Читать книгу Ashtanga Yoga - The Intermediate Series - Gregor Maehle - Страница 45

In a larger context, this is the basis for the practice of what I call true religion. To practice true religion means to recognize all religions, and particularly those that appear alien to us, as an emanation of and true path to the Supreme Being. A person who claims that truth is to be found only in the religion of his or her tribe is not religious but merely sectarian. A sectarian has an agenda, which is mainly to prove that a particular approach or religion is right or wrong. The emphasis of a sectarian is on controlling the behavior of other people. A truly religious person, in contrast, is not interested in the path through which you reach the Supreme Being but rather in whether you get there and how fast. The emphasis is on the Supreme Being itself and its ecstatic revelation to the individual.

1 Some traditional authorities consider the Western term myth derogatory when used to describe ancient Indian tales. This is because in modern usage, myth is also used to refer to an untrue but commonly believed notion. But this is not the primary definition of myth, which is instead a traditional story about the early history of a people or civilization, often including deities or other supernatural beings. The terms myth and mythology are used here strictly in the primary sense of the term.

2 The Sanskrit term arya means “noble.” It does not refer to ethnicity but denotes people who have a spiritual outlook on life and who accept that in the heart of every person, however foolish he or she may appear, is an eternal, divine self.

3 When Westerners first came to India they applied their knowledge of European culture to India. Since ancient European religions were polytheistic, Western observers projected this knowledge onto the Indian culture and called the Indians’ devas “gods.” This led to the belief that Indians worship many different gods.

4 Skanda Purana, I, 8, 20.

5 Arthur Avalon, Shakti and Shakta (Madras: Ganesh & Co., 1994), p. 288.

6 Ishvara is also listed as one of the 1,000 names of Lord Shiva, but the term is not used here with that meaning.

7 Grammatically the Brahman is masculine, feminine, and neuter simultaneously.

8 Not to be mistaken with the Brahman, the formless absolute.

9 Chandogya Upanishad 8.1.

10 From time to time Indian authorities such as Shankara had to come forward and outlaw some of these meditation images because they had led to some bizarre forms of worship (such as the thuggees). Shankara, his advice obviously not followed by everyone, limited “correct” worship to six divine forms: the Lord Shiva; his two sons Ganesha and Kartikeya (often called Murugan, Ayeppa, Subramaniam, Kumara, or Skanda); the Lord Vishnu (represented by his many avataras such as Lord Rama and Lord Krishna); the Goddess (known by many names, including Uma, Parvati, Durga, and Devi); and finally Surya, the sun.