital spirit which pervades all nature and is identical with Siva. When this mystic union is effected, the Yoga can make himself lighter than the lightest, or heavier than the heaviest substance. or as small or as large as he pleases; he can traverse all space, can become in visible, can equally know the past, the pres ent and the future, and can animate any dead body by transferring to it his own spirit. It is claimed that the whole doctrine of the Yoga works toward the establishment of the Su preme Being; and that it claims that it pos sesses the means by which the soul may be ciane finally united with the Creator from w hose hand it came. The ss stem is said to base been founded by Patanjah (q.v.), who claimed that eight distinct stages were neces sary in the development of the soul before it reached that condition in which it was ex empt from further transmigrations These stages are yama (self-control). niyama (re ligious observances), priniyarna (breath regu lation), pratylihara (restraint of senses) dharank (making the mind firm), dhyina (meditation), samadhi (deep contemplation) These correspond generally to the general characteristics of the system given above. Each stage must follow in its order and is dependent upon the attainment of all the stages that precede it; and the great object of the whole is to reach the final stage Owing to the difficulty of the attainment of all these successive stages of perfection the ad herents of the Yoga believe that it is very rarely that any one reaches them all in this life and that consequently most persons must pass through several births and existences in the attainment of the final goal. In the course
of this progress, however, one is believed to acquire wonderful powers. He is enabled to make himself light or heavy, at will, to ac quire a knowledge of the past and the future. to understand the language of all animals. to penetrate the thoughts of others; to remember all that has happened to him in supposed former stages of existence; and even to tran scend all this and to attain to a knowledge of what is going on or has taken place in the stars and in all other worlds. To these powers the believer in the Yoga adds that of the abil ity to make himself infinitely small or large beyond imagination. These are accompanied by wonderful powers of body and will and the nicest discrimination in all things, together with the ability to transport oneself anywhere suddenly at will. These wonderful power• are gradually acquired and finally result in the complete separation of the soul from the cor poral body in the ultimate triumph of the former.
The Yoga system has always bad a strong hold on its followers principally because of the great powers which it claims to bestow upon its devotees, and on account of the fears of those living upon earth who are believed to have attained to these powers.
Desai, 'Studies of Indian Philosophy' (Bombay 1906); Deussen, P.