The fifth step of yoga is pratyahara, which literally means "withdrawal." This is the crux of yoga, the lever that lifts the consciousness to the heights of meditation. To master pratyahara, one must first have established the previous four steps of yoga, and then be able to control how the consciousness uses the senses. “When the mind follows the wandering senses, then it carries away one’s discrimination, as the wind does a ship on the water...” — Krishna, Bhagavad-gita 2:67 "...concentration is the first and foremost thing a sadhaka or aspirant should acquire in the spiritual path." —Swami Sivananda “When, like the tortoise that withdraws its limbs on all sides, one withdraws the indriya from sense-objects, then consciousness becomes steady.” — Krishna, Bhagavad-gita 2:67

Practical Spirituality 09 Pratyahara

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Part 2 of a discussion of the Sufi mystical poem, The Conference of the Birds, by Farid ud-Din Attar

Conference of the Birds - Part 2

Part 1 of a discussion of the Sufi mystical poem, The Conference of the Birds, by Farid ud-Din Attar

Conference of the Birds - Part 1

People today mistakenly believe that the word Gnostic refers only to a few groups that were active in the Middle East almost two thousand years ago, and left behind the so-called gnostic gospels or gnostic scriptures. In reality, those groups were not isolated or unique. They were part of a worldwide tradition found on every continent, whose roots are not in the physical world at all.  In fact, Jesus, the greatest gnostic of all and the inspiration for the so-called gnostic scriptures and the modern Christian tradition, is a master of Kabbalah and Judaism. He is a master of Egyptian, Indian, and Tibetan teachings. That is why we find so much of them in his teachings. Therefore, the so-called “gnostic” and Christian scriptures are not separate from those other traditions. All of these teachings are rooted in the same source, so it is a mistake to try to isolate one from another. That only leads to confusion and misunderstandings. https://glorian.org/connect/blog/what-is-the-gnostic-church

What is the Gnostic Church?

Artificial intelligence, or AI, has recently made several notable advancements. But is it actual intelligence? What is the source of authentic intelligence, consciousness, and understanding? Reviews the current state of A.I. technology, the impacts on society, and the pathway to authentic intelligence. PDF and transcription: https://glorian.org/learn/courses-and-lectures/beginning-here-and-now/artificial-intelligence-and-authentic-intelligence

Artificial Intelligence and Authentic Intelligence

"Wherever there is life, there is consciousness. Consciousness is as inherent to life as humidity is to water." —Samael Aun Weor, Sexology https://glorian.org/connect/blog/what-is-consciousness

Practical Spirituality 09 Pratyahara

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