Week Five - Karma and Time

The readings and notes for this week are now available for download.  Please be sure to read the two smaller articles on Karma, and Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita which deals with Karma Yoga.  As far as the Sutras are concerned please read Chp. 4, Kaivalya Pada.  Give special emphasis to Sutras 1-12, 18-22, 29-34.  This is a very dense chapter, so a few reads will be beneficial.  Also be sure to read the notes for this week.

If your looking to do a little extra reading, you might spend some time researching both The Gunas and Samskara on the internet.  Anything you find should be helpful in gaining some insights into these concepts.  No additional exercises this week.  Please email me with questions or concerns.

Week Four - Meditation and Transcendence

The readings and notes for this week are now available for download.  Please be sure to read both of Swami Dayananda's readings as they will help bring clarity to many of the topics we will be discussing, or at least perhaps more questions.  Please also read Chapter 3 of the Yoga Sutras - Vibhooti Pada.  We will be skipping the parts that deal with the special/physic powers, but we will be paying extra attention to the Sutras concerned with meditation and transcendental knowledge.  So please give extra attention to Sutra's 1-8, 9-14, 35/36, and 53-56.   I have structured the notes to reflect these readings.

For this week I will also be assigning an additional exercise.  If you do not currently have a regular meditation practice, please make a solid attempt at sitting for 10 minutes a day from now until Sunday.  This can be at any particular time of the day you wish, though I find morning or night to be the best times for meditation.  Please give your best attempt at fulfilling this small assignment, and if you are unable to sit, or cannot find the time, then in the very least make note of what the distractions were and what you found challenging about it.  I would also ask that during these 5 days, you simply sit in stillness.  Try not to apply any special techniques or mindfulness methods you may have read about,  simply sit and observe.  Please be prepared to talk about this experience on Sunday evening.  As always, email me with any questions or concerns. 

Week Three - Yoga as Social Practice

This notes for this week are available for download in the website archives by clicking here.  As far as readings are concerned we will read only from the text this week, though any additional research you want to do on your own regarding the Yamas and Niyamas is welcome.  Please re-read Chapter 2 of the Yoga Sutras, Sadhana Pada - The Practice of Yoga.  This time giving special attention to Sutras 30-45.  Please also look at Chp. 2, Sutra 1 on Kriya Yoga.  

In lieu of a second reading, you have a small assignment to complete from now until Sunday:  choose anyone of the yamas you like, and attempt to follow it to the best of your ability until we meet; if not off your mat, then perhaps at least in your Yoga practice, setting it as the intention over the next couple of days.  Come prepared to discuss that experience (or non-experience..;).

As always have a look at the discussion questions in advance and give some thought to those.  As you may have noticed our chats tend to flow from those discussion points.  Email me with any questions or concerns.

Week Two - Dualism and Beyond

The notes and readings for this week's discussion are available for download in the website archives by clicking here.  Please read Chapter 2 of the Yoga Sutras, Sadhana Pada - The Practice of Yoga.  Pay special attention to Sutras 3-10 which directly reference the kleshas.  I have included an article by Swami Dayanada Saraswati entitled 'The Psychology in Vedanta'.  Much of the vedic traditions inform Patanjali's philosophy on the kleshas.  There is also a one pager with a vedic meditation on Reality that you should read.

For those who are reading Stephen Cope's book read the chapters and indexed pages on 'Dukkha.'  You should find them supplementary to the material provided.  For those who don't have Cope's book, a little internet research on 'Dukkha' might be interesting.

Make sure to read the small proof I have included under the notes on Space, Time and Consciousness.  Some of it may appear a little daunting on first read, but we will have plenty of time to talk about it thoroughly on Sunday evening.  Email me with any questions or concerns.

Week One - Here and Now

The readings for this week's discussion are available for download in the website archives by clicking here.  Be sure to read both the introductions provided from George Feuerstein and Swami Satyanada Saraswati, along with the notes I have prepared for the first week from a few different sources.  Also pay special attention to the section I have added under the notes about how we will be approaching the text.  It might be helpful to read this small section before digging into the Sutras themselves.

In addition to the readings I have provided please read Chp.1 of the Yoga Sutras, Samadhi Pada in which Patanjali talks about what Yoga is and the aim of Yoga.  It sounds daunting but in reality this is about 100 lines, so about a page.  Please give special attention to Sutras 1, 2, 12-14, 21-24, and 29-32.  These sutras will form the basis of our discussion questions for this week. 

Remember that discussions will be as productive as participants are prepared.  Try to honor the others present by reading in advance and putting some critical thought into the information provided.  I look forward to seeing everybody Sunday.  If you have any questions in the meantime please be sure to email me.