Changes

But, this arrangement of the publication of  Raja Yoga in England for distribution in America created difficulty for the New York Vedanta Society. Swami Abhedananda wrote in his diary for September 1897, “As the Raja Yoga was published by Longmans and Green in London… it was difficult to get the book from London to New York for there was imposed a heavy Customs duty on all foreign publications. For this reason, Swami Vivekananda’s American students, headed by Miss Mary Phillips, published an American edition of his Raja Yoga in New York. I made necessary corrections and made a Glossary of Sanskrit words in the text.” So, the Raja Yoga was not published in America until 1899 after Swami Abhedananda added a glossary.

But, this arrangement of the publication of  Raja Yoga in England for distribution in America created difficulty for the New York Vedanta Society. Swami Abhedananda wrote in his diary for September 1897, “As the Raja Yoga was published by Longmans and Green in London… it was difficult to get the book from London to New York for there was imposed a heavy Customs duty on all foreign publications. For this reason, Swami Vivekananda’s American students, headed by Miss Mary Phillips, published an American edition of his Raja Yoga in New York. I made necessary corrections and made a Glossary of Sanskrit words in the text.” So, the Raja Yoga was not published in America until 1899 after Swami Abhedananda added a glossary.

The cheap Indian edition of Raja Yoga came out in Madras through the efforts of Alasinga Perumal in 1898 as permitted by Swamiji in October 1896.<ref>Marie Louise Burke (2013), Swami Vivekananda in the West New Discoveries - The World Teacher (Part Two), Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama.</ref>

The economical Indian edition of Raja Yoga came out in Madras through the efforts of Alasinga Perumal in 1898 as permitted by Swamiji in October 1896.<ref>Marie Louise Burke (2013), Swami Vivekananda in the West New Discoveries - The World Teacher (Part Two), Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama.</ref>

The book served two purposes. First, Swamiji demonstrated that religious experiences could stand on the same footing as scientific truths, being based on experimentation, observation, and verification. Therefore genuine spiritual experiences must not be dogmatically discarded as lacking rational evidence. Secondly, he explained lucidly various disciplines of concentration, with the warning, however, that they should not be pursued without the help of a qualified teacher.<ref name=":0">Swami Nikhilananda (1953), Vivekananda A Biography, New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center.</ref>

The book served two purposes. First, Swamiji demonstrated that religious experiences could stand on the same footing as scientific truths, being based on experimentation, observation, and verification. Therefore genuine spiritual experiences must not be dogmatically discarded as lacking rational evidence. Secondly, he explained lucidly various disciplines of concentration, with the warning, however, that they should not be pursued without the help of a qualified teacher.<ref name=":0">Swami Nikhilananda (1953), Vivekananda A Biography, New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center.</ref>