EXAM - Philosophy Flashcards
3 universal energies (gunas)
- Sattva - essence
- Rajas - activity
- Tamas - dullness
5 Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita
- Know Yourself
- Connect to & Follow your Purpose
- Take Action
- Practice & Build Experience
- Tap into the wisdom of yoga & meditation
Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita
Lessons of courage & confidence. Krishna instructs Arjuna in the ways of yoga; giving him a wakeup call from his hopelessness & sadness.
4 paths of yoga
Bhakti yoga - devotion
Jnana yoga - knowledge
Karma yoga - selfless action, service
Raja yoga - practice, meditation
4 functions of the mind
Citta - memory bank
Buddhi - intelligence
Manas - processing mind
Ahamkara - ego
Eight-fold limbs of Raja Yoga
Yama Niyama Asana Pranayama Pratyahara Dharana Dyana Samadhi
Purusha
Spirit
The Seer
Soul, true being, pure consciousness
Prakriti
Universal energy
Matter
The Seen
That which is created
Samskara
Imprints on the mind
Generalized patterns, individual impressions, ideas or actions, taken together, our Samskaras make up our conditioning
Karma
Actions stemming from Samskaras & reactions
The spiritual principle of cause and effect where intent & actions of a person (cause) influence the future of that person (effect)
Samsara
Wandering
Cycle of deaths and rebirths, karmic cycle
Moksha
Freedom
State of liberation from Samsara, freedom from ignorance
Kaivalya
Detachment
Absolute freedom, liberating knowledge of one’s self, self-realization, self-actualization.
Isolation of Purusha - now standing alone. Realizing our essential nature by differentiating Purusha (pure consciousness) from Prakriti (matter); Purusha shines forth in its own pure luminous state.
Samadhi
Self-realization, Absorption, pure bliss, ecstasy.
> to merges with the point of focus and transcends the Self altogether. Realization of a profound connection to the Divine, an interconnectedness with all living things. With this realization comes the experience of bliss and being at one with the Universe.
The ultimate tool of yoga, not the ultimate goal of yoga.
Vrtti
Fluctuations of the mind, activities of thoughts, changing mind states
Klesa
Obstacles obstructing the mind (colouring)
5 types of Vrttis
1. correct knowledge sense perception / inference / verbal testimony 2. error / incorrect knowledge 3. imagination 4. deep dreamless state 5. memory
How to still the vrttis?
- Practice of 8 limbs
2. Non-Attachment (indifference to Prakriti & without personal desire)
Disturbances that occur with vrttis?
- Carelessness
- Disease
- Dullness
- Doubt
- Distractions
- Instability
- Lack of detachment
- Lethargy
- Misperception
5 types of Attitudes to cultivate the process of stilling the vrttis
- Faith
- Vigor
- Memory
- Contemplation
- Discernment
How to break the Alliance of Karma?
> By practicing Kriya Yoga, the Klesas are weakened / burnt
This produces non-coloured Vrttis, or a Sattvic state of mind
This causes good action & good reaction (Karma)
This teminates Samskara: pure & Sattvic imprints born uncoloured
Now you start the clear the mirror and discernment between Seer & Seen can be seen
Then you are no longer bound to Samsara (birth & death cycle) = liberation
How to weaken the klesas?
By performing Kriya, the Klesas are weakened / not present / burnt.
5 klesas
- Ignorance (lack of knowledge)
- Ego (false identification)
- Attraction (memory of good)
- Aversion (memory of bad)
- Clinging to life (fear of death from past lives)
Solution to disturbances that occur with vrttis
One-pointedness.
If the mind is focused, then it is less likely to get entangled and lost in delusions from these obstacles.
Main characters from the Bhagavad Gita & what they stand for
- Arjuna: us, who we really are
- Lord Krishna: higher self, inner God, ultimate teacher
- King Dhritarashtra: our attachment
- Sanjaya: exemplary part of us
- Pandavas: wisdom, righteousness
- Kauravas: ignorance
- Charriot: our physical body
- Horses: our five senses
