Wisdom of Yoga

The following are short discriptions of some of the teachers referenced on this site. You will find links to there websites on the links page. Sri Chinmoy ( 1931- ) Sri Chinmoy grew up in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in southern India. He came to the West in 1964 at the age of 32. He not only brought with him the ancient knowledge of Yoga, but he has put that Yoga into practice in a way the Western mind can relate to. Through art, music, literature and athletics he has exemplified the power and beauty that arises from the human spirit when that spirit rises to its full manifestation. Not content with the highest realizations of consciousness Sri Chinmoy has taken the next step in evolution: the manifestation of these states of consciousness into the earth consciousness. Sri Aurobindo (1872--1950) Sri Aurobindo's greatest visible contribution to the science of Yoga has been his meticulous elucidation of the levels of consciousness between the waking state and the superconscious realms. No other yogi has detailed the realms of consciousness as precisely as Sri Aurobindo. His writings are voluminious and a must for the inquiring seeker. He sought nothing other than the complete transformation of the human consciousness into the Divine. Ramana Maharshi (1879--1950) Ramana Maharshi lived and taught in Southern India. He spent the majority of his live living at an Ashram or spiritual community that grew up around his simple yet profound life and teachings. His is the path of Jnana Yoga, or self-inquiry. His philosophy is traditional in that he calls for all of the prepatory stages of Yoga to be completed by the student and then his emphasis rests on the method of self-inquiry which can be summarized in the statement: "Who am I?" By knowing the answer to this question all can be known. The ancient Greeks echoed the same teachings: "Know thyself." Sri Ramakrishna (1836--1886) Sri Ramakrishna was a great spiritual Master who lived in the 18th century. He lived in Calcutta in a temple along the river Ganges. His teachings are found in the classic work: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Two of his disciples are quoted in this site: Swami Vivekananda (1863--1902) and Swami Abhedananda (1866--1939). Vivekananda was one of the first spiritual Masters to come from India to America. He lectured throughout the West and translated essential texts through which Vedanta philosophy could reach the Western world. Abedananda spent over 20 years, from the 1890's to the 1920's, living and teaching in America. The contributions of both men created the solid foundation by which Yoga philosophy and practice could flourish in the West.