A Jewel of Indian Spirituality: Reflections on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

16th May, 2021
15:00 – 16:30 BST

This event is the fourth in a series of seminars under the general title, Unity in Diversity.

Presented by Elizabeth Roberts

Seminar Description

One of a number of sutra texts from the late Upanishadic period, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is a jewel of Indian spirituality. According to its Indian origins, yoga is not just a physical practice but a sacred science of right living and higher awareness aimed at coming to realise the inner truth of the universe – the Divine, God, the Absolute or whatever name one may use to refer to this highest value.

As a text that focuses on spiritual practice, its methods have been adopted and absorbed into many of the religious traditions of the east, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

Such is its current popularity in yoga studios of the west that, along with the Bhagavad Gita, it has come to represent Hinduism to westerners and can be considered a canonical text of world spirituality.

Speaker

Elizabeth Roberts studied English at Oxford, Philosophical Inquiry at Glasgow University and gained an education in the principles and practice of spirituality through the Beshara school.

After a career spent in education she now teaches and practices yoga and ayurveda in the Scottish Borders and is currently Philosophy Tutor on the Yoga Scotland Teacher Training course. She was Chairman of the Beshara Trust from 2008-2014.

Booking

Cost: FREE via Zoom

Registration is via Eventbrite

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12:00 – 13:30 GMT

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Registration via Eventbrite

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9:00am–10:00am GMT

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(Rig Veda)

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5 x 5 weekly modules over three terms. Wednesday evenings from 7-8.30pm GMT/BST

This course will introduce participants to four major traditions of human wisdom – the philosophies of ancient Greece and India, Christian wisdom and Islamic Mysticism. Students will have the opportunity to explore how these traditions might converse with one another and consider what light they have to shed on the issues the world faces today.

Contact: admin@beshara.org

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20:00–21:15 BST/GMT

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4 sessions on the final Wednesday of each month
19:00–20:30 GMT/BST

*NEW COURSE*

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Contact: besharacourses@beshara.org

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