1. Yoga-Knowing:
Integral Insights from Radhakrishnan’s Epistemology,
and the Intuitive-Yogic Connection
J.K.K. Herndon, Lecturer
Department of Religious Studies
Spicer Memorial College
Pune, Maharashtra, INDIA
jkkherndon@gmail.com
“May our study impart that inward light!
May it grant us the power to stir the soul to effort!”
Motto, Andhra University (Upaniṣads)
How do YOU know?
A plaguing question – not only for school-aged youngsters, but for professional philosophers as well. In the 21st
century, reputable epistemologists are earnestly inquiring as to how our individual minds are able to tap-into the
Universal Consciousness? Philosophically, there appear to be a myriad of answers to this question… including
the avenues of the ordinary senses, and the extra-sensory abilities of rational, emotive and mystical intuition.
Dr. Radhakrishnan, in An Idealist View of Life, suggests that our ability to know involves the full-functioning of
the entire person… “the reaction of the whole [individual] to the whole reality.” In other words, “it is the whole
mind that will reach the whole object.” His epistemology, therefore, can rightly be characterized as “an all-
comprehending one, convening the whole of life,” in which the synthetic totality of human faculties paves the
way for wholeness of vision and knowledge.
If we accept this epistemological assessment, then what is the prerequisite preparation necessary for obtaining
such knowledge? Moreover, how might we further expand our overall fitness for the pursuit of deeper
knowledge? In order to improve our abilities in the various ways of knowing, practice in the appropriately
corresponding aspects of yoga will undoubtedly prove to be immensely helpful. Fully-optimal integral
experience in the realms of both the lower mind (sensory knowledge) and the higher mind (intuitive knowledge)
can be directly trained and readily equipped; rightly understood, an integrated practice of yoga holds the key to
unlocking the full potential of both the biological and psychic mind.
In a Nutshell…
I. Whole-Person Knowing – what Radhakrishnan calls integral experience – is a legitimate form of
epistemology.
II. The realms of knowing categorized by Radhakrishnan bear a striking correspondence to the fourfold
elements of the complete human personality identified by Patañjali.
III. It follows that these associated epistemological domains can be further developed and even strengthened
over time by employing the appropriately compatible yogic practices.

2. Basic Building Blocks of Philosophy
“The epithet wise is too great, and benefits God alone;
but the name ‘philosopher,’ that is ‘lover of wisdom,’
or something of the sort, would be more fitting and modest for a man.”
Socrates, quoted in Plato’s Phaedrus
So where exactly does the question of epistemology fall in the grand scheme of things? We must keep
in mind that the comprehensive array of philosophical investigations – in fact, the complete range of questions
that can be ever be asked – necessarily contain at least one of the six basic building blocks of philosophy: what,
how, why, when who and where? These basic building blocks of thought, structured as they are in the form of
questions, can be related to the very process of philosophy itself.
The process of philosophy, generally speaking, is the gradual progress from meager animalistic
perception, right on through to the crowning pinnacle of ennobling human wisdom; in many respects, “the
dignified procedure of philosophy elevates the individual from the creaturely to the Creator.”1
Together with
their underlying related questions, this process of philosophy may rightly be understood as the comprehensive
art and science of human progress – “Adhyātma vidyā: of all sciences, the greatest science is knowledge of your
own self.”2
In Europe, major cities are connected by an interlinking web of super-express train routes known
collectively as the Grand Lines. And so it is in philosophy: Each of the major building blocks of thought are
likewise interconnected and interrelated – in keeping with the overall process of thought – along what may be
called the grand lines of philosophy.
The Process of Philosophy… The Grand Lines of Philosophy… and their Related Questions
Perception Metaphysics What exists?
Knowledge Epistemology How do we know?
Inference Logic Why is it so?
Understanding History of Philosophy When did we know?
Discernment Ethics Who is to say?
Wisdom Applied Fields Where do we go from here?
…so What?
Perception – data received; general awareness through the senses; something hits your radar
Knowledge – data remembered; stored memory of facts; deposited upon the hard drive of the mind
Inference – data derived; deducing additional propositions from related, stored facts
Understanding – truth grasped; skilled, developed usage of establishing meaningful, relative truths
Discernment – truth related; accuracy in handling the inter-relation of ideas; prognostic / projecting
Wisdom – truth applied; experienced processing / practical evaluation of truth / big picture

3. Intuition as Legitimate Epistemology
“The best and most beautiful things in the world
cannot be seen or even touched.
They must be felt within the heart.”
Helen Keller
As one of the essential building blocks of thought, the question How Do We Know? might not actually
be as cut-and-dry as most folks suspect. “Seeing is believing,” some would say. Others suggest, “if I can touch
it, it’s real,” or, “if it can be proven logically, it’s true.” Plainly stated, the central question becomes: is there
anything besides what is known by the ordinary senses and logic that can be known with certainty. In the West,
since the time of Kant, the unequivocal and unanimous answer has been a resounding NO!
In the opinion of Radhakrishnan, “There is always a difference between textual learning, logical
reasoning, and personal encounter with the Absolute Reality.”3
It is this direct experience, or darśana, that
Blaise Pascal had in mind when he defined his own system of epistemology centuries ago:
“We know truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart, and it is in this last way that we
know first principles… Therefore, those to whom God has imparted religion by intuition are very
fortunate and justly convinced. But to those who do not have it, we can give it only by reasoning,
waiting for God to give them spiritual insight, without which faith is only human…”
For Pascal, as for many philosophers who are inclined toward whole-person reasoning or the resultant
integral method of epistemology, “The heart has its reasons, that reason can never know.” Author of The
Perennial Philosophy, Aldous Huxley, echoes this sentiment when he explains that such knowledge is “of the
heart, a super-rational intuition – direct, synthetic and timeless.”4
Huxley further asserts in his Introduction to
the Bhagavad-Gītā that we can, in fact, “know the Divine Ground by a direct intuition higher than discursive
reasoning,” and that it “is to be found in all the great religions of the world.”5
According to Radhakrishnan, “people of an earlier age said: ‘We dissected the human body, and did not
discover the soul.’ Other people said: ‘We searched the sky with a telescope, but did not find God there.’ We
must realize that the knowledge which we gain by the senses and by the intellect is not complete. There is a
kind of knowledge where the human being feels that he is spiritual in character… to realize that there is
something more than what meets the eye.”6
In many respects, what passes for epistemology nowadays seems crippled and meager. A more robust
and revitalized philosophy of knowing must include the entire scope of what is meant by the whole-person – it
must become a more fully-integrated and intentionally practical system of epistemology. In the estimation of
the revered American philosopher of civilization, Will Durant: “Epistemology has kidnapped modern
philosophy, and well nigh ruined it…” Like many thinkers of our own day, Durant longs for a day “when
philosophy will again be understood as the synthetic interpretation of all experience, rather than [mere] analytic
description.” After all, “analysis belongs to science, and gives us knowledge; philosophy must provide a
synthesis for wisdom.”7
With a decidedly continental Western flair, Radhakrishnan’s own unique blend of idealist philosophy
comfortably affords credence to such first-person approaches as phenomenology and existentialism. Within
such an holistic framework, the full-spectrum variety of first person experience can rightly serve as a reliable
fount of knowledge about (or rather, insight into) reality. In other words, it is quite acceptable, and even
increasingly expected, that intuited experience should lead to a sound philosophical base of rational knowledge.
Philosophy of science is familiar with this approach to knowledge. In fact, much of what passes as
objective, or irrefutable laws of science, is eventually bypassed by subsequent systems that are indeed newer
and quite often truer. Newton’s system of physics, for example, was completely true for his day… until we
started extrapolating to a bigger picture. Einstein’s system was then the latest and greatest model of
knowledge… until it too was eclipsed by the latest hypotheses in which, approaching the speed of light, we
acknowledge the curvature or bending of light and even time. As the reigning system en vogue today, the

4. quantum model is to our observed (experienced) physical reality as philosophy of religion is to our observed
(experienced) spiritual reality. Or, as Radhakrishnan aptly points out, “We can know the truth by experience.
Religion is such an experience.” The epistemological parallels between the laws of science and the creeds of
religion are simply too obvious to miss.
In a post modern sense, we can say that a certain system of knowledge (in this instance, scientific theory
or religious doctrine) becomes recognized as being truer either because of its increased workability, or because
it is more widely viable or comprehensive in application or scope – in other words, the web of understanding
inter-related facts is both feasible and effective for our collective needs as an evolving society.8
In a decidedly
similar vein, it becomes easy to conceptualize Radhakrishnan’s vision: that similar universals in religious
experience (regardless of creed) may well prove to be an effective uniting factor for human solidarity and
cooperation going forward. Consequently, our epistemological framework (like religion itself) must be
understood to be an ever-expanding work-in-progress.
Māyā:
Deceptive Trickster, or Protective Mother?
“We must tear the cosmic veil, and get behind the golden brightness…”
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan9
The veil of ignorance, or avidyā, is perhaps best understood (in terms of our present endeavor) to
bemoan a lack of knowledge of one’s real nature (svarūpa). Interestingly enough, Indian scholars are generally
in agreement that the mind itself is often the real culprit as to the source of this malady of ignorance; māyā is,
therefore, not to be understood as being externally imposed upon poor unsuspecting individuals by any
deceptive trickster or malevolent being.
With regard to this mysterious principle of avidyā (a related cognate of māyā), Radhakrishnan – ever
desirous to have his cake and eat it too – celebrates this paradox, which Śankara otherwise declares to be
“inexplicable.”10
Radhakrishnan sometimes paints the concept of avidyā with the brush of convention and
utility – daring, for example, to suggest that this precious gift of protective Mother Māyā might be considered as
useful and even “positive in character.”11
Ignorance is often defined as the false identification of eternal consciousness with the temporal mind-
body unit: “Ignorance can be defined as regarding the perishable as the imperishable, the impure as the pure,
unhappiness as happiness, and the non-self as the self.”12
True to form, however, Radhakrishnan would be
comfortable even in this instance in identifying such a notion as “temporarily true” or even “conventionally
useful.” Real and actual, though temporarily so… ahh, sweet Indian philosophy! Sweet Mother Māyā, who
graciously guards and protects her children.
Some Western critics have identified the notion of māyā as a deceptive trickster, intentionally deluding
and falsely plunging her victims into utterly unreal and illusory darkness – but this is simply not the case.
Radhakrishnan takes special care to unpack the notion of māyā for his Western audience. Also known within
Indian philosophy as a veil of ignorance (ajñāna or avidyā), this loving aspect of Brahman is responsible for
cloaking the work-a-day world in an illusory (though conventionally real) protective covering of hiding
(āvaraṇa) or projection (vikṣepa).
So, is ignorance to be considered good or bad? In addition to its overall negative connotation, might
avidyā also contain some tinge of redeeming utilitarian value? The common cliché is that “ignorance is bliss!”
Unfortunately, however, this might simply not be the case in actual practice: Scripture makes it abundantly clear
that such ignorance inevitably leads to egoism – a strong sense of individuality; egoism eventually leads to
suffering – a strong attachment to pleasure and aversion to pain; and suffering ultimately leads to the
overwhelming fear of death!
So, what’s our prescription for the cure? A fully-integrated yoga practice is just what the doctor
ordered! The ancient cure for suffering is a twofold prescription for healing and wholeness: Separation – of
consciousness from the mind-body unit (understanding true nature of the mind), followed by Union – eventual
realization of Oneness or Universal Consciousness (going beyond the mind)

5. Darśana … By Divine Decree
“For lack of vision… My people perish.”
Proverbs 29:18
In India, philosophy is known as Darśana, or spiritual insight. One brief survey can quickly illustrate
the most telling difference between philosophy in the East and the West: If you were to inquire of any young
child in New York as to how many senses he possesses, the unanimous answer would be “five.” However,
when you ask a youngster in New Delhi how many senses she employs, any young schoolchild (with enough
sense) would intuitively answer “six!” So, how is it that children of the Indian subcontinent are fortunate
enough to operate with one additional sense facility than their North American counterparts? Right from the
earliest childhood within the Indian psyche, it is intuitively ingrained in the worldview of all thinking
individuals that there is an additional source of knowledge beyond the mere five ordinary senses; as spiritual
beings, this realization is strikingly obvious and unquestioningly apparent to all.
Savvy business corporations in the 21st
century likewise carry out their global operations in light of a
clear, mutually accepted vision statement; they simply would neither be able to operate nor flourish without
each employee sharing in and supporting the common vision of the company. And make no mistake about it, a
clear vision is exactly what is needed in today’s society at large in order to survive and thrive; God Himself
makes this point abundantly clear when He states the perennial adage: “For lack of vision… My people
perish.”13
Such a return to the sixth-sense is neither a mere metaphysical-menagerie nor a trivial curiosity for the
armchair philosophers and leisured classes of the twenty-first century. In today’s war-torn fabric of society,
spiritual insight and a unified vision of human solidarity are desperately needed to keep our civilization from
busting at the seams. In Radhakrishnan’s own philosophical journey, his career initially began as a quest for
identity, both personally and nationally – one thinker, one nation, searching for soul. This quest eventually
evolved into a bridge-building enterprise that spanned the globe with the noble mission of mutual-
understanding. Two hideous worldwide wars were enough to awaken within him the realization that identity
and insight, mutual-understanding and shared-vision, dialogue and cooperation were now urgently required…
for the sheer survival of the species!
Without exaggeration, this unmistakable clarion call for understanding and insight desperately needs to
be sounded afresh today with escalating urgency. By the grace of God, such a common vision for humanity
may just be enough to save our civilization in the nick of time.
In outlining The Work Before Us a century ago, Swami Vivekananda sounded this charge to his own
generation regarding the vital importance of our global task at hand:
“This is the great ideal before us… Up, India! and conquer the world… with your spirituality!
…hatred cannot conquer itself. Materialism and all its miseries can never be conquered
by materialism… Spirituality must conquer the West… The world wants it; without it the world
will be destroyed… Now is the time to work so that India's spiritual ideas may penetrate deep
into the West… we must conquer the world through our spirituality and philosophy. There is no
other alternative, we must do it or die.”14

6. The Epistemic Two-Step:
A Dance with Lord Kṛṣṇa
“The only real valuable thing is intuition.”
Albert Einstein
The ancient seers have often likened the pursuit of deepening philosophical and spiritual knowledge to a
dance with Lord Krishna… and rightly so! Epistemologists (and dancers alike) readily recognize the classic
two-step pattern, which is universal among various cultures and times.
Initially comes the effortless, involuntary and often enjoyable experience of a flash of insight, when the
germ of an idea sprouts; a momentary spark of genius commences the dance, as a seminal notion is directly
realized. Once this kernel of truth has initially popped, next comes the daunting and often arduous task of
effectively communicating, developing and logically supporting the intuited insight. According to
Radhakrishnan and numerous other thinkers, every scientific invention, religious realization or other intellectual
discovery begins in this manner – with a flash of insight!
No less a luminary genius than Albert Einstein has correctly pointed out that when it comes to
discovering the hidden mysteries of the universe, our logic and reasoning abilities are critically important, to be
sure. Yet, he hastens to remind us, that amid all our formulating and calculating, “the only real valuable thing is
intuition” – that initial flash of insight, according to Einstein, is indispensible.
One celebrated philosophical dancer – the Father of Modern Philosophy, René Descartes – also
acknowledged this epistemic two-step pattern in recognizing “the two operations of our understanding,
intuition and deduction, on which alone we have said we must rely in the acquisition of knowledge.”
At the turn of the twentieth-century, one of the most comprehensive and still relevant investigations into
intuition and her kindred models of epistemology was proffered by one of the founding fathers of modern
psychology, the American philosopher William James. In The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in
Human Nature, James identified four main characteristics of said experiences: ineffability, passivity, noetic
quality, and transience of intuitive experience.
Ineffable Quality
Often times, our deeper intuitions are found to be ineffable; utterly indescribable, they simply cannot properly
be put into human words. And we’re in good company; it is likewise a recognizable hallmark of the ancient
sages, who often remained silent when facing life’s more profound philosophical matters. Even many of our
own day-to-day sensory experiences – like sunsets, love, music, art, laughter – similarly defy logic or
explanation. It is quite often impossible for us to fully communicate the totality of our experience even with the
simplest of physical impulses that cross our radar, let alone the grand mysteries of Ultimate Reality. According
to Radhakrishnan, “The Ultimate can only be seen with the mystic mind, and communicated in indefinite
terms.”15
Quite often, in life, silence is more important than questions; questions are more important than
answers; and sometimes, the more important answer is silence. The Buddha knew well this mystery called
ineffability. So when God seems too grand to pigeonhole, philosophy becomes too terse and loosely-jointed for
one’s liking, deep religious experiences are overwhelming and impossible to convey, and strong emotions
remain bottled-up inside and impossible to communicate… Take heart! We can take solace in knowing that
words simply fall flat, more often than naught.
Passive Quality
Perhaps the darnedest thing about integral experience is that it’s too frequently a matter of hit-or-miss; you
simply can’t set your watch by it. One of the most frustrating aspects about such occurrences is that you just
cannot completely control the timings of intuited experiences. In this sense, it must be recognized that mystical
experience is non-incantational in nature. One might place oneself in the proper setting to receive such insight,
via meditation or the like, and go through all the prescribed motions, but in the end, there’s no guarantee that
any anticipated direct experience will show-up on command.

7. Noetic Quality
James claims that mystical experiences exhibit a certain noetic characteristic, in the sense that they are states of
knowledge, insight, awareness, revelation or illumination which lie beyond the grasp of the intellect – for
instance, an awareness of unity with the absolute, or of the immortality of the soul. But there appears to be a
contradiction herein: For how can such an encounter simultaneously involve mental states consisting in
intellectual activity, and states of knowledge beyond the intellect? Radhakrishnan in specific, and Indian
philosophy in general, appear to be quite comfortable operating within this realm of paradoxa. Yet, for many
thinkers in the West, this noetic aspect of intuition is indeed the most suspect of the lot.
Transient Quality
When it does hit, mystical insight is, unfortunately, all too fleeting! A brief glimpse of eternity, a spark of
genius, a flash of insight – like a deeply discounted sale price on your favorite item of merchandise, they seem
to stick around for a limited time only. Unfortunately, to make matters worse, many who receive the sudden
burst of experience all too often suffer from either a faulty memory, or an overly-aggrandizing imagination.
Quite likely, the mystic’s own attention to detail will certainly also be called into question. Like a pleasant
dream we wish to return to, but just can’t, is the ever-evasive and always-evanescent transient quality of
religious experience.
Integral Experience & Yoga-Knowing
“An integral being knows without going,
sees without looking, and accomplishes without doing.”
Lao Tzu
One important puzzle that commonly arises in both Eastern and Western circles of thought is: What is
an individual? It is the heart of this probing question that seeks to explore the significant area of inquiry that
might be coined philosophical anthropology – an adventurous and holistic existential field of investigation that
endeavors to plumb the depths of the integral nature of the individual human being.
Upon closer linguistic examination of the actual English term individuality, we can immediately intuit
its originally-intended formulation. Though we may have used the word perhaps hundreds of times over, a
deeper and more meaningful relevance begins to emerge in light of our present study: upon careful inspection,
the term individuality can be properly parsed to denote a “non-divided-duality” – an immensely helpful and
significant insight with regard to yoga-knowing, or what Radhakrishnan refers to as “integral experience.”
Broadly speaking, according to Pantañjali’s respected assessment, the complete human personality is, in
fact, precisely this: a non-divided-duality. Though unquestionably understood by a majority of scholars to be
definitively singular in nature – the human individual (ātman) can roughly be classified into four fundamental
philosophical aspects or rudimentary existential elements (as can Brahman itself, as we shall see later).
Furthermore, for each generalized category comprising the individual, the corresponding yoga practice
best suited for each paralleled component is thus highlighted. Also juxtaposed along side these rudiments of
individuality and their related yogic practices (and most pertinent for our study at hand) are the associated
realms of knowing. Correspondingly, these allied epistemological domains can, according to the present thesis,
be strengthened, further developed and even refined over time via diligent and disciplined application of the
most apropos yogic practice.
Philosophical Anthropology and the Associated Applications for Practical Epistemology
CATEGORY: ASSOCIATED PRACTICE: EPISTEMOLOGICAL DOMAIN:
Active Element Karma Yoga Realm of Ordinary Sense Experience
Emotional Element Bhakti Yoga Realm of Emotive Intuition
Rational Element Jñāna Yoga Realm of Rational Intuition
Volitional Element Raja Yoga Realm of Spiritual Intuition

8. Truth be told, each individual has myriad avenues available for accessing the Universal Consciousness:
these various ways of knowing include the biological (or lower) mind, which operates within the realm of the
senses, and the psychic (or higher) mind, which operates within the various realms of intuition. Though for
sake of comparison these are herein systematized as belonging to differing groupings or classifications, it is
important to remember that there are, in fact, no such hard and fast distinctions for the fully-integral individual.
“There are three kinds of understanding,” according to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, guru-ji for the international
Art of Living organization: “intellectual understanding, experiential understanding and existential
understanding. Intellectual understanding says – yes, it agrees. Experiential understanding feels – it is obvious.
Existential understanding is irrefutable – it becomes your very nature.”16
Though apparently quite elementary and straightforward, it is believed that further exploration into our
modest model of comparative systematics may well yield quite profound results in the significant area of
inquiry that might be coined practical epistemology – the pragmatic philosophical field of investigation that
aspires to bring to light the nature of how individuals know, in order to strengthen, improve, and even expand
our collective capacity for Self-realization.
All things considered, the crux of our present thesis may be summarized thusly: the practical application
of strengthening and developing the various elements of the human individual via diligent application of these
corresponding yogic practices holds the key to exponential possibilities of growth within the associated realms
of knowing. Quite simply, the phrase yoga-knowing embodies what Radhakrishnan refers to as the “whole
individual” approach to knowledge, or integral experience.
Intuition and Inward Light
“May our study impart that inward light!
May it grant us the power to stir the soul to effort!”
Motto, Andhra University (Upaniṣads)
Truth-seeking scholars from Andhra University, in their quest for knowledge, are understandably
insistent upon the important role of intuition – which ultimately gives way to clear vision, an impassioned
stirring, and the commensurate action in society. The noble intent of the Upaniṣadic scripture is unquestionably
clear: Inward light, of course, clearly does not herein refer to the operation of any of our ordinary external
senses, but rather to an internal intuited spark – indeed the source and seed of all important knowledge; the
concept of yoga-knowing is obviously not an alien concept for our A.U. student body. Study clearly implies the
need for work, development, and an overall expansion and improvement of our faculties in the various realms
of knowledge. For the Upaniṣadic seers, light was understood as a clear and poetic reference to darśana, or
spiritual vision – which implies a deep seeing or a source of internal knowledge; once again, the fact that such
knowledge is considered to be inward implies that it is intuitive in nature, and not apprehended through the
ordinary senses. Power evokes an unmistakable charge to impassion and invigorate, or stir the soul – akin to
Swami Vivekananda’s rousing call to “Strength!” anticipating the twentieth century Indian Renaissance. And
ultimately, effort echoes a resounding call to action in society and the need for social justice – tantamount to the
explicit connection with karma yoga.

9. A Brilliant Mind:
Understanding the True Nature of Mind…
“How beautifully likened we are to the moon,
In each of us shines the light of the Sun.”
J.K.K. Herndon
Revered as a precious title for God within the Judeo-Christian tradition, the Sun of Righteousness is
likewise celebrated in a myriad of faith traditions: “But for you who revere My Name, the Sun of Righteousness
will rise with healing in His wings.”17
Pictured throughout innumerable tombs of ancient Egypt (and celebrated
in various other cultures, too), our brilliant Sun has ever stood as a symbol for light and knowledge; from time
immemorial, eternal resting places of kings have been decorated with this distinctive orange-colored disk with
wings – quite simply, our sun in flight. “Brighter and brighter until that day, the path of the righteous is like the
first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”18
In this light, we recognize the incremental
and exponentially-expanding nature of yoga-knowing over our lifetime.
In ancient scriptures, when we read of the Sun of Righteousness who will rise with healing in His wings,
we realize the unmistakable reference to the ever-creative and life-sustaining God. Moreover, we begin to
recognize that there is absolutely no wall of division or separation under the canopy of heaven which can be
said to exist between members of the single family of human civilization that cannot be overcome by the pure
and holy Light which shines down equally upon all: “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another.”19
This same life-giving and nourishing Light of Heaven makes no distinction
between high and low, caste or creed, but impartially shines powerfully down from above upon all of God’s
children with indiscriminately equal magnitude.
Within an Indian context, this fitting symbol of the enlightening sun highlights the expectation that Pure
Consciousness will eventually eclipse our own mere individual awareness: According to Patañjali, in the same
way that the moon does not serve as a source of light, but rather reflects the brilliance of the sun, the human
mind, itself an object, cannot possibly be understood to serve as the source of consciousness.20
“The moon will
shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the
LORD binds up the bruises of his people…”21
In other words, “the goal for the self in the context of yoga is the full realization of one’s authentic
nature”22
– that is, true and ultimate Self-realization; it is the whole and noble individual shining brighter and
brighter until that day, under the grace of God. Enlightenment, then, can not be analogous to an on-off switch,
but rather a dimmer switch. Our resolution, therefore, is to gradually broaden both our individual and collective
awareness, and the resultant worldview, beyond even the vastest horizons, and witness the ever-expanding
enlightenment of our consciousness, as we move from glory to glory. In so doing, according to Patañjali, we
incrementally remove the copious veils of ignorance from the individual mind via purification and one-
pointedness, and thus allow the perfected instrument to reflect the full brilliance of the Cosmic Mind, of which it
is understood to be a constituent part. In the grand vista of such a scenario, “Life will be brighter than noonday,
and darkness will become like morning.”23

10. Intuitive Development, Fitness and Expansion:
WARNING: Proper Preparation & Training Required!
“In the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind.”
Louis Pasteur
When it comes to science, an habitual training beyond mere mental rigor is necessary to recognize the
spark of truth when it ignites. Likewise, in a complimentary manner with regard to the science of the self, this
notion of actually preparing, strengthening and training the full range of epistemological functioning within the
whole individual by means of yogic practices might best be termed yoga-knowing. And make no mistake about
it, the science of Patañjali’s system is not child’s play; it is an advanced system of rigorous practice developed
over a lifetime.
Echoing these ancient admonitions, Radhakrishnan likewise lends his voice of warning in the pursuit of
deeper knowledge: “In the utterances of the seers, we have to distinguish the given and the interpreted elements.
What is regarded as immediately given may be the product of inference. Immediacy does not mean absence of
psychological mediation, but only non-mediation by conscious thought. Ideas which seem to come to us with
compelling force, without any mediate intellectual process of which we are aware, are generally the results of
previous training in traditions imparted to us in earlier years.”24
Furthermore, this culture of training and equipping is never done in a vacuum. It is always coloured and
conditioned by our outer environment, background, temperament, and the like: “Something is directly
experienced, but it is unconsciously interpreted in the terms of the tradition in which the individual is trained.
The frame of reference which each individual adopts is determined by hereditary and culture.”25
Which
explains of course why Hindus generally don't have visions of the Virgin Mary, and Christians generally don't
have visions of the Buddha.

11. Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras:
Practical Primer, or Philosophical Bugaboo?
“From matter we go to life;
From life we go to manas – mind;
From manas we go to jñāna – intelligence;
From intelligence we rise to ānanda – Absolute Reality, freedom.
The cosmic process is a staircase, so to say, leading from one stage to another.”
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan26
In less than 200 succinct aphorisms, this pithy and precise scientific textbook on yoga is truly an elegant
masterpiece of practical wisdom and spiritual insight. Written with distinctive beauty and clarity, these
particular sutras are a timeless tour de force of sheer poetry. The precious insights communicated demonstrate a
high degree of disciplined logic and scientific precision, which undoubtedly reveal the characteristic workings
of a true mastermind. Most certainly, the eternal wisdom contained within the Yoga Sutras is indeed more
ancient than the synthesized compendium attributed to Patañjali; he was simply credited as the genius that
compiled and expounded the comprehensive system as a timeless and universal whole.
Patañjali’s concise yoga sutras were surely not intended for readers to become bogged-down in
intellectual gymnastics and sidetracking speculative debate; they were simply offered as a practical means for
Self-realization for folks from among all walks of life. As with any important system of philosophy, actual
application and practice (neither mere speculation nor debate) are the key!
So what, indeed, is the nature of our philosophical quest? And what is the character of the final
destination in our spiritual journey? According to our experienced tour guide and fellow journeyman
Radhakrishnan, that which is sought after is “tranquility of spirit… spiritual freedom… mere intellectual
knowledge does not make you into a spiritual being.”27
After all, quips the famous Sufi aphorism: “A donkey
bearing a load of holy books is, after all, still just a donkey.”
The four chapters of Patañjali’s succinct and pithy philosophy logically guide the practitioner: in
preparing and gradually raising one’s overall awareness; in gaining deeper insights and wisdom; in delving into
the full potential of the mind (and eventually transcending the mind) in the pursuit of achieving Universal
Consciousness. Patañjali’s ashtanga yoga (or system of eight-stages) offers refreshing, practice-oriented
recipes along the journey to Self-realization. In short, these 196 pithy threads weave a tapestry of
transcendence, and ultimately pave a pathway to perfect freedom!
In carefully considering the closely-connected questions of epistemology and intuitive insight, it must be
understood from the outset that the vast majority of Patañjali’s sutras refer to areas of knowing that function
well beyond the realms of ordinary sense experience or mere rational maneuvering alone. Reverberating
throughout each of the four chapters with the language and thoughts of the holy Gītā, these multi-dimensional
aspects of the art and science of yoga are closely connected to his own overall integral epistemology. Viewed
in this light, we can accordingly refer to such an interconnected system of epistemology simply as yoga-
knowing.
Patañjali’s Yoga Darśana, therefore, refers to a whole-person, practical process of seeing – integral
insight that sees and knows and experiences well beyond the senses, and even beyond the mind itself. For when
the mind is stable and harmonized under complete control, obstacles to progress are overcome, and the potential
for achieving even higher perception is ultimately realized.

12. The Science of Self:
An Integrated System
“…there is but one, single path to freedom – the integrated approach.”
J.K.K. Herndon28
Among the assorted varieties of yoga practice, a wide range of techniques is employed in order to
harmonize the mind and fully integrate the consciousness. It must be acknowledged that each individual has a
distinctive combination of inclinations, capacities, characteristics and abilities. A useful visual analogy which
helps to illustrate this unique mix of temperaments and predispositions within an individual might be the scores
of variously raised and lowered knobs on a single stereophonic sound-equalizing mixing-board; in this parallel
example, we can understand that one size definitely does not fit all, as there can be no fixed or preset settings
which will universally work in all environments.
Likewise, the science of Self can be understood to be a fully-integrated system that allows the individual
practitioner to progress along a highly personalized regimen that is specifically tailored to one’s own unique
blend of circumstances. In personally assessing and monitoring our own individual predispositions and
tendencies, strengths and weaknesses, we invariably identify personal preferences, discover natural inclinations,
and recognize the predominance of one or more of these realms of becoming.
Within every human personality, according to Patañjali’s science, four fundamental categories are
present to one degree or another: the physical, emotional, rational and spiritual aspects of the individual; these
aspects have been duly noted in the previous sections. What might be further noted herein is the corresponding
level of frequency with which a certain experience of insight might be prevalent in the general population.
Radhakrishnan seems to suggest that while there is an ascending ladder of experience available to all, a
narrowing preponderance of each of these levels of experience can be found at various stages along the climb:
ordinary sense experience is a mode of knowing that is universally encountered in our day to day lives; a
majority of the global population feel the tug of emotive intuition, and the experience of devotion to the
Supreme is more common than naught; intellectual intuition is perhaps less common, and a significantly fewer
percentage of the overall population operate within this mode of experience on a regular basis; and finally,
mystical intuition is perhaps the most elusive of the various aspects of yoga-knowing, as it is extremely rare in
the day-to-day experience for most of us.
REALM PATH SOURCE of KNOWLEDGE FREQUENCY
Physical Hatha / Karma Body – Sense Perception Universal
Emotional Bhakti Heart – Emotive Intuition Majority
Rational Jnana Mind – Rational Intuition Minority
Spiritual Raja Spirit – Mystical Intuition Rare
These categories are by no means hermetically sealed-off from one another; in truth, there are simply no neat
and clean categories. There is continually a blending and spilling-over – a dovetailing from one area into the
next. This is largely because “there is but one, single path to freedom – the integrated approach.” In the end,
the goal of yoga-knowing, or this science of the Self, is ultimately to integrate our whole being; it is what might
be called in both Hindu and Christian parlance as the perfecting of the individual.

13. Philosophical Anthropology
and Radhakrishnan's Four-Footed Principle of Reality
Radhakrishnan’s Four-Footed Principle of Reality bears both a striking resemblance to Jung’s
psychology, and an obvious correlation with Patañjali’s philosophical anthropology: (1) in the conscious mind
(sthula) of an individual, symbolized by the waking state (jagrit), the bodily self (viśva) relates to the World
through the realm of ordinary sensory perception; (2) in the subconscious mind (sukshma), symbolized by the
dream state (swapna), the vital self (taijasa) relates to the World-Spirit through the realm of emotive intuition;
(3) in the unconscious mind (karana), symbolized by the deep sleep state (sushupti), the intellectual self
(prājña) relates to the Creative-Spirit through the realm of rational intuition; and ultimately, (4) in the Self-
realized mind, symbolized by the transcendental state, the fully-integrated self (turīya) relates to the Absolute
through the realm of spiritual intuition. In this respect, the gradual process of true Self-realization – as
represented in Patañjali’s sublime summation – can rightly be understood as the integrated path to perfect
freedom!
Subjective Metaphysical Element Objective Metaphysical Element Aspect of Human Personality & Epistemological Domain &
Four Aspects of the Individual… Four Aspects of Brahman… The Associated Yoga Practice The Related State of Consciousness
the bodily self the World physical aspect sensing experience
viśva Sovereign Ruler (Virāj) active element realm of ordinary sensory perception
individual physical body the entire physical cosmos Karma - Yoga of the Hand waking consciousness
gross state complete manifest universe material-realization sensory awareness
the vital self the World-Spirit devotional aspect feeling experience
taijasa Golden Womb (Hiraṇya-Garbha) emotional element realm of emotive intuition
individual soul the Soul of the World Bhakti - Yoga of the Heart dreaming consciousness
subtle state all-pervading, universal vitalizing power spiritual-realization spiritual awareness
the intellectual self the Creative-Spirit intellectual aspect thinking experience
prājña Supreme Lord (Īśvara) rational element realm of rational intuition
individual self-consciousness the Pure Self-Consciousness Jñāna - Yoga of the Head sleeping consciousness
causal state causal principle of all differentiation mental-realization mind-body awareness
the integrated self the Absolute integral aspect mystical experience
turīya Ultimate Reality (Brahman) volitional element realm of spiritual intuition
individual whole person the One / the All / the Whole Raja - Yoga of the Crown transcendental consciousness
pure-self state super-personal Ground of the Cosmos Self-realization comprehensive awareness

14. Karma Yoga – The Path of Action
Expanding Knowledge through the Physical Senses
“A sincere person controls the senses…
and engages the organs of action in the path of work.”
Bhagavad-Gītā 3.7
In the arena of karma yoga, by habitually practicing our day-to-day actions and duties over time, the
senses become refined, the body thereby becomes balanced, and the Mind eventually becomes settled: In
relation to this path of action and the related realm of sensory experience, we find that “the mind can be made
steady… by bringing it into activity of sense experience.”29
The beauty of this particular sutra is found in the
relationship of its constituent threefold elements: (1) Steadied Mind (the monkey-mind is tamed, the obstacles
are removed, and a balanced steady-state is maintained via these alternative approaches to one-pointedness);
(2) Action or activity (karma-yoga being the naturally-suited practice associated with the senses); (3) Senses of
the Body (the five ordinary senses are inextricably linked with the physical body). Poise and harmony are the
resultant products of this aspect of yoga-knowing.
Chapter Three of the Bhagavad-Gītā highlights the topic of Karma Yoga, the Yoga of Works: “…no
one can remain even for a moment without doing work; every one is made to act…”30
Similarly, the famous
wordsmith Wordsworth once noted: “The eye cannot choose but see, We cannot bid the ear be still, Our bodies
will feel where’er they be, Against or with our will.” Hopefully, with developed discipline and sound
judgment, we will repeatedly select only right actions: we are, therefore, admonished to “…control thy senses
from the beginning – slay this sinful destroyer of wisdom and discrimination.”31
Herein we note the obvious
connection between the ordinary, external senses and inward knowledge and discernment: By bringing the
external senses under disciplined training through practice (yoga), we enable a flourishing and development of
inward vision (darśana). This overall discipline of raising our consciousness (via practices involving the
otherwise mundane physical senses) is collectively referred to as practice in one-pointedness:
EXAMPLES OF PRACTICES IN ONE-POINTEDNESS:
Sight - Eyes - Candle - one-pointed visual focus
Sound - Ears - AUM - one-pointed audible focus
Smell - Nose - Incense - one-pointed scented focus
Touch - Fingers - Prayer Beads - one-pointed tactile focus
Taste - Tongue - Prassadam - one-pointed tasting focus
“The senses, they say, are great. Greater than the senses is the mind. Greater than the mind is the
intelligence. Greater than the intelligence is [the true Self].”32
In this reference from the Gītā, we see a gradual
climb in the hierarchy of our levels of consciousness. Likewise, the Christian scriptures testify to this hierarchy,
as well: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. "As the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your
thoughts.”33
According to the Gītā, “…a sincere person controls the senses… and engages the organs of action in the
path of work…”34
Herein we find the silver-bullet verse that unequivocally links ordinary sensory experience
(our most basic epistemological manner of knowing), with the path of action (training and discipline via karma-
yoga). And here again, we hear the ancient clarion call to control, subdue, and discipline the senses, as each
note of scripture sounds with the distinctive ring of truth – pealing forth the unmistakable harmony between the
yoga of karma and the world of knowledge through the senses.

15. As “light” (the most stunning of the ordinary physical senses) leads to “effort” (right action) even in
Andhra’s fine Motto, we can rightly understand how disciplined senses inevitably culminate in refined actions;
the correlation between the two is striking and clear to behold – the link is indisputable. Echoing Marx’s
insistence upon praxis, who insists that philosophy involve action and change, Radhakrishnan likewise insists
that we must continually live-out the ramifications intended in our insights: “no one can know the truth without
being the truth.”35
There remains one final point to remember when it comes to communicating our experiences of the
ordinary senses. As Hannah Arendt so honestly relates, “Nothing we use or hear or touch can be expressed in
words that equal what we are given by the senses.” It’s true! Drink a sip from a cool glass of water on a hot
summer day… Can you fully capture in words the fullness of this simple sensory experience? Or, just quietly
holding hands at sunset on the water’s edge with someone you love… You simply can’t describe the full
experience. Understandably, things become exponentially more impossible when communicating the far
weightier matters of religion. To be certain, God is a refreshing drink, a lover’s embrace… and infinitely so
much more! No wonder we suffer so many disagreements in communicating our feeble, approximate, and
completely inadequate conceptions of the ineffable. In this light, as far as Ultimate Reality is concerned, it
seems as though our most rock-solid laws of science can be reduced to best guesses, as our creeds are likewise
whittled down to close approximations. As St. Paul so aptly points out in his first epistle to the local church at
Corinth: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love him.”36
In other words, we’ve only yet seen the tip of the iceberg; the best is
yet to come!
Bhakti Yoga – The Path of Devotion
Expanding Knowledge through Emotive Intuition
“Let us fix our eyes upon… the Author and Finisher of our faith.”
Epistle to the Hebrews, XII:2
“The Blessed Lord said: Those, who fixing their minds on Me, worship Me – ever earnest and possessed
of supreme, transcendental faith – them do I consider to be most perfect…”37
These beautiful words from the
Gītā speak of an individual’s surrender to the cosmic will (in a non-theistic sense), or total devotion to God (in
a theistic sense). Patañjali is quite clear that “samādhi can be attained… by devotion to Īśvara.”38
The genius of Patañjali’s system lies in the fact that the Yoga Sutras – steeped in the tradition of the
Samkhya school of philosophy – consider questions related to a personal deity as extraneous to the pursuit of
spiritual progress. If, however, one has a disposition to belief in a personal deity, a heart for bhakti devotion, or
a penchant for acts of worship, then surrender to a personal god or the cosmic will (Īśvara-pranidhana) can be a
viable and effective path to freedom; otherwise, theistic considerations need not necessarily be a distraction or
stumbling block – such was the position of the Buddha (as indicated by his noble silence) when asked about
theistic devotion. This effective approach can rightly be appreciated as universal in scope – truly all-
encompassing in its inclusive nature and effectiveness.
Most folks will assert “if I can’t see it with my own eyes, I don’t believe it;” after all, “seeing is
believing!” The problem with this brand of epistemology or knowing is that it is extremely short-sighted.
Vision (seeing, or darśana) and knowing (our devotional relation to the divine) is a universal parallel found in
the majority of the world’s living scriptures: “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see
face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (by God).”39
Seeing and
knowing are inexorably linked. As St. John of Damascus observes: “[Beyond] the visible aspect, our thoughts
must be drawn up in a spiritual flight, and rise to the invisible majesty of the Divine.” In other words, “…the
wise one, who is ever in constant union with the Divine, whose devotion is single-minded, is the best. For I am
supremely dear to him, and he is dear to Me.”40

16. Jñāna Yoga – The Path of Knowledge
Expanding Knowledge through Rational Intuition
“The more faithfully you listen to the voices within you,
the better you will hear what is sounding outside.”
Dag Hammarskjold
The ring of truth sounds at a much higher decibel than can be perceived by the human ear – or the
human brain! Radhakrishnan seems to indicate as much when he states: “Jñāna is not mere information, not
mere scholarship, it is not mere criticism, it is education in depth.”41
So what exactly does our good professor
mean when he speaks of being “a deep scholar?”
In a precious section of inspired poetry found within Psalm 42 of the Holy Bible, we hear the
unmistakable, resonant voice of the Supreme resonating within our inner being, as “Deep calls to deep.”
Developing as it does from the solid basis of integral experience, Radhakrishnan believes that “…philosophy
has an essential function in the life of the spirit…”42
In this manner, the reverberating and deeply-penetrating
voice of the Spirit testifies to our spirit the hidden things of truth. The ancient scripture admonishes: “Some
offer as sacrifice… their learning and knowledge… Knowledge as a sacrifice is greater than any material
sacrifice… For all works, without any exception, culminate in wisdom… There is nothing on Earth equal in
purity to wisdom.”43
For Radhakrishnan, “Hinduism is not just a faith. It is the union of reason and intuition that cannot be
defined, but is only to be experienced.” Closely related to the intuitive experience of knowledge (jñāna) is the
notion of discriminating realization (viveka) – or, as Patañjali indicates: “knowledge of the ultimate reality… is
born of realization.”44
Essentially, as Radhakrishnan reminds us, we must come to understand that “Philosophy
carries us to the gates of the promised land, but cannot let us in; for that, insight or realization is necessary.”45
In his autobiographical sketch entitled My Search for Truth, Radhakrishnan unpacks for us his
understanding concerning the role of rational intuition: “These things come to us not by sheer intellectual
endeavor, but by the exercise of another which you all possess, which enables you to see what the truth of
things is.”46
He goes on to indicate that much of the suffering in the world is due to our inability to see the big
picture. The integral philosopher bemoans the fact that “The present crisis in human affairs is due to a profound
crisis in human consciousness, a lapse from the organic wholeness of life.” If, as a civilization, we are to escape
from this calamity, we must begin to lift our eyes and look a little higher.
Raja Yoga – The Integrated Path
Expanding Knowledge through Spiritual Intuition
“Intuition is the ultimate vision of our profoundest being.”
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan47
Known throughout the world as the Royal Road – traversed by kings and peasants, mendicants and
missionaries alike – El Camino Real is the pioneering artery connecting Mexico’s Baja Peninsula with the entire
southern half of the Californian coastline. This Spanish-built superhighway was originally intended to serve as
the Mission Trail – a virtual connect-the-dots of the 21 spiritual outposts maintained by the early missionaries
(each approximately 30 miles apart, or roughly one long day's journey on horseback). It was reported that the
padres (or spiritual fathers) sprinkled mustard seeds along the trail in order to mark it with bright yellow
flowers.
“Unlike this historic trail of California, the King’s Highway of the Christian scripture is described by the
Master Himself as a straight and narrow path, leading directly to the Kingdom of God. Likewise depicted in a
wide number of living faiths worldwide, this, verily, is the selfsame route that each spiritual pilgrim must trod
along the path that leads to perfection.”48

17. Raja Yoga (or the royal path) is, as Radhakrishnan reports, “the reaction of the whole [individual] to the
whole reality”49
– the fully-integrated path of yoga-knowing. As indicated in the holy Gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa
admonishes: “He who, undeluded, thus knows Me, the Highest Person, is the knower of all, and worships Me
with all his being (with his whole spirit).”50
The legendary saints and sages operate quite naturally in this realm,
though functioning in this domain of knowing is not strictly limited to such individuals; indeed, all of
humankind have the capacity to operate in this manner, though it appears to be quite rare indeed. Indeed, very
few individuals are thought to operate fully within this sphere of knowledge; truth be told, in our own day-to-
day experience, most of us would be fortunate to approximate a scant or brief brush with such an experience.
Radhakrishnan reminds us that “Sri Kṛṣṇa and King Janaka were great knowers, seers and also doers; so the
tradition of combining knowledge with work has been an ancient one coming from the time of the Upaniṣads
down to our own age.”51
In Patañjali’s Third Chapter, we discover that masters of yoga (spiritual adepts) are crowned with light
(spiritual vision): “as the master’s head is crowned with light …spiritual vision is gained.”52
This ancient truth
is universally recognized virtually the world over. Medieval artwork from the Christian tradition, for example,
typically highlights the heads of spiritual masters as crowned with an aura of light, or halo.
The notion of the terms royal or crown seems to infer a sort of superiority of this path over and against
alternative paths. While it is customarily the case that the so-called royal approach is typically reached as one’s
consciousness has realized significant progress in the various other complimentary paths, it should in no way be
seen as superior to any of the other paths. Not everyone is a mystic or psychic, though every human being
certainly possesses the potential to realize such knowledge. Generally speaking, direct spiritual or religious
insight (akin to divine revelation or a prophetic dream or vision) is not typically expected to be found among the
common experience of the masses.
“The integral approach is the crowing achievement of life;”53
when our senses and extra-sensory
intuitions are functioning as a synthetic whole, the fully-integrated individual, having been purified and
disciplined, is continually prepared to receive such direct experience with the Divine. “When the five senses of
perception together with the mind are at rest – when even the intellect has ceased to function – that, say the
sages, is the supreme state.”54
Quite simply, Raja Yoga is the comprehensive science of the mind. It concerns
itself with the process of mental discipline, or making the mind one-pointed – thus controlling the patterns of
consciousness, and eliminating mental fluctuations of the so-called monkey mind.
From time immemorial, individuals have questioned of God: “What is man, that Thou art mindful of
him?” In other words, are we to view ourselves as insignificant and infinitesimal in the grand cosmic scheme of
things? Or have we some noble aspect of the Divine within us that raises us to the pedestal of absolute infinite
worth and value? From time to time, philosophers of spirit have sought to answer this dilemma from both ends
– observing in which ways both aspects might be simultaneously true.
Radhakrishnan is one such philosopher; for him, “The character of a civilisation is derived from its
conception of the nature of man and his destiny. Is man to be regarded in biological terms as the most cunning
of animals? Is he an economic being controlled by the laws of supply and demand and class conflicts? Is he a
political animal, with a raw excessive politicalism occupying the centre of the human mind, displacing all
knowledge, religion and wisdom? Or has he a spiritual element, requiring him to subordinate the temporal and
the expedient, to the eternal and the true?”55
And so, the question might be reframed today: Are you primarily a piece of meat, with some small
spiritual element somewhere deep inside? Or, are you primarily a spiritual being, with some small element of
meat to you? Students are then encouraged to check their bodies – some even playfully smacking their fellow
classmates just to be sure. The resounding observation: a unanimous declaration that we are at least 99% meat,
with an openness to the remote possibility of a less-than 1% spiritual element somewhere deep inside.
But what are you really, the teacher insists? “70% water,” one bright student remarks after an awkward
pause. “Go deeper,” the teacher prods, “of what is water comprised?” Finally, the class whittles it down, and
agrees that atoms are really the stuff of who we are. In then considering a rather crude, rudimentary chalkboard
drawing of the basic anatomy of a single atom, the entire classroom is eventually convinced that we are “more
than 99% spatial” (representing, of course, those wide open spaced in between the various components of

18. neutrons, electrons, protons, and the like). Of course, the implications are astounding! WOW! We’re far more
than 99% spatial… “Or, spiritual, the teacher then hastens to add.”
If Harry Potter is purported to be able to magically run through stone walls in order to board his train at
London’s Victoria Terminus, we too might someday remember how to synthesize the atoms of our own bodies
(not merely for the purpose of running through walls, but for far more amazing achievements) given our
predominantly spiritual nature. The simple truth of the matter is, each one of us is a spiritual being having a
physical experience – not the other way ‘round! In this respect, raja yoga can indeed be understood to be the
royal path marked out before each of us – once we’re properly prepared and equipped to traverse the
superhighway of Spirit.
As a number of faiths are apt to point out, “you don’t have a soul, you are a soul.”56
The soul, therefore,
is not merely one element or one constituent component of the human being that is responding to this spiritual
knowledge, it is the entire person – the whole being – the soul. Raja yoga recognizes this whole-person
approach to life; the fully-integrated individual can tap into unimaginable potential via this crowing
achievement known as yoga-knowing.
The fact of the matter is, regardless of our country of origin or personal religious affiliation, “we are
beginning to wake up to the fact that there exists an inherent spirituality within each individual; recognition of
this universal unity of spirit has the capacity to raise the human family to new levels of harmony, dignity, and
mutual-respect.”57
Philosophy Must Change You!!!
“No one can know the truth without being the truth.”
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan58
Will the real philosopher please stand up… Take a look around our auditorium. Take a look around
your department when you return home. In fact, let’s all take a good hard look in the mirror.
Who among us really knows? Who are the true pros? Who truly has clear vision? The main question
of the hour is: Have we genuinely been practicing true philosophy, or only drawing a steady paycheck from said
department these past few decades?
Looking around the room, is it easy to spot those few true professionals who are what we might call fit
philosophers? Clearly, identification of philosophical fitness is not about such externals as bulging biceps,
toned tummies, or even cranial capacity; moreover, our fitness as philosophers has very little to do with our
substantial list of publications, our HOD status, or even our extensive years-in-service. If truth be told, the True
Philosophers can be unmistakably identified by the following essential hallmarks, in relation to the
aforementioned fourfold areas of development afforded by our craft:
Karma Practice… must necessarily cultivate within each philosopher a servant’s heart, a selfless
orientation, a diligent work ethic, a keen desire for social justice, development and relief, and heightened
altruistic sensibilities.
Bhakti Practice… must necessarily cultivate individuals of steadfast devotion and spiritual sensitivity –
lives overflowing with a generous abundance of love, mystery and awe – and above all, the corresponding
humility.
Jñāna Practice… must necessarily cultivate within each one of us the requisite rational rigor, mental
fortitude, logical dexterity, quickened discernment, instantaneous grasp, and intellectual stamina necessitated by
our field.
Raja Practice… the integral and culminating crown of all that we are – must necessarily cultivate
within us a life of tolerance, kindness, patience, humility, open-mindedness, childlikeness, and a noticeable
overall dignity that our students will instantly recognize and respect.
Basically, when our students know beyond any doubt that we love and respect them – and that our
personal development in these essential fourfold areas of yoga-knowing serve as the foundation of all that we
are as professionals – only then may we stand up and be counted. Diligently practicing and sincerely pursuing

19. advancement in each of the aspects of yoga – indeed, in all forms of knowing – qualifies one as a true
philosopher.
If a thirty-year veteran of philosophy is widely known by the students to be arrogant, cold, closed-
minded, impatient, haughty, and rigid… chances are, this individual has not been pursuing true philosophy. If,
on the other hand, another professor with similar tenure has the reputation around campus of being humble,
warm, open-minded, patient, childlike, and flexible, odds are, this professional has been duly and truly
influenced by the ennobling and elevating charms of the queen of the sciences.
All in All:
Footstool Theology
“Realizing Oneness… is the purpose of pure consciousness.”
Yoga Sutras 4:34 – The Path to Kaivalya
Brahma-loka is rightly referred to as the transcendent world of Brahmā – where individual, liberated
souls enjoy eternity in conscious co-existence with the Divine; this is certainly one picture of eternal life painted
by the ancient Upaniṣadic seers. In Western parlance, the parallel concept is referred to as Paradise, Heaven or
simply the Kingdom of God. And yet, is this the ultimate state of Oneness envisioned in Patañjali’s final
thread?
Kaivalya, which is the perfectly transcendent state – the highest condition resulting from the ultimate
realization – seems to indicate more of a monistic absorption into the All, rather than a permanent, blissful co-
existence with the Supreme. Thus, as Radhakrishnan points out, “the soul may pass through various realms of
spirit”– including communion with the Divine, devotion to the Cosmic Spirit, participation in the work of
redeeming the world, and eventually, ultimate mystic union.59
Similarly, Śaṁkara seems to indicate as much in
his notion of karma-mukti – the concept of gradual release in our emergent spiritual evolution.
Not surprisingly, each of these various elements of eternity can be identically traced within the ancient
scriptures of a number of faith traditions, both Eastern and Western. Reaching back to the earliest centuries of
the Christian tradition, for example, the sublime philosophical notion of mystic union offers ample opportunity
for further East-West comparative investigation.
One Biblical passage which may be surprising to some scholars is found within an ancient communiqué
written by St. Paul to the local church at Corinth in Asia Minor. This pericope seems to imply the puzzling
possibility of what might be coined Christian Monism:
“But each in his own turn: Christ… then… those who belong to Him…
Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to GOD the Father…
For He must reign until He has put all… under His feet.
(Now when it says that "everything" has been put under Him,
it is clear that this does not include GOD himself, Who put everything under Christ.)
When He has done this, then the Son Himself will be made subject
to HIM who put everything under Him, so that God may be all in all.”60
The unmistakable implications from this otherwise unsettling selection of Christian scripture ultimately
indicate a state of impersonal immortality, and essential unity with God – very different theological pictures
than those typically cherished by a majority of adherents the world over. Perhaps future research into this
important area of comparative thought may yield a fruitful dialogue between East and West… between here and
Eternity.

20. Ultimate Yoga-Knowing
"I searched for God and found only myself.
I searched for myself and found only God".
Sufi Proverb
According to our highly-intuitive Sufi philosophers, each individual soul contains a spark of the Divine.
For Farid al-Din ‘Attar, the mysterious 12th
Century C.E. Sufi poet, all mystical endeavor seeks a “liberation of
light, and a return to its source.” His beautiful poem Mantiq al-Tayr (Conference of the Birds, translated by
Fitzgerald) symbolizes this grand quest of the soul yearning for reunion with God. As is inevitably the case
with all sincere seekers of truth, the journey ends with their discovery that they have no existence separate from
the object of their search:
“All you have been, and seen, and done and thought,
Not you but I, have seen and been and wrought…
Pilgrim, pilgrimage and Road,
Was but Myself toward Myself;
And your arrival, but Myself at My own door…
Come, you lost Atoms, to your centre draw…
Rays that have wandered into darkness wide,
Return, and back into your Sun subside.”61
s:v:üö K:elv:dö b:ÒÉ

21. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bahá’u’lláh (2009). The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh. New Delhi: Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
(ISBN: 81-85091-51-X)
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(ISBN: 978-0739106921)
Chinchore, Mangala R. (2009). “Towards Buddhist Philosophy of Life,” Buddha Jayanti Lecture, 84th Indian
Philosophical Congress Proceedings, University of Mumbai, 24-27 October 2009.
Coomaraswamy, Ananda Kentish (2007). Hinduism and Buddhism. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing.
(ISBN 978-0548124420)
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Philosophy, Vol. I – The Metaphysics of the Spirit. New Delhi: Indian Council of Philosophical Research,
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Durant, Will (1926). The Story of Philosophy. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Herndon, J.K.K. (2005). “Cultivating the Habit of Truth,” address, Lecture Series on Inter-religious Dialogue,
Blue Mountain Academy, Hamburg, December 2005.
Herndon, J.K.K. (2006). “Climbing Vivekananda’s Ladder,” lecture, World Auyervedic Congress Proceedings,
University of Pune, Maharashtra, INDIA, October 2006.
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Students Union of India – 2006 Philosophy of Religion Symposium, M.D. University, Rohatak, HP,
INDIA, November 2006.
Herndon, J.K.K. (2006). “Janaka – The Ideal Synthesis of Integral Yoga,” lecture series, Conference on
Character Development and Moral Education, Salisbury Park, Maharashtra, INDIA, December 2006.
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Glimpse,” lecture, 2007 Philosophical Symposium – Philosophers of the Indian Renaissance, Pondicherry
University, Tamil Nadu, INDIA, February 2007.
Herndon, J.K.K. (2009). “Yoga: The End of Philosophy – An Integrated Approach to the Idealist View,” in
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edition, edited by Chenchu Lakhsmi Kolla. New
Delhi: Associated Publishers, Ch. XIII, pp. 167-176. (ISBN: 81-8429-099-3)
Herndon, J.K.K. (2010). “Rules of the Road for Inter-religious Dialogue in the 21st Century, with Special
Reference to the Philosophical Bridge-Building of Dr. Radhakrishnan,” in Asian Philosophical Congress
Proceedings. New Delhi: Indian Council of Philosophical Research, J.N. University, INDIA, March
2010.
Huxley, Aldous (2002). Introduction, in Bhagavad-Gītā: The Song of God, Prabhavananda, Swami &
Christopher Isherwood (Transl.). New York: Penguin Putnam. (ISBN: 0-451-52844-1)

22. King, Richard (1999). Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Hindu and Buddhist Thought. Washington, DC:
Georgetown University Press. (ISBN: 978-0878407569)
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University Press, Ch. II, pp. 35-57.
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli (1948). The Bhagavadgītā. London: George Allen & Unwin, Ltd.
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Sastri, P.S. (1975). Indian Idealism, Vol. I. New Delhi: Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan.
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Woods, J.H. (1983). The Yoga System of Pantañjali. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

23. J.K.K. Herndon – a Canadian-American Research Scholar at the University of Pune, Maharashtra – has been
lecturing and researching in India for several years. His current area of interest involves an investigation of
comparative philosophy, with special reference to the bridge-building work of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan –
Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University (1931-36). Having studied philosophy at UCLA, his graduate studies
include two Masters degree fellowships in both Michigan and Jerusalem. Following these graduate
programmes in philosophy and theology, he was invited to teach for several years in the areas of ethics and
religion in both Colorado and Hamburg. While in India, J.K.K. Herndon has taught as a philosophy lecturer at
Spicer College within the Religious Studies Department. He is currently an Associate Professor within the
Philosophy Department of the University of Maryland, University College in Asia. His most recent lecturing
tour in Japan with Bowie State University involved teaching a graduate-level curriculum in Psychology &
Spirituality – areas of keen interest for this spiritually-minded thinker. Though foreign-born, J.K.K. Herndon is
right-at-home in India. (jkkherndon@gmail.com)
1
J.K.K. Herndon, “Idealist Philosophy of the European and Indian Renaissances,” p. 11
2
Radhakrishnan, My Search for Truth, p. 90
3
Radhakrishnan, My Search for Truth, p. 13
4
Aldous Huxley, Introduction, Bhagavad-Gītā, p. 15
5
Aldous Huxley, Introduction, Bhagavad-Gītā, p. 15
6
Radhakrishnan, Faith Renewed, p. 6
7
Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy, p. xxvii
8
J.K.K. Herndon, “Cultivating the Habit of Truth,” p. 41
9
Radhakrishnan, The Principle Upaniṣads, p. 87
10
Radhakrishnan, Indian Philosophy, Vol. II, p. 577
11
Radhakrishnan, Indian Philosophy, Vol. II, p. 582
12
Patañjali, Yoga Sutras 2:5
13
Holy Bible, Book of Proverbs, XXIX:18
14
Swami Vivekananda, as quoted in J.K.K. Herndon, “Climbing Vivekananda’s Ladder,” p. 24
15 Radhakrishnan, as quoted in J.K.K. Herndon, “Janaka – The Ideal Synthesis of Integral Yoga,” pp. 5-6
16
H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence, p. 181
17
Holy Bible, Prophet Malachi, IV:2a
18
Holy Bible, Book of Proverbs, IV:18
19
Holy Bible, First Epistle of St. John, I:7
20
Patañjali, Yoga Sutras 4:19
21
Holy Bible, Prophet Isaiah, XXX:26
22
J.K.K. Herndon, “Janaka – The Ideal Synthesis of Integral Yoga,” p. 9
23
Holy Bible, Book of Job, XI:17
24
Radhakrishnan, An Idealist View of Life, p 77
25
Radhakrishnan, An Idealist View of Life, p 78
26
Radhakrishnan, My Search for Truth, p. 44
27
Radhakrishnan, My Search for Truth, pp. 20-21
28
J.K.K. Herndon, “Yoga: The End of Philosophy,” p. 170
29
Yoga Sutras 1:35 – The Path of Action & Sensory Experience
30
Bhagavad-Gītā 3:5 – The Inevitability of Works
31
Bhagavad-Gītā 3:41 – Control the Senses
32
Bhagavad-Gītā 3:42 – Hierarchy of Levels of Consciousness

24.
33
Holy Bible, Prophet Isaiah 55:8,9
34
Bhagavad-Gītā 3.7 – The Senses and Karma-Yoga
35
Radhakrishnan, An Idealist View of Life, p. 111
36
Holy Bible, First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, II:9
37
Bhagavad-Gītā 12.2
38
Yoga Sutras 1:23 – The Path of Devotion
39
Holy Bible, First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, XIII:12
40
Bhagavad-Gītā 7.17
41
Radhakrishnan, My Search for Truth, p. 119
42
Radhakrishnan, Reign of Religion in Contemporary Philosophy, p. 300
43
Bhagavad-Gītā 4.27,33,38 – Knowledge Offered as Sacrifice
44
Yoga Sutras 3:53 – The Path of Knowledge
45
Radhakrishnan, Indian Philosophy, Vol. II, p. 27
46
Radhakrishnan, My Search for Truth, p. 122
47
Radhakrishnan, An Idealist View of Life, p. 144
48
J.K.K. Herndon, “Rules of the Road for Inter-religious Dialogue,” p. 14
49
Radhakrishnan, as quoted in J.K.K. Herndon, “Rules of the Road for Inter-religious Dialogue,” p. 15
50
Bhagavad-Gītā 15.19
51
Radhakrishnan, My Search for Truth, p. 26
52
Yoga Sutras 3:33 – The Path of Spiritual Vision
53
J.K.K. Herndon, “Religion of the Spirit,” p. 3
54
Katha Upaniṣad 111:10
55
Radhakrishnan, as quoted in J.K.K. Herndon, “Cultivating the Habit of Truth,” p. 33
56
J.K.K. Herndon, “Cultivating the Habit of Truth,” p. 37
57
J.K.K. Herndon, “Religion of the Spirit,” p. 3
58
Radhakrishnan, An Idealist View of Life, p. 111
59
Radhakrishnan, The Principal Upaniṣads, p. 122
60
Holy Bible, First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, XV:23-28
61
As quoted in Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy, Hinduism and Buddhism, p. 42