The Four Yogas: A Guide to the Spiritual Paths of Action, Devotion, Meditation and Knowledge

In America, Yoga is primarily understood as a series of physical exercises. But in this book, Adiswarananda, a monk who follows the influential 19th-century guru Ramakrishna and teaches in New York City, unpacks with clarity the spiritual systems of Yoga. A Hindu philosophy, Yoga is intended to bring about union with God. Within Yoga are differences in understanding and practice, so Yoga encompasses diverse ideas and ways. The author systematically examines the four types of Yoga referred to in the title, using the same organizing concepts (philosophy, psychology, practices, obstacles) so that differences and similarities among the paths can be clarified, even about such heady topics as "ultimate reality." Along the way a good deal of the Hindu understanding of God and human nature is translated, literally and figuratively, into Western-friendly ideas and terms. ("Meditation is not relaxation, as is often thought nowadays.") Sanskrit terms are explained in a glossary. Characteristic of explanations of philosophy, the text tends toward lecture-like dryness, even while clear. A guidebook rather than a how-to, this would make a good reference for students of Eastern spirituality. (Mar.)