The Jnana Yoga of 3 Modern Spiritual Masters – Br. Shankara

Sunday, December 15, 2013

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OMDuring the late 19th and early to mid-20th centuries, a few great souls taught the highest spiritual truths of Jnana Yoga*, based on their own, intense personal experiences. In this talk we hear from three of them: Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, and Sri Ramana Maharshi.

We review what these illumined masters said about how each of us ultimately will realize what is meant by “That Thou Art” (tat tvam asi), a Mahavakya (Great Saying) from the Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7. Then, we discuss what you and I can do to accelerate the process, moving more quickly from where we are toward that final realization, which is the goal of Jnana Yoga.

*Jnana Yoga is the spiritual path of Discrimination, Knowledge, and Wisdom. In this context, yoga means union with the Divine. Jnana Yoga’s spiritual practices include:

  • listening to (or reading from) a qualified teacher
  • repeated contemplation or reflection on what was heard or read, and how those teachings compare with your own life experience, and,
  • deep meditation, which uses the knowledge and self-confidence gained in steps 1 & 2, to purify the student’s mind and actions.