Are there institutions where a person can go and just meditate all the time…he doesn’t have to work but he will get shelter, food, etc?
Another question, are there colleges which offer courses in hinduism philosophy?(I am talking really advanced philosophy…like Upanishads)
Ex. mum.edu
Thx a lot
Don’t know about the first (probably have to pay for that sort of thing - Buddhists have “silent” retreats - but I do not know about cost) but as for the second any good graduate program would allow you to explore the Upanishads or the Vedas, etc depending upon your language skills, etc.
Sanskrit may be required - or even taught. I attend UNCC (getting my Masters in religion) and Sanskrit is taught there - generally individually(along with Chinese, Hebrew and Greek).
Not for me, though. More into the impact of religion on social institutions and interdisciplinary studies (psychology of religion, etc)
Dear friend,
Namaste,
It depends on your desire.If you really want to realise god take sanyas from able Guru.In the present yuga it is really hard to find out a atma gyani.You can contact www.divinelifesociety.og and Vedmandir :: www.vedmandir.com.
Swami sivananda of rishikesh was a realised one, he has shed his mortal remains, swami ramswarup of yol have profound knowledge of vedas and is a astanga yogi.I have taken him as my guru.If they accept you as disciple and they feel yes you can tread on this path, they will give you diksha.This highest knowledge can be given to you by them only.I feel he is a realised one.I have prayed intensely to god for a guru,with His grace my search is over.You too pray God sincerely and do yoga, if possible read vedas.Do tapasya and swaadhyay on your own.Whatever i am sharing with you is swaadhyay (self-reading) and what my guru has taught me.
Upnishad is the commentry on vedas by mantra drista rishis.Further Swami dayanad saraswati was realised yogi.You can enrich and get knowledge of vedas and upnishad from aryasamaj.all his writings are preserved.In this regard i would like to share whenever he used to write commentries on vedas he used to meditate and after that he used to write.At times he used to strike off all his previously written commenties and rewrite everything after meditation.Once a european asked him swami ji can you transmigrate youe soul like shankaracharya to another body.He said with my yogic powers i can concentrate the life force i.e prana to one point in body.The views of swami vivekananda should be considered too he said "If your mind says something and the Vedas say something else, stop your mind and believe in the Vedas. "
"…our religion is not based upon persons but on principles. That you obey your religion is not because it came through the authority of a sage, no, not even of an incarnation of Krishna is not authority of the Vedas, but of vedas are the authority of the Krishna himself. His glory is that he is the greatest preacher of the vedas that ever existed. "
Further Swami Ramkrishna paramhansa, the highly realised soul once told all his disciples that on his insistence and request one of the sapta rishi(seven rishi) took rebirth.Swami Ramkrishna paramhansa s father was very pious and spiritual man.While on pilgrimage to Gaya he got a divine dream in which one of the dev purush said i am pleased with your devotion and would take birth as your son.This prophecy in dream turned true.
I am writing the views of brahma gyanis on vedas thread.You decide what you want and act as per that.God will give surely you divine guidance .
But continue doing astang yoga.Never give .swami sivanand has said God is a wish yoilding tree, ask with care.But this desire which you have got is pious and god will surely guide you.Every soul is destined for a guru as and when god desires.
OM
I am actually a gyan Yogi, I pray Shiva. So I do not follow a certain type of yoga but meditate as much as I can.(Since samadhi is part of yoga, I must be following my own unique yoga since there are infinite yogas, just the difference is: some are discovered, others are hidden.
There is only one yoga it is called astanga yoga.The knowledge of yoga has come from vedas.The authority on yoga and worship is samveda.Lord Krishna in Gita says amongst vedas i am samveda. as he was a realised samadhist yogi, lord manifested in him.Further lord shiva himself was a yogi.In present day so many forms of yoga are there but most authentic is patanjali yoga sutra which is based on samveda. Rishi patanjali himself was a mantradrishta rishi.We are free to choose whatever form but if a soul sincerely aspire for God realisation then astanga yoga as described in patanjali yogasutras and upasana of God as per saam veda.Shiva, Krishna, Rama are worshipped being veda nisht and astanga yogis.One of the name of God is shiva too which means who gives bliss.
In the light of vedas devi and devta are those great souls who have realised God as per vedas and practice of yoga.When swami ram krishna paramhansa says there are 33 crore devi devtas it means realised souls.As per vedas there are only5 alive and 33 non alive devtas .
who is a gyan yogi? a gyan yogi is the one who has full knowledge of Vedas and six shastras and has realised god in samadhi through astanga yoga.
OM
is it possible that your ego says urgent, but your true self says patience?
thoughts
seeker
[QUOTE=skhandelwal;7606]Are there institutions where a person can go and just meditate all the time…he doesn’t have to work but he will get shelter, food, etc?[/QUOTE]
There are a few with free food, shelter even free marijuana, but I’d like people to stay away from such places, so no recommendations. 
Another question, are there colleges which offer courses in hinduism philosophy?(I am talking really advanced philosophy…like Upanishads)
Ex. mum.edu?
For the “philosophy” there could be no more complete institution than the Patanjali Yogpeeth, in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India, but your hindi should be good.
Hey Rashmi, is Astanga yoga and hatha yoga and Patanjali the same thing? If astanga yoga is the real deal then what about Gyan yoga, Bhakti yoga, and Karma yoga that Lord Krishna sermoned about?
Dear friend,
as we know all these forms of yoga had come post mahabharat war. Further all the seers in there work have taken proof of vedas and all of them have studied this knowledge in the gurukuls of Rishis in traditinal way.The major six works based on the writing of six rishis is based on vedas one of them is patanjali sutras.All of them after listening to vedas orally, had realised this knowledge by the hard practice of astanga yoga.In my post in vedas i have mentioned that Great siddha yogi nityannada had told the importance of ganeshpuri, where Maharishi vashistha and sandipani had done tapasya.Even Todate any body goes to the place called sand where footprints of sage sandipani, guru of krishna ji are there, there mind gets diarrayed due to spiritual vibration.Lord krishna has received the knowledge of vedas from him only and realised god by the hard tapasya.He is called yogeshwar in Gita.His famous preach of gita is based on the knowledge of vedas.He talks of Bhakti, Karma, gyan, and astanga yoga.How will be know what is bhakti, what is gyan, karma etc.Gyan yoga means after studying vedas , six darshans and 18 upanishads etc and we as soul behave as per that.This gyan is realised by the practice of yoga.karma yoga we should have this knowledge of deeds based on vedas.Today we talk of everything as per opinion, intellect and mind.Where as this knowledge emanates in the absence of these things.What pleases us today is correct.Where as all great yogis do not behave like that for them insult and injury is same.Read there biographies you will understand it and get benefit from there lives.
Today everybody wants to prove that they are different, there tradition is old etc.But the most authentic is Vedas and astanga yoga.Vedas are conisdered self proof, practice of yoga as patanjali sutras will slowly prove it to you.All the siddhas have agreed for vedas, almost all the knowledge is based on it.However tantra is not in vedas, this knowledge was given by great yogi matseyndranath.Vedas contain spiritual , par and apar knowledge both.It is complete.
“The major six works based on the writing of six rishis is based on vedas one of them is patanjali sutras”
first of all, what is patanjali sutra, second, what are the other 5 works? Third, you used the word “major”, is “major” defined by the work of the rishis whose kings were victories hence, the quote, “the story is always told from the winner’s point of view”, or “major” is defined by the work which was highly praised and accepted?
“All of them after listening to vedas orally, had realised this knowledge by the hard practice of astanga yoga.”
How can you use “all of them”, since it will be only 1/6 barely of people b/c patanjali is only one of the major 6.
Also, I am still confused about Gyan, Bhakti, and Karma yoga. Did you mean Gyan yoga means, anybody, who understands all the gyan by reading the ancient holy scriptures and meditating(reaching samadhi stage) achieves nirvana?
You didn’t comment about Bhakti and Karma Yoga.(I didn’t get what you meant of Karma yoga)
Why are you so confident of Vedas? They were written by rishis. Unlike Bhagawad Gita which was sermoned by the lord himself. Since even of the highest rank, rishis disagree with each other.(which is why we have different religions and even in the same religion, have branches) Gautam Buddha himself said that the true knowledge lies within the heart…not in any sutra.(Bheesma Pitama said that too) So, aren’t I suppose to believe in the philosophy which feels right to me?(obviously, such a decision is to be a taken in nonpressued calm state.)
[quote=Rashmi;7613]There is only one yoga it is called astanga yoga.The knowledge of yoga has come from vedas.The authority on yoga and worship is samveda.Lord Krishna in Gita says amongst vedas i am samveda. as he was a realised samadhist yogi, lord manifested in him.Further lord shiva himself was a yogi.In present day so many forms of yoga are there but most authentic is patanjali yoga sutra which is based on samveda. Rishi patanjali himself was a mantradrishta rishi.We are free to choose whatever form but if a soul sincerely aspire for God realisation then astanga yoga as described in patanjali yogasutras and upasana of God as per saam veda.Shiva, Krishna, Rama are worshipped being veda nisht and astanga yogis.One of the name of God is shiva too which means who gives bliss.
In the light of vedas devi and devta are those great souls who have realised God as per vedas and practice of yoga.When swami ram krishna paramhansa says there are 33 crore devi devtas it means realised souls.As per vedas there are only5 alive and 33 non alive devtas .
who is a gyan yogi? a gyan yogi is the one who has full knowledge of Vedas and six shastras and has realised god in samadhi through astanga yoga.
OM[/quote]
Ashtanga Yoga is not the only form of Yoga, nor all forms of Yoga is one & that is Ashtanga Yoga. Now when you say that Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga is the most authentic, this is your personal opinion to which not everyone would agree. In Yoga Sutras, talking about the relevance of Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga etc. in our lives, Patanjali is only agreeing with Yogis who believed in such forms to be the right path to attain Samadhi.
Why we had so many forms of Yoga in those days? for the exact reason why we have so many forms today. When we believe a certain way is a right way of practicing Yoga or if this is the correct meaning of Yoga, it becomes another form. Some people feel Iyengar is the best way, some feel Ashtanga Vinyasa is the correct way. Similarly according to Dattatreya Yogshastra & Yograj Upanishad four forms of Yoga are necessary to attain samadhi, they are: Mantra Yoga, Lai Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga. As per Bhagwad Gita Gyaan Yoga, Saankhya Yoga, Sanyaas Yoga or Karma Yoga is what one should be pursuing as per his/her age. What was deemed as correct form was based on what the final goal was and what was fit for that era, for instance in the present era why would anyone pursue say Mantra Yoga or Lai Yoga ? such forms have little or no relevance in today’s era, but that doesn’t mean they are not authentic.
You are completely ignoring all the Yogis who existed before Patanjali, what about Krishna or Kapila or Veda Vyas, it is their works that is believed to have inspired Patanjali to write the Sutras, what about Matsyendranath ? is Nath yoga any less authentic ? The elements of Ashtanga Yoga are not something which Patanjali introduced to the world so it can’t be most authentic.
Talk about diversity is all right, but one cannot follow a thousand ways but one. Asthanga yoga is the only yoga for Rashmi, and I think she is blessed.
One who can follow Patanjali’s asthanga yoga with it’s eight limbs cannot go wrong.
[quote=skhandelwal;7715]
Why are you so confident of Vedas? They were written by rishis. Unlike Bhagawad Gita which was sermoned by the lord himself. Since even of the highest rank, rishis disagree with each other.(which is why we have different religions and even in the same religion, have branches) Gautam Buddha himself said that the true knowledge lies within the heart…not in any sutra.(Bheesma Pitama said that too) So, aren’t I suppose to believe in the philosophy which feels right to me?(obviously, such a decision is to be a taken in nonpressued calm state.)[/quote]
Vedas are not to be read as philosophy treaties. They are not sacred just because the wisdom, but they are sacred also in form. Sanskrit is not just any language but a spiritual one.
This comes form a christian who does not know much about Vedas, but the little he knows, he respects.
Hmmm…if sanskrit is spiritual b/c vedas were written in it…would latin be spiritual b/c testaments were written in it? How about arabic?
Can someone may be give me a list of yoga discovered yet? This is getting way too confusing.
And thx Marmara for helping me out from that stereotyping.
My statement about the Vedas is based on Rudolf Steiner’s book, The East in the Light of the West. He is an occultist of the XIX century, what means he was a seer (an initiate, enlighted man. In antroposophy, founded by him, initiation is one step, enlightment another, dont’ remeber the third, based on the spiritual realities available to the disciple on these levels.)
To apreciate the validity of my statment would require knowledge of antroposphy’s cosmogony. The world is changing, the people are changing. History is divided in seven ages, the ancient protoindian culture (Mohenjo Daro), the persian-iranian age (Zarathustra), the egyptian-caldean-babylonian-semite age (see it in the Bible) the greek-roman age (embodyment of Christ), our current age the fifth, followed by two other yet to come. This group of seven ages was preceeded by another seven, ands so on. There is a concept of rebirth of our planet Earth … but this cosmogony as we go further back or forward in time is very hard to accept if one accepts today’s materialist conceptions and thesises. (which are also unproven but let’s not go there) For me this cosmogony is much more convincing, because there are no accidental facts in it, no presumptions but everything fits, from the smallest worm to the Moon and the Sun. Everything is a result of the creative act of an unmanifested being/state/God .I do not know about the Yugas, but I have a feeling that they are the same.
From Rudolf Steiner, I would reccommend the book “Philosophy of Freedom”, a phyilosphic treaty, lacking any “unproven” spiritual material, but as he says a good foundation to his other works. Or more indepth analysis of your own cultural heritage.
But these are just talk, and thoughts. Meditation is much better, you are right.
dear friends,
I see lot of questions, the knowledge of vedas emanates in every yogi who has realised god in samadhi by the hard practice of astanga yoga.in the state of meditation he can always hear the divine voice, thats why every time swami dayanand used to mediotate for getting correct interpretation of vedas.I require lot of time to write about it, regarding sacredness of vedas. please read the biography of swami samrath and sri guru , lord datttreya for upliftment of his devotees manifested.
the site is www.swamisamarth.org, this recorded biography is good for understanding vedas sacredness and science of astanga yogi. when every great siddha yogi tells its is lord of almighty God speaks through him. regarding bhakti yoga, Karma yoga, and gyan yoga read sai charitra, lord swaminarayans teachings, swami nityananda you will get insight of vedas indirectly by there lives.They all were brahma gyanis since the time of birth till they left their mortal frames they were absorbed in brahma.Brahmam is God.Why they used to meditate, did tapasya, penance as they were already God realised.God in vedas have said every bodys aim is to realise God in every birth.
further give your email ids at my message box i will try to send biographies for great siddhas if you desire which will enlighten you, the treatise which you just read in patanjali sutras will come alive.We all can achieve that state but by hard practice of astanga yoga, knowledge of vedas and devotion and our karmas.
it is difficult for me write and write.Lord krishna was highly emancipated soul he preaced based on vedas. Further hath yoga is written by Great yogi gorakhnath in 10th century disciple of matseyndranath etc.Please read it.
read scientific verification of vedas at Archaeology Online: Aryan Invasion, India Indology
Do as you wish and desire. My doubts are mostly cleared by self study, thinking and gods grace.
OM
Dear Friends ,
Namaste,
Dear friends as per vedas too there are four ways to realise God Gyan yoga, astanga Yoga, Bhakti yoga and Karma yoga. Dear maramara i meant that pertaining to asanas and pranayams, the authentic yoga is called astanga yoga. Patanjali rishi was a astanga yogi, philosopher of vedas and mantradrishta.In Present yuga various form of yoga related to asanas /pranayam are there but among yogis and learned of vedas patanjali yoga sutras are considered as authentic and proof next to vedas.Regarding the same if am doing yoga and i write a book on the same by some name, it will not be called rashmi yoga and it will not be appropriate to do so. But now we live in different age where name, fame are very important unlike olden days . In this age of marketing everything can be sold except God realisation and true knowledge of Vedas .Similarly revered yogi Gorakhnath has written hath yoga pradipika based on his experience of yoga. But in vedas too it is called astanga yoga.
I have listened to discourses on asanas and pranayam by swami ramdev too , he himself is a brahmachari and a yogi, learned of vedas. He too refers it as astanga yoga.
After reading biographies of Brahma Gyanis like swami nityananda, swami Samarath, Sri Guru, Sai Baba, gajanan Maharaj, Trailanga Swami and other realised soul I feel that we should astanga yoga to finish our karmas.Gyan Yoga, Bhakti yoga and karma yoga have to be simultaneouly adopted in our life.If i do astanga yoga and have no bhakti of God how will i realise him.Further Gyan yoga to know the actual swaroop of God , soul and prakriti.Karma yoga to Know what karmas to do , what not to do and its effects.The knowledge of four paths to realise him is Given by God in samveda.Lord Krishna imparted the same to Arjun in order to enable him to come out of distress of the war situation.Gita preaches lot of Knowledges of vedas, but mostly commentries are written by people who themselves are unaware of vedas and who perceive everything by intellect and mind.But spiritual truths are not perceive by minds and intellects.
Further i would like to share one more thing Maharishi dayanand saraswati who was realised soul learned the knowledge of Vedas from his Guru swami virajanand, His Guru was blind could not see or read.Now you all think how he must have taught vedas to him in the age when no brail lipi was there .During 1800’s when masses of India were under the wrap of superstition and ignorance , like a sun he fought against all the evils of society reiterating and dispelling the prevalent misunderstanding of Vedas.Told what is veda what it says.His life in this modern age is the best example of Brahmacharya.A real yogi and follower of vedas he was, who always followed Gods will even on death bed too.
OM