Atma yoga teacher training - History of Yoga 3: The nature of reality
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Yoga a living tradition… part three - the nature of reality & an introduction to the Vedas
description
Did you see the movie The Matrix? How many of you felt a chilling sensation that the story was more fact than fiction? The ancient yoga texts describe that are in fact living in a material matrix and everything that we accept to be real is nothing but temporary illusion - Maya. In Atma yoga teacher training we teach special meditations and develop a daily practice that steadily awakens us from this illusory perception of reality. This allows our pure consciousness to emerge. See our website for more resources on yoga (yoga sets, videos, audio lectures, meditations and music) that you can download for free and to take our teacher training: www.atmayoga.net
Transcript of Atma yoga teacher training - History of Yoga 3: The nature of reality
Yoga
a living tradition… part three -
the nature of reality& an introduction to the Vedas
Relative vs. absolute
•Relative means dependent
•Absolute means perfect and complete
Six schools of yoga philosophy
• Sad -Darshan is the six aspects of knowledge
• All six used to be practiced as one set.
• Now taught independently and very sectarian (looking at only a section)
PhilosopPhilosophyhy
StudyStudy SageSage
viasesika atomic structure
kanaada
nyaya logic gautama
yoga mystical unfolding of the mind
patanjali
sankhya categorization
lord kapila
karmamimansa
rituals & ceremonys
jaimini
vedanta absolute truth
vyasadev
The Vedas
Shruti Smriti Nyaya
Rg Yajur Sama Atharva
Krishna Yajur
Sukla Yajur
Katha
Svetasvatara
Maitrayaniya
Mahanarayaniya
Taittiriya
Isavasya
Brihadaranyaka
Aitareya
Kauhsitaki
Mundaka
Mandukya
Prasna
Itihasas
Puranas
Sutras
Upavedas
Ramayana
Mahabharata
Divisions of Vedas
Vedanta
• Literally means 'end of the Vedas' but it is interpreted as 'culmination of the Vedas'
• The vedic text on Vedanta is called “Vedanta Sutra”
• Essence of Vedanta Sutra– Inquiry into absolute truth
Vedanta
• The first verse of the Brahma-sütra is athäto brahma jijïäsäathäto brahma jijïäsä: “We must now inquire into the Absolute Truth.”
• The second verse immediately answers, janmädy asya yataù:janmädy asya yataù: “The Absolute Truth is the original source of everything.”
Absolute Truth
• Tendency with the Absolute Truth is not to understand all 4 parts as described in the Vedas:– Universal form = God as nature– Brahman = the whole of the absolute
truth, energy of God– Antaryami = localized as the absolute
truth in your heart– Bhagavan = the opulent divine
personality, God as the person
Absolute Truth, cont’d.
• Need to keep all 4 in mind. • A yogi may choose to only focus on one to
create his own relationship with the Absolute Truth
• Analogy:– The sun as 4 facets that are comparable:
• The sun’s products (grains, plants, fruits, etc.)• Sunshine pervades the planet• Localized – everything we see the sun makes visible• The sun as a glowing ball in the sky
