The Vedas are the Divine scriptures of ancient India and in modern times can be traced as least as far back as 12,OOO B.C. a lthough it is generally accepted tat the Vedas appear at different times of the cosmic creation forte benefit of human society. They are considered to be the revelations of the Divine nature, and its relationship within and without us. "Mantra" is the term used to mean Divine sound vibration or the word of God. There are teachings of mantras (hymns), teachings of ritual, theology, and philosophy at the root of all the vedic sciences. The point of all is the knowledge of the soul called "atma vidya", being our real "self" and separate and distinct from the material body , and the material world which surrounds us.
The "Rig Veda" is the oldest and is the source of mantra, as well as the earliest mentions of astronomy , astrology , and ayurveda. The other vedas evolved from the Rig Veda. The "Sama Veda" takes the hymns of the Rig Veda and places them in arrange ments of notes and music. It allows us to understand the essence or meaning of the Rig Veda. The "Yajur Veda "brings into play the ritual. It is for the purification and elevation of consciousness teaching rituals meant to uncover the "higher self" thus rising above the dictates of false ego and mundane mind. The "Atharva Veda" is the youngest of the Vedas and has the hymns and essence of the other vedas, but includes much more practical science for the elevation of humans who are not all able to grasp the essence of divinity on the highest levels. It allows much insight into the astronomical and medical sciences, as well as yoga and spiritual meditation on levels which can be practised by all people
Then came the "Upanishads", which give the inner meaning or essence of the spiritual import of Veda. They teach through stories, but very directly, the sciences of yoga, meditation, transmigration of the soul (reincarnation), and the culmination of self-realisation which is the understanding of the oneness with God, as well as the individuality of the spirit soul. There are also the"ranas" which through their stories teach ancient history, cosmology, and how people may live properly according to moral codes of conduct to attain material and spiritual prosperity. All these scriptures were meant to allow humans to advance toward spiritual self-realisation while performing their necessary duties according to tie, circumstance, and station of life.
Yoga means the link with God, which is the ultimate divine knowledge. All systems of yoga are meant to bring one to the ultimate goal of self-realisation and detachment from the objects of the material senses which bind us to repeated birth and death within the material stratosphere. The goal is to find the way out of this cycle, curtailing constant transmigration of our souls through a possible 8,400,000 species of life.
As the mystic yoga process of subduing the senses through physical postures (asanas) and meditation culminating in raising the "kundalini" (life force) through the 7 chakras toward the "antimaterial world" takes virtually thousands of years to perfect, it is not practice al for attaining the ultimate goal of life in this age. Therefore, although we teach hatha and ashtanga yoga for bringing the body and senses under control and improving mental and physical health on all levels, we follow the path of "Bhakti-Yoga", the yoga of love and devotion to the Supreme. This yoga is recommended for everyone in the present age, and through the chanting of the names of God the success of true self-realisation can be realistically attained, even in our short lifetimes.
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