Step 5:
Pathways to Yoga
Philosophical Lessons with Swamiji
Make sure you have worked through Step 4: Bhakti Yoga - the Eternal Path of Love before starting Step 5.
We encourage you to move through these teaching sequentially for the best learning outcome. Click on the name of the class to be taken to your video on-demand lesson. Move at your own pace. Take some time to reflect, journal, walk. Return when you are ready for the next lesson.
When you complete all 8 Lessons below you can progress to Step 6: The Guru - Your Guide to Wisdom. When you have completed all 7 Steps, you might be interested in joining our Satsang community of students.
1: So Many Paths…So Much Confusion!
How did this happen?
According to the Vedas there are only three paths to God-realisation: Karma Yoga, the path of action, Gyan Yoga, the path of wisdom, and Bhakti Yoga, the path of love. Yet today we find innumerable paths, most of them claiming to provide significant spiritual benefit. Are they all correct? Why are there so many paths? If not, how did so many arise? In explanation Swami Govindananda begins by examining the path of action.
50 Minute Lesson
2: The Power of Karma
Where it will lead you
The Gita says, “The ignorant and the sceptic can never gain mental poise both in this world and even beyond because of their doubting nature.” This quotation lays tremendous importance on understanding where our thoughts lead us, warning that ignorance of the laws of consequence is no excuse. To be clear about the path to God-realisation we must find out what karma (action) actually is. In this talk, and the next two to follow, Swami Govindananda will clarify for us the exact science of thought and consequence.
35 Minute Lesson
3: Karma Yoga, Renunciation & Worldliness
Where thoughts can lead you
It is accepted that depending on how you think, so will be the consequence. It is an exact science, which requires careful consideration to understand its subtlety. In this talk, Swami Govindananda introduces Karma Yoga, a subject that, though widely known, is little understood. Motive behind thinking is a power, and the true practice of Karma Yoga brings out its fullest potential. Swamiji also examines whether renouncing the world and entering into isolation is necessary or practical in order to progress spiritually. He also talks about individuals who pay little attention to the laws of karma, considering themselves to be free to do as they like.
35 Minute Lesson
4: True Karma Yoga
How it is practiced
Vedic literature, including the saints and sages, advise us to completely attach the mind to Bhagwan (God). Since the mind is the guiding force behind all actions, if we wish to love and surrender to Bhagwan it can only be done by immersing the mind in God. In this talk Swami Govindananda discusses this, as well as highlighting the distinction and benefit between renouncing the world by living in isolation (Karma Sanyas), and remaining in the community performing work (Karma Yoga).
35 Minute Lesson
5: Gyan Yoga - The Path of Wisdom
An introduction
The Vedas place great value on attaining true wisdom stating that liberation can be achieved through the means of knowledge. They also give a warning: that those who delight in knowledge enter into great darkness. This talk explains why.
30 Minute Lesson
6: Gyan Yoga: A Question of Eligibility
Four requirements that need to be fulfilled
There are two ways of realising Bhagwan, God: merging into the formless, unthinkable, abstract nature known as Brahman (Gyan Yoga), and devoting to Bhagwan endowed with personal form. Both paths lead to the same goal of unalloyed bliss but merging into the formless is extremely difficult. In this fascinating talk Swami Govindananda gives us insight into the reasons why this is so and explains the qualifications a potential student must fulfil before even starting the path.
35 Minute Lesson
7: Atma Gyan & Paramatma Gyan Yoga
The two types of realisation in the path of wisdom
Many following the path of Gyan Yoga (men and women on the path of wisdom) do not realise that there are two levels of realisation. One leads to the sattvic mode of maya (the highest level of consciousness while still being bound by the wheel of birth and death), and the other leads to God-realisation. The results could not be more different. Essential knowledge for one following the path of Gyan Yoga.
30 Minute Lesson
8: The Speciality of Bhakti Yoga
Its experience transcends the pathway of Gyan Yoga
God has three main aspects: the effulgent light (Brahman); partial manifestation (Paramatma); and fully personified (Bhagwan). Each realisation is progressively blissful in experience. In Bhakti Yoga (relating to the realisation of Bhagwan, the personified aspect) we find the most intimate loving experience a soul can attain to. So much so, that the greatest Gyan yogis in history praised the speciality of Bhakti over Gyan and desired to enter the sublime path of Bhakti themselves. This talk gives tremendous insight into why this is so.
35 Minute Lesson