H O U R 3

COMPARATIVE RELIGIONS

MOST PROMINENT PHILOSOPHIES

Why do we want sat-chit-ananda?

How do we achieve it?

Yoga School vs. Advaita Vedanta

FYI: Yoga approach is more popular.

See if you can figure out why.

REVIEW: YOGA SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY

Yoga:

“Yoke”; to attach, to unite.

Reality: Dualistic

Material (prakriti) & Spiritual (purusha)

Moshka: Freeing ourselves from the material so that we can reunite with spiritual.

Realizing that our deepest self IS Brahman.

REVIEW: YOGA SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY

Yoga:

“Yoke”; to attach, to unite.

How to Reunite?

4 primary types: feeling, doing, experiencing, intuiting.

One of the first personality typologies.

BHAKTI YOGA

The Way to God through Love/Devotion

(Reuniting with Brahman Emotionally)

• Has countless followers.

• Usually expressed or practiced through: • Devotions to a personal deity.

• Rituals & festivals.

• Pilgrimages.

• Even Cow Veneration (and vegetarianism)

• Why so popular?

FOR A BRIEF LOOK AT HINDU DEITIES: TRIMURTI

The Puranas Divine Stories, primarily of the divine Trimurti.

Shiva (Mahesh)

The “destroyer” or

“transformer”

Associated with fire

and dance.

Vishnu

The “maintainer” or

“preserver”

Associated with water.

Brahma

The “creator”.

Associated with earth.

FOR A BRIEF LOOK AT HINDU DEITIES:

VISHNU

FOR A BRIEF LOOK AT HINDU DEITIES:

SHIVA

FOR A BRIEF LOOK AT HINDU DEITIES:

BRAHMA

Not worshipped much. No holidays. Not much art.

Several stories have him cursed.

FOR A BRIEF LOOK AT HINDU DEITIES:

GANESH (SON OF SHIVA AND PARVATI)

Overcoming Obstacles

FOR A BRIEF LOOK AT HINDU DEITIES:

DEVI

The Great Goddess

• Many manifestations:

• Mother

• Protector

• Deity of wealth

• Powerful Slayer - Kali

BHAKTI YOGA

1. Why so many deities?

2. How does Bhakti Yoga help achieve Moshka?

3. Why worship a deity vs. Brahman?

BHAKTI YOGA

The Way to God through Love/Devotion

Hard to express love to the “ground of all being”

Easier to express it to somebody or something.

BHAKTI YOGA

The Way to God through Love/Devotion

Hard to express love to the “ground of all being”

Easier to express it to somebody or something.

BHAKTI YOGA

The Way to God through Love/Devotion

Hard to express love to the “ground of all being”

Easier to express it to somebody or something.

BHAKTI YOGA

1. How might you practice (or already practice)

Bhakti Yoga?

KARMA YOGA

The Way to God through Work

(Reuniting by Doing Brahman’s Will).

• Maybe most common approach.

• Performing your dharma (duty), with detachment

from the outcome.

• Often done along with other yogas (i.e. bhakti)

Asks a Hindu: “How do I know what my dharma is?

YOUR DHARMA: 1. STAGES OF LIFE

Asks a Hindu: But what occupation shall I have? What specific work?

YOUR DHARMA: 2. STATIONS OF LIFE (CASTE?)

• Based on Law of

Manu

• Based on the

concept of

reincarnation.

• Castes system has

decayed

• Caste system possible

as misinterpretation of

Krishna’s words.

But what occupation shall I have? What specific work? “The one that you were born to do.” – What does this mean to you?

KARMA YOGA

1. How does Karma Yoga help achieve Moshka?

• Doing something without attachment to outcome helps

separate “you” from your “ego”.

• Doing something for Brahman helps bring you to experience something greater than yourself.

2. What else could it mean to do your “dharma”?

RAJA YOGA

The way to God through psychophysical mastery

(Reuniting by Through Meditative Experience).

• The royal path of

meditation.

• Like a king can maintain

control over his kingdom,

we can reunite with

Brahman by controlling our

inner Kingdom.

RAJA YOGA

The 4 Layers of the Self

Body

Conscious Mind

Unconscious Mind

The Ground of all Being

Through meditative practices can overcome the limitations of the first 3 layers in order to reunite with Brahman.

RAJA YOGA DEMONSTRATIONS

RAJA YOGA DEMONSTRATIONS

RAJA YOGA DEMONSTRATIONS

RAJA YOGA DEMONSTRATIONS

RAJA YOGA

Beyond Physical Limitations

Body

Conscious Mind

Unconscious Mind

The Ground of all Being

Physical Limitations

Concentrative Limitations

Emotional Limitations

RAJA YOGA

Many Different Practices

To overcome Limitations of Physical Self

Raja Yoga

Hatha Yoga:

Physical Energy

Mantra Yoga:

Psychological Energy

Tantric Yoga:

Sexual Energy

JNANA YOGA

The Way to God through Knowledge

(Reuniting through the intellect)

• To know Brahman through intuitive understanding.

• Meditating/study of Sacred texts.

• Through intellectual exercise.

• Guru teachings.

• The hardest path, but quickest.

JNANA YOGA

What does it look like?

• Within the Mahabarata Epic

• The conversations between

Arjuna & Krishna

• Most influential literature in

Hinduism.

Gandhi: “dictionary for life”