In the fifth episode of this series, we explore the rise of Bhakti Yoga and Karma Yoga in around 300 CE, and the rise of Hinduism as we know it. We revisit the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna from the Bhagavad Gita, and understand a new synthesis of attaining moksha - the yoga of the heart, devotion, and that of doing one's work without a sense of entitlement or attachment.

"The Origins of Yoga" is written and narrated by Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati.

Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati's website is https://www.tantricaashramtrust.org/

She is a genuine mystic yogini. Trained with a Himalayan tradition, in the mountains and forests of Lithuania, she is the humble custodian of a sacred feminine tradition that teaches women how to bring around illumination, regeneration and youth. With the detachment of a genuine acetic, she is able not only to bestow ancient knowledge but can also help guide others with the insight that comes from this unique vantage point. "Every moment with her is an opportunity for enlightenment." Martin Faulks.

"The Origins of Yoga" is written and narrated by Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati. In the fourth episode of this series, we explore the rise of  two most important religions in a period of about 6th century BCE in India that laid the foundation of spirituality as we know it.

The Jains adopted non-violence or ahimsa or harmlessness to the self and to any other living being in a deep and absolute way. Vardhamana  Mahaveera showed the way to moksha or nirvana through friendliness and goodwill towards the whole universe. Jainism is still considered the highest form of belief by many in India.

Around the same few centuries, Gautama or Siddhartha founded Buddhism. He went on a quest to find the unchanging and undamaged dimension of the human spirit and showed a unique way to attain nirvana. His teachings are still followed by more than 300 million followers around the world.

The philosophies of Jainism, Buddhism, and Yoga - all emerged within the same few centuries - and have been unmatched since.

Disclaimer: The dates and information in the series comes from the personal research of the author and may or may not match what you may find in history textbooks. We like to believe that the understanding of the ideas and philosophies is more important than the accuracy of these facts, and this also gives us a sense of "shruti" - the way knowledge was transmitted before it was written down.

Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati's website is https://www.tantricaashramtrust.org/

She is a genuine mystic yogini. Trained with a Himalayan tradition, in the mountains and forests of Lithuania, she is the humble custodian of a sacred feminine tradition that teaches women how to bring around illumination, regeneration and youth. With the detachment of a genuine acetic, she is able not only to bestow ancient knowledge but can also help guide others with the insight that comes from this unique vantage point. "Every moment with her is an opportunity for enlightenment." Martin Faulks.

"The Origins of Yoga" is written and narrated by Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati. In the fourth episode of this series, we explore the rise of  two most important religions in a period of about 6th century BCE in India that laid the foundation of spirituality as we know it.

The Jains adopted non-violence or ahimsa or harmlessness to the self and to any other living being in a deep and absolute way. Vardhamana  Mahaveera showed the way to moksha or nirvana through friendliness and goodwill towards the whole universe. Jainism is still considered the highest form of belief by many in India.

Around the same few centuries, Gautama or Siddhartha founded Buddhism. He went on a quest to find the unchanging and undamaged dimension of the human spirit and showed a unique way to attain nirvana. His teachings are still followed by more than 300 million followers around the world. 

The philosophies of Jainism, Buddhism, and Yoga - all emerged within the same few centuries - and have been unmatched since.

Disclaimer: The dates and information in the series comes from the personal research of the author and may or may not match what you may find in history textbooks. We like to believe that the understanding of the ideas and philosophies is more important than the accuracy of these facts, and this also gives us a sense of "shruti" - the way knowledge was transmitted before it was written down.

Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati's website is https://www.tantricaashramtrust.org/

She is a genuine mystic yogini. Trained with a Himalayan tradition, in the mountains and forests of Lithuania, she is the humble custodian of a sacred feminine tradition that teaches women how to bring around illumination, regeneration and youth. With the detachment of a genuine acetic, she is able not only to bestow ancient knowledge but can also help guide others with the insight that comes from this unique vantage point. "Every moment with her is an opportunity for enlightenment." Martin Faulks.

"The Origins of Yoga" is written and narrated by Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati. In the third episode of this series, we explore the rise of the  philosophy known as Samkhya, between a period of 1st and 6th century CE in India. 

Samkhya analysed the cosmos into seperate components, and described a process of evolution that brought the world into being. At its centre was the idea of Purusha - an absolute reality that was a part of every single human being. Samkhya states that at the very beginning of reality purusha had become entangled with prakriti, and the disassociation of purusha from prakriti is the liberation that a yogi seeks.

Samkhya influenced Hinduism, yoga, and all the other schools of philosophies that emerged later in India. 

Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati's website is https://www.tantricaashramtrust.org/

She is a genuine mystic yogini. Trained with a Himalayan tradition, in the mountains and forests of Lithuania, she is the humble custodian of a sacred feminine tradition that teaches women how to bring around illumination, regeneration and youth. With the detachment of a genuine acetic, she is able not only to bestow ancient knowledge but can also help guide others with the insight that comes from this unique vantage point. "Every moment with her is an opportunity for enlightenment." Martin Faulks.

"The Origins of Yoga" is written and narrated by Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati. In this episode, we go back to a period from 7th century BCE to 2nd century BCE to the era of the Upanishads, or Vedanta - the end of the Vedas. And we explore how in this period there was a gradual shift from an external ritualistic culture towards a more internalised introspection. The spiritual technology was evolving, and human sages were discovering that any spiritual quest would work only if people abandoned their self-abrasive ego - bringing us closer to the key ideas of yoga.

This period had the most influence on Hindu Spirituality and Culture than any other period in the Vedas. 

Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati's website is https://www.tantricaashramtrust.org/

She is a genuine mystic yogini. Trained with a Himalayan tradition, in the mountains and forests of Lithuania, she is the humble custodian of a sacred feminine tradition that teaches women how to bring around illumination, regeneration and youth. With the detachment of a genuine acetic, she is able not only to bestow ancient knowledge but can also help guide others with the insight that comes from this unique vantage point. "Every moment with her is an opportunity for enlightenment." Martin Faulks.

"The Origins of Yoga" is written and narrated by Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati. In this episode, she takes us back to a period from 3000 BCE to 1000 BCE and explores how in this period the ritualistic practices of the Indian religion transitioned into a more non-violent nature. This is when the idea of Non-Violence first came into existence. Non-Violence is the first yama in the eightfold path of Patanjali Yoga, and also a foundational idea in the Indian religious philosophy.

Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati's website is https://www.tantricaashramtrust.org/

She is a genuine mystic yogini. Trained with a Himalayan tradition, in the mountains and forests of Lithuania, she is the humble custodian of a sacred feminine tradition that teaches women how to bring around illumination, regeneration and youth. With the detachment of a genuine acetic, she is able not only to bestow ancient knowledge but can also help guide others with the insight that comes from this unique vantage point. "Every moment with her is an opportunity for enlightenment." Martin Faulks.

"The Origins of Yoga" is written and narrated by Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati. In this episode, she discusses the reasons why anyone with an interest in yoga will benefit from understanding the ancient roots of this practice.

Her website is https://www.tantricaashramtrust.org/

Swami Hamsa Jnanananda Saraswati is a genuine mystic yogini. Trained with a Himalayan tradition, in the mountains and forests of Lithuania, she is the humble custodian of a sacred feminine tradition that teaches women how to bring around illumination, regeneration and youth. With the detachment of a genuine acetic, she is able not only to bestow ancient knowledge but can also help guide others with the insight that comes from this unique vantage point. "Every moment with her is an opportunity for enlightenment." Martin Faulks.