Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Introduction to Hinduism & Yoga-sample syllabus

How done one introduce a student to Yoga? A sample syllabus. * Archaeological excavations * Bhadrasana tablet * The Yogi skeleton * Jainism: an introduction * Hinduism: an introduction * Charvaka: Materialism/Atheism * Nyaya: Justice * Matsya Nyaya: Jungle Law * Other legal systems * Mary Boole/Navya Nyaya * Chatushkoti: Confusion matrix * Vaiseshika: Study of the material world * Atomic theory, Newton’s law, gravity * Samkya: The philosophy behind Yoga * Prakriti: material world * Purusha: non-material * Pramanas: ways of acquiring knowledge * Yoga: The practice of realizing Samkya * The definition of Yoga from the Patanjali Yoga Sutras * Ashta-anga Yoga * Yama: Control * Niyama: Rules * Asana: Posture * The goal of Asana * Pranayama: breath control * Pratyahara: withdrawal of senses * Four states of being * Jagruthi: wakefulness * Swapna: Dreams * Sushupthi: Dreamless sleep * Turiya: Awareness * Dharana: Focus externally * Dhyana: Focus internally/meditation * Who are we? * External objects * Pancha Karma Indriya: Five sense organs of action * Pancha Jnana Indriya: Five sense organs of reception * Manas: Mind * Buddhi: Intellect * Aham: Ego * Avyakhtam: Beyond Ego * Samadhi: the truth * Buddhism * Vipassana: observing bodily changes before a thought arises * Self-realization: Shunyatha * After death? * Purva Mimamsa * An external God * Karma Yoga: Duty * Bhakthi Yoga: Devotion * Sambrahma Yoga: Hate * Uttara Mimamsa/Vedanta * An external & internal God * After death? * Jnana Yoga: Knowledge * Advaita: * Self-realization * Nirvikalpa Samadhi/Nirguna Parabrahmam: state of nothingness * Sarvikalpa Samadhi/Sarguna Parabrahmam: state of universality * The nature of this world after self-realization * The rope & the snake * Vishishta-advaita * The body & soul, soul & God * Dvaita * Duality * Kundalini Yoga * The Kundalini * Chakras * The light * The mystery of death * Self-realization * Science & Yogis * Paramahamsa Yogananda: The pathologist who is surprised by no bodily degradation after bodily death. * Swami Rama: The Yogi who demonstrated different types of brain waves & heart stoppage. * Prahlad Jani: The Yogi who doesn’t eat. * Concluding verse