WORLD RELIGIONS Welcome to the Complex World Of **Yoga**

Of all the Hindu philosophies, YOGA, is the best known to Westerners. However while many Westerners tend to think only of physical exercises (HATHA YOGA), or of the various extremes of asceticism that the Yogin may achieve, there is more to Yoga than that.

In India, YOGA is essentially a spiritual path to Sainthood, Yoga = a road to perfection, a way used by people to perfect their union with the divine In India, YOGA is essentially a spiritual path to Sainthood, a path to become one with Brahman, through the purification of the mind and the acquisition of a “noble soul.”

The word YOGA is derived from the sanskrit root YUJ, meaning “to yoke” or “to join” It is the spiritual process of joining Atman to Brahman, or one’s individual spirit to God. YOGA is etymologically related to the English word YOKE. Thus it means - “a setting to work,” or - “the pursuit of a goal.” And Can be translated as “path” (way) or “discipline.”

( well before the migration of Aryans to India). ORIGIN OF YOGA 3000 BC; 600 BC; 200 BC Statues and seals depicting persons in various yogic positions have been found in the remains of pre-Aryan cities dating back to the 3rd millennium B.C. ( well before the migration of Aryans to India). => Yoga was not invented by the Aryans but rather by the indigenous dark Indians Lewis M. Hopfe and Mark R. Woodward, Religions of the World. (Upper Saddle River: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005); p.97.

PATANJAL and YOGA SUTRA (2nd century B.C) In Hinduism, the concept of YOGA appears in the later Upanishads (6th century B.C.E.) However the philosophy of Yoga as it is known today was developed by the sage PATANJAL, who lived in the second century B.C.E. and codified the teachings of Yoga in his YOGA SUTRA

The main feature of all Yoga is MEDITATION. Meditation is necessary to find release from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, and reach the state of superconsciousness. There are several forms of Yoga, and each form has several features.

RAJA YOGA stresses mental and spiritual development. In general, YOGA means “the pathway which leads to spiritual liberation, the breakup and dissolution of the individual ego.” - It consists in exercises designed to establish control over the body and mind. - They begin with control of the breath and the bodily posture, which is meant to lead to quietness and control the senses, and finally to control of the mind.

By practicing ever greater discipline of the mind one can focus on concentration in such a way that the distinction between the mind and its object of thought would be eliminated and there would remain only pure unitary consciousness, which would be Brahman or the Lord himself.

In RAJA YOGA, which stresses mental and spiritual development, yogic discipline consists in working through various stages to free the mind from anger, lust, hatred, greed, and so on. According to Yoga Sutra there are eight steps one must take to achieve trance or the superconscious level in Raja Yoga

The concept of YOGA (in Hinduism and Buddhism) 8 Steps of Yoga There are 8 classical stages of the Yogic path or eight-stage meditational discipline attributed to the ancient sage Patanjal. YAMA Stage 5. PRATYAHARA NIYAMA 6. DHARANA ASANA 7. DHYANA PRANAYAMA 8. SAMADHI

From 3°) to 8°) we have the sixfold yoga. Those who follow these 8 steps achieve great physical and mental powers and remarkable abilities of concentration. The ascetics who master Yoga are those who perform the outstanding feats of asceticism that have come to be identified with Yoga in the Western mind

1. YAMA Stage: Moral restraint or the practice of five abstentions : - from injury (Non-violence) - lying (truthfulness) - stealing (honesty) - sensuality (chastity) - greed (freedom from greed)

- against harming living creatures, - against unchastity, =>This means that before one can progress spiritually, one must take certain vows of restraint (YAMA), especially vows - against harming living creatures, - against unchastity, - and against Greed.

Mental discipline or the practice of five observances 2. NIYAMA Stage Mental discipline or the practice of five observances - Cleanliness (in body and diet) - contentment - self-control or Austerity (developing powers of self-denial and endurance) - studiousness - contemplation of the divine (meditation on the Lord) => At this stage one attempts to achieve internal control, calmness, and equanimity (NIYAMA).

3. ASANA stage Bodily postures such as lotus position => At this stage one learns and practices certain bodily postures (asana) designed to help one achieve the aims of Yoga.

Once the postures have been mastered, 4. PRANAYAMA (breath control): Once the postures have been mastered, one works on the mastery of respiration. 5. PRATYAHARA (control of the senses) This is the stage of withdrawal from sense objects, or withdrawal of senses. Here one seeks to shut out the outside world.

6. DHARANA (concentration or steadying of attention) => This is the stage of extreme concentration on a single object. 7. DHYANA (meditation on religious insights) => Stage of “meditation proper”

stage of “Oneness” with Brahman 8. Samadhi stage of “Oneness” with Brahman (absorption or concentration on or mystical emerging with the ultimate). => Here the Yogin enters the state of trance and becomes one with Brahman. Etymologically "Sam" parallels the Greek prefix "Syn", as in synthesis, synopsis, and syndrome. It means "together with." "Adhi" means Lord (like Adonai, or Adon) Thus Samadhi means the state in which the human mind is completely absorbed in God; the state of seeing the invisible. Samadhi is a sanskrit word.

From 3°) to 8°) we have the sixfold yoga. Those who follow these 8 steps achieve great physical and mental powers and remarkable abilities of concentration. The ascetics who master Yoga are those who perform the outstanding feats of asceticism that have come to be identified with Yoga in the Western mind