Topics for 2012

In 2012, we will read (or reread) three sacred texts: the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. We will also read a couple of texts by modern sages of Advaita Vedanta: Ramana Maharshi and Ramesh Balsekar. Your reading should be deep and personal: listening to the wisdom of the sacred texts as it speaks to your own practice and spiritual journey. Your questions and reflections will be the focus of our enquiry in the philosophy sessions. At the same time, the historical and traditional context of the teachings will be addressed, as we unpack the language and probe into the deeper meaning of the concepts behind the magnificent (and sometimes puzzling) words. By hearing directly what the sacred texts teach, we will attempt to understand experientially the traditional teachings of yoga.

Afternoon sessions will be conducted in the style of satsang, according to the inclination of the group. All of the following are topics we most likely will address:

• Jnana, Karma & Bhakti yoga:  the whole teaching of wisdom, action & love as embodied in the  Bhagavad Gita.
• Vedanta philosphy  -- teachings of time, space, the nature of reality, karma, reincarnation.
• Who am I???? – how different sages of Advaita Vedanta have addressed this question.
• Samkhya philosophy and its categories of existence – the nature of matter, energy & creation, as understood by yoga & compared to modern physics.
• Raja Yoga --the philosophy, practice & purpose of meditation, according to Lord Krishna in the Gita and Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. How this wisdom applies to our lives today.
• The concepts of prakriti & purusa & ishwara.  The 8 limbs of classical ashtanga yoga and the 3 pillars of Kriya Yoga.
• The different degrees of samadhi, the ecstatic experience and goal of meditation.
• Siddhis – the “supernatural” powers of an accomplished yogi. What are they? How to understand them in terms of Samkhya philosophy & subtle physics.
• Traditional practices of Hatha Yoga:mudras, kriyas, pranayama, kundalini
• The Subtle body, including the 5 koshas. How they relate to the eight limbs.
• The three gunas: sattwa, rajas & tamas. How classical yoga relates to ayurveda. Principles of ayurveda applied to yoga practice and daily living.
• Integrating the spiritual journey with daily living & developing a personal practice.

For this course, you will need good translations of the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. They should have a commentary and ideally the transliteration in Sanskrit. Please talk to me if you have any questions about different translations. The Advaita texts will be recommended at the first session. Before the course begins, you should read (or reread) the Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda.

In addition, you will be expected to read generally in the area of yoga, according to your own interest. However, it is the quality and depth of your enquiry rather than the quantity of reading that matters. We each have different styles of learning.  A readiness to take on this degree of study for its own sake is a requirement of this course. Svadhyaya, study, is an integral part of the yogic path.  The 2012 course is suitable for all true seekers, those well-travelled on the spiritual journey as well as those new to the path but with sincere heart and open mind, keen to expand the horizons.