A Student's Guide to the History and Philosophy of Yoga - Revised edition - Peter Connolly

A Student's Guide to the History and Philosophy of Yoga - Revised edition - Peter Connolly

Yoga in the Texts of the Veda

A Student's Guide to the History and Philosophy of Yoga - Revised edition - Peter Connolly

Peter Connolly [+-]
The Open University
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Peter Connolly (PhD) was, for many years, senior lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Chichester, England, where he taught courses on Ethics, Indian Religion and Psychology of Religion. He has also worked as an associate lecturer in both Psychology and Religious Studies with the Open University and has delivered many courses on the history and philosophy of yoga for a number of yoga training institutions. He is fascinated by all forms of altered states of consciousness, has trained in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and hypnosis, and experimented with psychedelic chemicals and a variety of meditation techniques, including Divine Light, Lam Rim, Sant Mat, Transcendental Meditation and Buddhist Vipassana, all of which offer interesting perspectives on the psychology of religious experience.

Description

The texts of the Veda (Veda means knowledge) are commonly divided into four groups. The first of these is Samhitā (the four collections of Vedic hymns: the Rg, Yajur, Sāma and Atharva Vedas). The second is Brāhmana (commentaries and interpretations of the hymns along with guidance on the conduct of rituals and some philosophical speculations). Third is Āranyaka (technically 'forest books', for use by brāhmans who had retired to the forest and who wished to conduct alternative versions of the sacrificial ritual). The final group is Upanisad (literally 'sitting down near' the teachers hence 'secret/esoteric teachings that are not to be overheard by eavesdroppers').

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Citation

Connolly, Peter . Yoga in the Texts of the Veda. A Student's Guide to the History and Philosophy of Yoga - Revised edition. Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. p. 22-62 Jan 2014. ISBN 9781845532369. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=25701. Date accessed: 09 Dec 2024 doi: 10.1558/equinox.25701. Jan 2014

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