Invitation to World Religions

114  CHAPTER 4  Hinduism

and matter, between the various souls, between the souls and matter, and between various forms of matter. This philosophical strain, too, is associated with the worship of Vishnu, particularly in his avatar as Krishna. Yoga Yoga in its most basic sense means a “yoking” or “uniting.” In religious discourse, it refers to the unit- ing of the self with God. Most of us are familiar with hatha yoga, which makes use of physical exercises to promote the health of the body. As a form of jnana marga, Yoga—often called Raja (“Royal”) Yoga—employs both physical and mental techniques in order to make liberation from samsara possible.

A Hindu ascetic sits in the lotus position, a prominent bodily pos- ture for the practice of yoga.

By the fourth century ce, the principles and techniques of Raja Yoga had been systematized in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The Yoga Sutras consist of 196 instruc- tional sayings about the moral, physical, and mental conditions and techniques that can enable the individual to achieve moksha. These are evident in the eight steps through which practitioners move in their quest for liberation. The first two steps have to do with moral preparation. Prohibitions against harming other beings, lying, stealing, sexual irresponsibility, and greed must be observed. In addi- tion, the five virtues of cleanliness, contentment, discipline, studiousness, and devo- tion to a god must be practiced. The next three steps involve preparation of the body. The practitioner learns postures (especially the lotus position) that promote comfort and alertness and the ability to breathe in rhythmic patterns that calm the body. Once these ends have been achieved, it becomes possible to withdraw the senses so that they no longer demand the mind’s attention. The next two steps prepare the mind for liberation. By focusing its attention on a single thing, all other particulars fade away. All that remains is to remove this single object of attention from the mind’s awareness. This brings the practitioner to the eighth step, which is also the ultimate goal: samadhi, a state in which one’s awareness is of the self as Brahman. The Individual and Society The Hindu individual’s quest for liberation is determined by such factors as gender, caste, status, and age. Like all aspects of the religion, the rules governing these factors admit to diversity even while conforming to basic patterns that have per- sisted through the centuries. Collectively, these rules are known as varnashrama dharma : the religious law regulating caste ( varna ) and stage of life (ashrama). Tradi- tionally, all Hindus are required to comply with varnashrama dharma . The Caste System  The Sanskrit term varna (“color”), commonly translated as “caste,” refers to a system of hierarchical social organization. A more accurate way PROPERTY OF OXFORD

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