Ethical imperatives and personal observances form the foundation of the yoga system described by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. What is the underlying philosophy upon which the yamas and niyamas are based? Why are they an essential element of a complete yoga practice? How can we abide by them in a practical way? In this seminar, we’ll take a close look at the traditional understanding of what the yamas and niyamas are and how they remain relevant for modern yoga practitioners. We’ll connect the dots between the philosophy and values that inform yogic moral decision-making in response to contemporary social issues and examine how the personal observances provide power for the inward turn of our yoga and meditation practice.
This talk will focus on what it means to call Sāṃkhya a “dualism” and how this contrasts with what is referred to as “nondualism”. We will critique the perspective that privileges one over the other and explore how these two perspectives imply their opposite.
Vedanta is the core philosophy of Hinduism. It is based on the texts known as the Upanishads, which themselves form the highest teachings of the Vedas, the very ancient scriptures of the Hindus. There are many schools of Vedanta, the most well known of them being Advaita Vedanta (Nondual Vedanta)...