FW: Patanjali quote (fwd)

Gary Tubb gat4 at COLUMBIA.EDU
Sun Jul 8 21:21:05 UTC 2007


In forwarding this question to the list I forgot to add my own attempt at 
an answer, which is as follows:

I suspect this little summary was originally composed by Wayne W Dyer. 
It is featured prominently in his 1998 book _Wisdom of the Ages_ (where he 
attributes it to Patanjali) and is very much in the style of his other 
paraphrases.  It's possible he took it from someone else, but it sounds so 
much like Dyer himself that I take it to be his own synopsis of the 
Yogasutra.  In any case it has since been attributed directly to Patanjali 
in many books (e.g., _Ignited Minds_, a 2002 motivational book by the 
President of India, APJ Abdul Kalam).


On Sun, 8 Jul 2007, Gary Tubb wrote:

> A colleague has asked to have the following question posed to the list.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stig Toft Madsen [mailto:Stig.Toft.Madsen at nias.ku.dk]
> Sent: 26 June 2007 20:12
> To: INDOLOGY-request at liverpool.ac.uk
> Subject: Patanjali quote
>
> To the Indology list
>
> Is there any way I can post the query below on your list?
>
> yours sincerely
> Stig Toft Madsen
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> Fra: Stig Toft Madsen
> Sendt: ti 26-06-2007 14:47
> Til: Indology
> Cc: stig.toft.madsen at nias.ku.dk
> Emne: Patanjali quote
>
>
>
> I am looking for the origin of the following quotation:
>
> "When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all 
> your thoughts break their bounds. Your mind transcends limitations, your 
> consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, 
> great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties, and talents come 
> alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever 
> dreamt to be."
>
> In books and at websites this quotation is ascribed to Patanjali and his 
> Yogasutras. To me it sounds decidedly modern. I wonder who authored it and 
> how it has reached the internet.
>
> I was suggested by a colleague to ask you all for help and assistance (at 
> email-address: Stig.Toft.Madsen at nias.ku.dk). Can anyone recognize this quote?
>
> Stig Toft Madsen
> Senior Researcher
> NIAS - Nordic Institute of Asian Studies
> Leifsgade 33, DK-2300 Copenhagen S. Denmark
>





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