The Gurus, the Young Man and Elder Paisios (untranslated chapters - 2 of 4)

...continued from part one.

Yoga: A Science or a Religion?

An untranslated chapter from the book "The Gurus, the Young Man and Elder Paisios" (pages 364-370 in the original Greek).

By Dionysios Farasiotis

There was a time that my thoughts and my mind’s ability to reason had become “paralyzed”. And this had occurred, in spite of the fact that I had studied the positive sciences and had been trained to think.

I was always mysteriously drawn to exotic philosophies and oriental super-humans. I would enthusiastically and thoughtlessly swallow any theory that was given to me. After all, they were the experts!! No one had ever thought of doubting them.

It was pain that awakened my mind.

I had suffered many things on their account. I had been exposed to danger, pain, fear, and that was why I was forced to start thinking. I had to rid myself of a certain “psychological suggestion” the existence of which I had not been aware of at the time. I had to struggle hard to face reality. I needed to analyze, to examine actions, words, intentions - I had to reach conclusions about people.

The Gurus, the Young Man and Elder Paisios (untranslated chapters - 1 of 4)

Introduction

In 2001, a book was published in Greece which sold like wildfire: Οι Γκουρού ο νέος και ο Γέροντας Παΐσιος (The Gurus, the Young Man and Elder Paisios) by an author known under the pseudonym of Dionysios Farasiotis, who we now know to be Athanasios Rakovalis, a professor of physics. The book made a deep impression on many a spiritual father and it was highly recommended in Orthodox bookstores, especially for people confused or mixed up with the New Age, Hinduism and Yoga.