Religion & Sprituality (3)

Beliefnet: religions, spirituality, prayer, God, angels, politics, meditation...
Beliefnet: religions, spirituality, prayer, God, angels, politics, meditation...

Overview Of World Religions
Excerpt from hinduism, ascetic, yoga http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/hindu/ascetic/yoga.html The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, to yoke or bind together, and is related to the English yoke. Yoga is the joining of the jiva, the soul, with God. The term yoga has acquired other connotations such as 'method,' 'activity,' 'force,' 'meditation,' and 'renunciation.' Bernard gives seventeen meanings of yoga. Yoga does mean many things as it is many things. This is reflected in the many schools of yoga that exist. Over time an immense body of yogic practices and theories grew. Numerous schools started their own traditions and there were split-ups within schools and reformations. Yoga is not therefore a homogeneous whole. Practices and doctrines vary from school to school and are sometimes irreconcilable. All schools, though, have the same goal of samadhi, cosmic consciousness.

Religious Movements Homepage Project
On this extensive Web site you will find detailed profiles of more than two hundred different religious groups and movements. Some of them may be very familiar to you, others not. In addition, there are other valuable resources, including information on "cult" controversies, essays by respected scholars, and teaching resources on which interested visitors are invited to draw. (includes yoga groups as religious groups)

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