Question: Is the practice of raja yoga necessary? In the Bhagavad Gita it is said: “Direct your mind to Me...”

Answer: But this is just the first part of the phrase. And the second one reads: “... submerge yourself as a consciousness into Me, then you will live in Me!” Can you submerge yourself as a consciousness into Ishvara?

To those who are not able to do this at once, Krishna recommended meditative practice.

But not anyone can practice meditation easily. Therefore, Krishna advised to prepare oneself to this stage through karma yoga (that is study of ethics and ethically correct behavior) and through sankhya — study of philosophy.

“Direct your mind to Me...” — this is a call to the initial steps of the religious ascent. This is a call to cultivating faith, to aspiring to God.

Ritualism of various religions contributes to formation of faith. But those whose faith is already formed and who also possess other propitious dispositions — should advance forward along the well-known eight stages of yoga, expounded by Patanjali.

Faith is the principal issue on the spiritual Path. For it is faith that encourages a person to strive to become better. Why should atheists try to become consider themselves and others only as mortal physical bodies?! Atheism deprives people of the feeling of personal responsibility before God and before one’s own further destiny.

And why are there good, kind, honest people among atheists, nonetheless? It is because of the fact that they accustomed themselves to this in previous lives and now live in the moral way as if by inertia. But it is easy to tempt such a person, deprived of sound theoretical and ethic foundation, to commit a sin and to drive him or her into hell!

So, the first step on the Path to the Perfection in a religious school — is acceptance of faith. And with time this faith may grow — through numerous personal efforts — into religious knowledge. And meditation plays the prime role in this transformation.