The Four Yogas Illustrated And Annotated Edition

Hindu philosophers of the medieval period have tried to explain the nature of these three paths and the relation between them.Shankara tended to focus on jñ?na-yoga exclusively, which he interpreted as the acquisition of knowledge or vidya. He considered karma-yoga to be inferior. The fact that he wrote some of the most famous hymns for personal gods such as Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Ganesha and Subrahmanya underlines his affinity to Bhakti-Yoga.The 12th-century philosopher Ramanuja considered the three yogas by interpreting his predecessor Yamunacharya. In Ramanujam's interpretation, Bhakti yoga appears to be the direct path to moksha, which is however available only to those whose inner faculties have already been trained by both Karma yoga and Jnana yoga.A "fourth yoga" is sometimes added, Raja Yoga or "the Path of Meditation". This is the classical Yoga presented in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Patanjali's system came to be known as Raja Yoga (Royal Yoga) retro-actively, in about the 15th century, as the term Yoga had become popular for the general concept of a "religious path".The systematic presentation of Hindu monotheism as divided into these four paths or "Yogas" is modern, advocated by Swami Vivekananda from the 1890s in his book Raja Yoga.They are presented as four paths to God suitable for four human temperaments, viz. the active, the emotional, the philosophical and the mystic.

An accessible and comprehensive guide to the message and practice of each of the four Yogas as well as philosophy and psychology, preparatory practices, common obstacles and ways to overcome them as you seek to realize the goal of Self-knowledge.

An accessible and comprehensive guide to the message and practice of each of the four Yogas as well as philosophy and psychology, preparatory practices, common obstacles and ways to overcome them as you seek to realize the goal of Self-knowledge.

Millions of people practice some form of yoga, but they often do so without a clear understanding of its history, traditions, and purposes. This comprehensive bibliography, designed to assist researchers, practitioners, and general readers in navigating the extensive yoga literature, lists and comments upon English-language yoga texts published since 1981. It includes entries for more than 2,400 scholarly as well as popular works, manuals, original Sanskrit source text translations, conference proceedings, doctoral dissertations, and master's theses. Entries are arranged alphabetically by author for easy access, while thorough author, title, and subject indexes will help readers find books of interest.

This volume explores aspects of yoga over a period of about 2500 years. In its first part, it investigates facets of the South Asian and Tibetan traditions of yoga, such as the evolution of posture practice, the relationship between yoga and sex, yoga in the theistic context, the influence of Buddhism on early yoga, and the encounter of Islam with classical yoga. The second part addresses aspects of modern globalised yoga and its historical formation, as for example the emergence of yoga in Viennese occultism, the integration of yoga and nature cure in modern India, the eventisation of yoga in a global setting, and the development of Patañjali’s iconography. In keeping with the current trend in yoga studies, the emphasis of the volume is on the practice of yoga and its theoretical underpinnings.

A fresh and moving portrait of Jesus as a model for how to live more authentic, honest and meaningful lives by fully experiencing our emotions in the love of God. Many depictions of Jesus show him as a character who coolly and calmly floats above the grit and grime of human existence. He doesn¿t hurt, he doesn¿t fear, he doesn¿t laugh, and most tragically, he doesn¿t love very passionately. He seems not to feel at all. But a closer look at the Bible reveals something surprisingly different. In this eye-opening spiritual study, Peter Wallace examines Jesus¿s actions rather than just his teachings to uncover a passionate figure who was involved, present, connected, honest and direct with others. He was one who was ¿deeply moved,¿ as the writer of John¿s gospel put it¿one who knew and embodied the emotions he felt and expressed them in honest, clear and life-giving ways. Through Wallace¿s deeply personal insights and compelling stories and examples, you will be encouraged to model this passionate Jesus by building personal authenticity in every area of your own life, particularly in your self-acceptance and self-expression, your relationships with others and, above all, your relationship with God.

John and Charles Wesley provide a vision of God that beckons to anyone interested in a spiritual life. John Wesley (1703–1791), Anglican priest, theologian and church reformer, and his brother Charles Wesley (1707–1788), one of the greatest hymn writers of all time, co-founded Methodism, a major movement of Christian renewal. Their vision of Christian discipleship included important spiritual practices that fueled the revival of the eighteenth-century Church of England. Their holistic theology/spirituality affords guidance for the contemporary spiritual seeker who yearns for greater meaning and purpose in life. This unique presentation of the writings of these two inspiring brothers brings together some of the most essential material from their large corpus of work. While John articulated his vision of Christianity through many sermons, journals and theological treatises, Charles expressed his theology in lyrical form through some nine thousand hymns and devotional poems. These excerpts from Charles and John Wesley, with probing facing-page commentary, will provide insight not only into the renewal of dynamic and vital Christianity, but into the struggles and concerns of all who seek to be faithful participants in God's vision of love in every age.