The other major texts establishing the
basis for yoga are Patanjali's Yoga
Sutras, Upanishads, Hatha Yoga
Pradipika and many others specifying
criteria for mastering a given technique.
Universality of the goals of yoga
While the history of yoga strongly
connects it to Hinduism its essence can
be found in the spiritual/esoteric
practices of all religions and of those
who do not consider themselves as
being religious. The goal of yoga,
enlightenment or liberation (moksha)
from the cycle of birth-death-rebirth
(samsara) comes from the Hindu
tradition. Other goals have been
claimed by other cultures, as for
example, an increase in wisdom, insight
and compassion.
For an average person, who considers
him/herself as being far from
enlightenment, yoga can offer a way of
increasing one's spiritual awareness,
emotional well-being, mental clarity
and of course physical health. Given
that our physical, emotional, mental
and spiritual selves are one integrated
whole - ourselves and not disparate
beings, it should not be a surprise.
An integration of the different aspects of
being or a search for the meaning of the
self is again a western interpretation of
the goal.
Thе original word Yoga and Indian philosophy
The word yoga itself derives from
Sanskrit (root yuj) meaning union or to
join. The correct pronunciation is Yoge
as in a long o and a complete g, and not
Yogah, as commonly done. In the west it
is often taken to mean a union between
the body and the mind; while it
originally signifies the union between
the individual self Atman with the
universal soul Paramatma or Bramhan,
although different terminologies may
be used in different texts. Yoga is one of the six schools of ancient
Indian Hindu philosophy. The other five
Darshanas, as they are called, are
Samkhya, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Purva
Mimamsa and Uttara Mimamsa or
Vedanta. Yoga has arisen from the
epistemology of the Samkhya
philosophy, but is more practice
oriented. Its primary text is regarded as
the Bhagavad Gita (equivalent of the
bible for Hindus, though the Hindus
have many more sacred texts).
Broadly the Yoga system lays down
elaborate prescriptions for gradually
gaining physical, emotional and mental
control and mastery over the "personal
self", until one's consciousness has
intensified sufficiently to allow for the
awareness of one's real/true self (the
individual soul, or Atman), as distinct
from one's feelings, thoughts and
actions.
Realization of the goal of Yoga is
variously known as moksha, nirvana,
and Samadhi, all speak to the
realization of the Atman as being
nothing other than the infinite and
supreme Brahman.
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