Hinduism has various schools of mysticism including the Upanishads, which are ancient hymns regarded as teaching union with the divine. Vedantic philosophy sees the Hindu pantheon as aspects of Brahman, the single transcendent reality. Four scriptural passages are given significance relating to consciousness and the self being Brahman. Yoga techniques aim for mystical insight and supernormal powers, with forms including karma, bhakti, jnana and raja yoga. In vedantic and yogic paths, an aspirant is usually advised to find a guru who can prescribe exercises or transmit divine energy.
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Hinduism has various schools of mysticism including the Upanishads, which are ancient hymns regarded as teaching union with the divine. Vedantic philosophy sees the Hindu pantheon as aspects of Brahman, the single transcendent reality. Four scriptural passages are given significance relating to consciousness and the self being Brahman. Yoga techniques aim for mystical insight and supernormal powers, with forms including karma, bhakti, jnana and raja yoga. In vedantic and yogic paths, an aspirant is usually advised to find a guru who can prescribe exercises or transmit divine energy.
Hinduism has various schools of mysticism including the Upanishads, which are ancient hymns regarded as teaching union with the divine. Vedantic philosophy sees the Hindu pantheon as aspects of Brahman, the single transcendent reality. Four scriptural passages are given significance relating to consciousness and the self being Brahman. Yoga techniques aim for mystical insight and supernormal powers, with forms including karma, bhakti, jnana and raja yoga. In vedantic and yogic paths, an aspirant is usually advised to find a guru who can prescribe exercises or transmit divine energy.
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Hinduism has various schools of mysticism including the Upanishads, which are ancient hymns regarded as teaching union with the divine. Vedantic philosophy sees the Hindu pantheon as aspects of Brahman, the single transcendent reality. Four scriptural passages are given significance relating to consciousness and the self being Brahman. Yoga techniques aim for mystical insight and supernormal powers, with forms including karma, bhakti, jnana and raja yoga. In vedantic and yogic paths, an aspirant is usually advised to find a guru who can prescribe exercises or transmit divine energy.
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Hinduism has a number of interlinked schools and traditions of mysticism.
The upanishads are a collection of ancient hymns, which are regarded as expounding a philosophy of union with the Divine in devotional form. The vedantas are philosophical commentaries on the upanishads. It was explained in the last lecture that the sages of the Upanishads believed in a supra-conscious experience of pure self-illumination as the ultimate principle, superior to and higher than any of our mental states of cognition, willing, or feeling. The nature of this principle is itself extremely mystical; many persons, no doubt, are unable to grasp its character. [31]
Nondualism or Advaita is a prominent school of vedantic philosophy, as expounded by Adi Shankara. The mystic's goal is seen as mukti, or liberation from endless cycles of reincarnation. Vedantic philosophy tends to view the Hindu pantheon[disambiguation needed] as aspects or symbols of a single transcendent reality, Brahman (which is often identified with Atman, the Self). Four scriptural passages, the Mahavakyas, :or "great sayings" are given special significance: 1. prajnam brahma - "Prajnam (consciousness) is Brahman (Aitareya Upanishad 3.3 of the Rig Veda) 2. ayam tm brahma - "I am Brahman", or "This Self (Atman) is Brahman" (Mandukya Upanishad 1.2 of the Atharva Veda) 3. tat tvam asi - "Thou art That" or "Thou arrt Brahman"(Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 of the Sama Veda) 4. aham brahmsmi - "I am Brahman", or "I am Divine"[32] (Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 of the Yajur Veda)
Yoga is the collective term for various techniques for whose aims include the attainment of mystical insight and supernormal powers, (although these are not generally emphasised in hatha yoga, the postural exercises which are the best know form of yoga in the West). Yoga is often interpreted as "spiritual union" or "union with the Divine".[31] Patanjali was the foremost classical writer on the yogas, which were introduced to the West be Swami Vivekananda in the early 20th century. Forms of yoga, in addition to Hatha yoga, include:
karma yoga, based on ethical action. bhakti yoga emphasising devotion to deities. jnana yoga, the "path of knowledge" raja yoga, based on meditation.
In the vedantic and yogic paths, the shishya or aspirant is usually advised to find a guru, or teacher, who may prescribe spiritual exercises (siddhis) or be credited with the ability to transmit shakti, divine energy.
