Changes

# Aparighara or no unnecessarily selfish accumulation of resources for one’s own purpose.  

# Aparighara or no unnecessarily selfish accumulation of resources for one’s own purpose.  

<blockquote>'''Niyamas (for external purification)'''</blockquote>

<blockquote>'''Niyamas (for external purification)'''</blockquote>

# Shaucha or cleanliness and purity of mind and body,  

# ''Shaucha'' or cleanliness and purity of mind and body,  

# Tapas or austerity and perseverance,  

# Tapas or austerity and perseverance,  

# Swadhyaya or study of the Vedas and self-analysis,  

# Swadhyaya or study of the Vedas and self-analysis,  

# Santosh or contentment,  

# Santosh or contentment,  

# Ishwara-pranidhana, or acceptance of the Supreme.

# Ishwara-pranidhana, or acceptance of the Supreme.

L. There are also ten qualities that are the basis of dharmic (righteous) life. These are dhriti (firmness or fortitude), kshama (forgiveness), dama (self-control), asteya (refraining from stealing or dishonesty), shauch (purity), indriya nigraha (control over the senses), dhih (intellect), vidya (knowledge), satyam (truth) and akrodhah (absence of anger).

 

== The ten qualities that are basis of dharmic (righteous) life. ==

These principles are part of the eternal, universal truths that apply equally to all living entities who can use them for progress regardless of class, caste, nationality, gender, or any other temporary qualifications. These basic principles, as we can see, are not so difficult to understand and are the basis of the Vedic spiritual life.

# Dhriti (firmness or fortitude),  

# Kshama (forgiveness),  

There are also four basic yoga paths for the spiritual development of the individual. These include the following:

# Dama (self-control),  

# Asteya (refraining from stealing or dishonesty),  

Karma yoga, which is the path of right action, detachment from the fruits of one’s labor, and dedicating our activities for a higher and spiritual purpose, especially to God. This is not merely to acquire good karma, but to become free from it altogether to attain moksha.

# Shauch (purity),  

# Indriya nigraha (control over the senses),  

Jnana yoga (pronounced gyana), the path of intellectual development and understanding of what is real and what is not. On a deeper level, jnana yoga is the process of discriminating between truth and non-truth, or reality and illusion (maya), and understanding what is the Divine. This is the knowledge of the soul and God, and the relationship between them. Therefore, the acquirement of jnana or spiritual knowledge is one of the first steps in spiritual development.

# Dhih (intellect),  

# Vidya (knowledge),  

Raja or dhyana yoga, known as the royal (raja) way, also called astanga yoga, is the eightfold path leading to liberation. From either hatha yoga, karma yoga, or jnana yoga, a person may go on to practice raja yoga. It is one of the most popular systems of yoga today. The process involves calming all mental agitation, which gradually helps the meditator to fuse with the objects of meditation by supraconscious concentration. Patanajali defined in the Yoga Sutras the eight steps of this path, consisting of the first two steps as following the yamas and niyamas, or the essential moral commandments, which was briefly explained in item K above.

# Satyam (truth)  

# Akrodhah (absence of anger).

The third step is asana, which means a seat or postures for meditation that are often used in hatha yoga. The fourth step is pranayama, breath control for fixing the mind in concentration. Prana means life or energy, and also can mean spirit. Ayama indicates the length and retention of breath between inhalation and exhalation, and control of the prana within the body. The fifth step is pratyahara, control of the senses and checking the mind’s attraction to external objects. The sixth step is dharana, concentrating on the object of meditation. The seventh step is dhyana, when the mind is in a state of undisturbed flowing meditation. This leads to the eighth step which is samadhi, in which, according to the eightfold path, the yogi becomes one with the Supreme, or fully engaged in thought of the Supreme. This ultimately reaches to moksha if performed diligently and steadily. However, this is an arduous path and much more explanation is required.

These principles are part of the eternal, universal truths that apply equally to all living entities who can use them for progress '''''regardless of class, caste, nationality, gender, or any other temporary qualifications.''''' These basic principles, as we can see, are not so difficult to understand and are the basis of the Vedic spiritual life.

 

== Four basic yoga paths for the individual's spiritual development ==

# '''Karma yoga''', which is the path of right action, detachment from the fruits of one’s labor, and dedicating our activities for a higher and spiritual purpose, especially to God. This is not merely to acquire good karma, but to become free from it altogether to attain moksha.

# '''Jnana yoga''' (pronounced gyana), the path of intellectual development and understanding of what is real and what is not. On a deeper level, jnana yoga is the process of discriminating between truth and non-truth, or reality and illusion (maya), and understanding what is the Divine. This is the knowledge of the soul and God, and the relationship between them. Therefore, the acquirement of jnana or spiritual knowledge is one of the first steps in spiritual development.

# '''Raja or dhyana yoga,''' known as the royal (raja) way, also called astanga yoga, is the eightfold path leading to liberation. From either hatha yoga, karma yoga, or jnana yoga, a person may go on to practice raja yoga. It is one of the most popular systems of yoga today. The process involves calming all mental agitation, which gradually helps the meditator to fuse with the objects of meditation by supraconscious concentration. Patanjali defined in the Yoga Sutras the eight steps of this path, consisting of the first two steps as following the yamas and niyamas or the essential rules of moral conduct, explained above. The third step is asana, which means a seat or postures for meditation that are often used in hatha yoga. The fourth step is pranayama, breath control for fixing the mind in concentration. Prana means life or energy, and also can mean spirit. Ayama indicates the length and retention of breath between inhalation and exhalation, and control of the prana within the body. The fifth step is pratyahara, control of the senses and checking the mind’s attraction to external objects. The sixth step is dharana, concentrating on the object of meditation. The seventh step is dhyana, when the mind is in a state of undisturbed flowing meditation. This leads to the eighth step which is samadhi, in which, according to the eightfold path, the yogi becomes one with the Supreme, or fully engaged in thought of the Supreme. This ultimately reaches to moksha if performed diligently and steadily. However, this is an arduous path and much more explanation is required.

Bhakti yoga is the final form of spiritual realization and attainment of the spiritual world. It is the process of simply developing loving devotional service to the Lord. It is by far the easiest of all the yoga processes and has fewer requirements for the practitioners than any other process. Bhakti is the yoga that begins, continues, and ends with love and devotion to the Supreme. There is no stronger binding mechanism than love, and spiritual love is the natural sentiment that emanates from God and connects all living beings. Thus, it is said that attaining this sentiment of devotion to God holds the sum and substance of all other yoga processes and religions. It is the strength of this connection that can deliver one to the spiritual realm or God’s domain.

Bhakti yoga is the final form of spiritual realization and attainment of the spiritual world. It is the process of simply developing loving devotional service to the Lord. It is by far the easiest of all the yoga processes and has fewer requirements for the practitioners than any other process. Bhakti is the yoga that begins, continues, and ends with love and devotion to the Supreme. There is no stronger binding mechanism than love, and spiritual love is the natural sentiment that emanates from God and connects all living beings. Thus, it is said that attaining this sentiment of devotion to God holds the sum and substance of all other yoga processes and religions. It is the strength of this connection that can deliver one to the spiritual realm or God’s domain.