Raja Yoga - The Yoga of the Mind.

What is human consciousness? It is the six million dollar question floating around the scientific as well as the theological and philosophical circles. We are all conscious and consciousness is inherent in all of sentient beings but it is our human nature to dig deeper and be able to place this elusive 'entity' into a box and label it as such, this is consciousness or what we have come to a conclusive decision for it to be. End of story; this the scientific conclusion of the century; science has been able to pigeonhole consciousness itself. Off course somewhere else a Zen monk simply answered the question with a question, typical of the Zen tradition. "Who is asking the question?"
I am still struggling with the question of what is 'Mind  and throughout my self observation years I have been trying to unravel the mystery of this that governs my life's every move often wondering if it were me or who I truly am. Then the same Zen like question pops itself up out of nowhere, who is making this observation or who is the witness to this event, this episode. And so it goes like a snake eating at its tail or a dog running in circle chasing its own tail. Today I listen to great minds both in the East and West, scientists or otherwise throwing their weights over who can come closest to explain what consciousness truly is or even what the mind is for that matter. Science trying its damndest to make it as tangible as a mathematical equation while the mystiques and spiritual masters trying to place it as close to divinity as possible. If man is created in God's image, then the nature of man's consciousness must be close to his Maker's.
I had a Yoga text book with me when i was travelling to Alaska from Green Bay, Wisconsin 1982, my travelling companion. It was one of two books i had with me, the other being, "The death of Gurdjieff at the foothills of Georgia." The Yoga text was on 'Raja Yoga' or Yoga of the Mind, by Patanjali.

Who is Patanjali?

Yoga tradition. In the Yoga tradition, Patañjali is a revered name. This Patañjali's oeuvre comprises the sutras about Yoga (Yogasūtra) and the commentary integral to the sutras, called the Bhāṣya. ... According to Phillipp Maas, the same person named Patanjali composed the sutras and the Bhāṣya commentary

"Although in western culture yoga is mainly regarded as a form of exercise, many forms of yoga are purely mental or spiritual practices. Raja Yoga encompasses both body and mind, but the emphasis is on mental and spiritual development. Its purpose, according to its progenitor, the Indian sage Patanjali, is to unite the practitioner with the higher self. Among their own ranks, practitioners of Raja Yoga regard themselves as "heroes of mind training."

"Yama and Niyama, the first two limbs, are like the 10 commandments of Raja Yoga. Yama means control while Niyama means non-control -- or otherwise put, they're the do's and don'ts. Yama directs you to refrain from violence, lying, stealing, sexual misbehavior and greed. Niyama encourages cleanliness, contentment, austerity, self-examination and devotion to the Supreme Lord, which can be understood as the quest for higher consciousness."
Martin Booe -What is Raja Yoga.

The first lesson of Raja Yoga is the recognition of the "I' as the center of all inner and outer worlds or existence...thus I is the ultimate consciousness of Being. I am neither the physical body nor the fleeting mind, recognizing that these are merely tools and instruments for one's existence. I realize that i have been practicing this Yoga for a greater part of my life without realizing it until I found the book that accompanied me to Alaska...The text on Raja Yoga.