Many people don't realize that the field of critical scholarship on Sanskrit literature is still relatively young, and therefore we make new discoveries all the time. In fact, some crucial new breakthroughs have been made in the last few years that change our understanding of the Yoga-sūtra significantly. In this new talk, I will summarize these findings and what they mean for all those who study and practice yoga thoughtfully. Specifically, we will address the influences on the Yoga-sūtra; the identities of Patañjali and 'Vyāsa'; the real meaning of Yoga-sūtra 1.2 and of the word 'anga'; and Vedāntic criticisms of AND commentaries on the Yoga-sūtra. Though it might sound academic, this talk is delivered in an accessible manner and I take care to point out why these issues matter.
In this one-hour presentation, author-lecturer Joshua M. Greene provides listeners with a unique and exciting way to grasp the Gita’s core concepts and themes. This popular talk includes a summary of the Gita’s 18 chapters, an overview of Gita’s place in the history of spiritual journeys, and pra...
Dhanurdhara Swami will explore in depth the concept of devotional surrender to the Lord (Isvara) and show by classical hermeneutics how it is undoubtedly the theme of the Gita and the essence of all yoga practices.
The Gita defines yoga very differently from Patanjali, given the text's emphasis on action in the world. But it does accept and outline a version of Patanjali's citta-vritti-nirodhah type of yoga, which it calls dhyana (and the commentaries call astanga), in its 5th and 6th chapters. There were...
