Guest guest Posted August 22, 2005 Report Share Posted August 22, 2005 Nora -- You mentioned the Animagi characters from J.A. Rowlings' Harry Potter novels. I'm finally catching up on my neglected reading and am now halfway through the Goblet of Fire book. I've noticed that the four Houses in Hogwart's School of Wizardry seem to parallel the qualities of the different types of Yoga studied in Vedanta. I quote from the Vedanta Society website: "Bhakti Yoga is for the person with an emotional nature, the lover. It teaches a devotional relationship with God, since God is love itself." [This sounds to me like Griffindor House.] "Jnana Yoga is the approach to spiritual enlightenment through discrimination and reason. This makes strong use of the powers of the mind. It is the of the philosopher who wants to go beyond the visible universe." [similar to Ravenclaw House.] "Karma Yoga is for the worker. It teaches us how to work in a spirit that will bring peace of mind, and yet harness the natural desire to be productive." [Just like Hufflepuff House.] "Raja Yoga is sometimes called the yoga of meditation. It is the soul of all the yogas. The emphasis here is on controlling the mind through concentration and meditation. Raja yoga is also called the psychological way to union with God." [The Slytherin House seems similar.] There is nothing new under the sun... -- Len/ Kalipadma None of the yogas asks you to give up your reason and put it in the hands of a spiritual teacher or religious leader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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