1.
FOUR KINDS OF
YOGA
A S H I S H DA L E L A
I N T R O D U C I N G V E D I C P H I L O S O P H Y — L E S S O N 9

2.
THE STRUCTURE
OF EXPERIENCE

3.
THREE COMPONENTS OF EXPERIENCE
RELATION
(sat)
• The ‘reference’ of
experience
• E.g. the individual
object and property
instance
• The reference is
comprised of
individuals and the
directedness of
awareness
COGNITION
(chit)
• The ‘content’ of
experience
• E.g. the objects
(such as table) and
their properties
(such as shape and
color)
• The content is
comprised of
universals
EMOTION
(ananda)
• The ‘desire’ for a
particular type of
experience
• E.g. the feelings of
like and dislike
• The desire exists
even when the
content and
reference don’t

4.
C O N T E N T H A S T WO
PA RT S — AC T I O N
A N D K N OW L E D G E
• Cognition perceives the
universal objects and their
properties, which are then
described as concepts
• Each object-concept has two
kinds of property-concepts:
action and knowledge
• E.g. color, taste, and smell are
knowledge property concepts,
and holding, walking, running
are action property concepts
RELATION COGNITION EMOTION
KNOWLEDGE ACTION
We confirm the truth of cognition by detecting knowledge
and action property concepts. E.g. something is a knife if it
looks like a knife (shape, size, sharpness, hardness, etc.) and
can be used as a knife (e.g. cut fruits and vegetables).

5.
EACH ASPECT CREATES A HIERARCHY
BODY
LEG HAND
PALM FINGER
CEO
HEAD OF
FINANCE
HEAD OF
SALES
EUROPE
SALES
ASIA
SALES
BE
HAPPY
HAVE A
FAMILY
HAVE A
CAREER
EARN
MONEY
EXCITING
WORK
HIERARCHY OF
CONCEPTS
HIERARCHY OF
ROLES
HIERARCHY OF
EMOTIONS

6.
C O G N I T I O N ,
E M OT I O N , A N D
R E L AT I O N L I M I T E D
• Our experiences are limited to
very small portions of this tree
• E.g. we are unaware of the true
nature of deeper or abstract
concepts such as beauty, fame,
power, wealth, etc.
• We just see their superficial
instances or manifestations
• We have individual instances of
knowledge but can’t define
what knowledge itself is
RELATIVE
SPACE
ABSOLUTESPACE
1
2 3 4
5 6
7 8
1
2 3 4
1 2
3 4

7.
WHAT IS YOGA?

8.
T H E D E F I N I T I O N
O F YO G A
• Yoga is the process of connecting
the leaf to the root
• This connection doesn’t include all
the other branches or leaves
–The soul’s experience never
becomes equal to God’s experience
–However, the soul experiences the
personal relationship to God
• Union with what?
• The soul’s experience is a
branch or leaf of all tree of
experiences
• Yoga means knowing the
connection of this leaf/branch
to the root
• The root or origin of this tree
is God. Yoga therefore means
union with God

9.
F O U R K I N D S O F
YO G A
• Yoga types are different paths
from the leaf to the root
• Given that there are four
different ways the leaf is
connected to the root, there
are four paths to the root
• They are all ‘yoga’ because they
connect the leaf to the root
• But they are different types of
‘yoga’ because the paths to the
root are different
RELATION COGNITION EMOTION
KNOWLEDGE ACTION
DHYANA
YOGA
JNANA
YOGA
KARMA
YOGA
BHAKTI
YOGA

10.
UNDERSTANDING
YOGA TYPES

11.
W H AT I S K A R M A
YO G A ?
Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 2,Text 47
karmany evadhikaras te
ma phalesu kadacana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango 'stv akarmani
TRANSLATION
You have a right to perform your prescribed duty,
but you are not entitled to the fruits of action.
Never consider yourself to be the cause of the
results of your activities, and never be attached to
not doing your duty.
PURPORT
There are three considerations here: prescribed duties,
capricious work, and inaction. Prescribed duties refer to
activities performed while one is in the modes of material
nature. Capricious work means actions without the
sanction of authority, and inaction means not performing
one's prescribed duties.
• Karma-yoga is about freedom
from karma. Since karma is
created by our actions, karma-
yoga is action that doesn’t
produce karma
• Karma-yoga has three parts:
• Not performing duties with
desire (of getting favorable
results per our efforts)
• Not doing actions that are
not our duties (frivolous
actions not expected of us)
• Not neglecting duties
(because we may not get the
results as per our efforts)

12.
W H AT I S J Ñ Ā N A
YO G A ?
Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 7,Text 6
etad-yonini bhutani
sarvanity upadharaya
aham krtsnasya jagatah
prabhavah pralayas tatha
TRANSLATION
Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this
world, know for certain that I am both its origin and
dissolution.
Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 7,Text 7
mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva
TRANSLATION
O conquerer of wealth [Arjuna], there is noTruth
superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are
strung on a thread.
• Jñāna-yoga is about freedom from
illusion. Since illusion is created by
ignorance, jñāna-yoga is meant to
cut down ignorance and illusion
• What is ignorance?
• The idea that the things of this
world are independent of God;
that my identity is independent
of God’s identity
• Due to this supposed
independence God is unknown
• Jñāna-yoga is the effort of
knowing how God creates the
world, exists in the world, and
then destroys the world

13.
W H AT I S D H Y Ā N A
YO G A ?
Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 6,Text 13-14
samam kaya-siro-grivam
dharayann acalam sthirah
sampreksya nasikagram svam
disas canavalokayan
prasantatma vigata-bhir
brahmacari-vrate sthitah
manah samyamya mac-citto
yukta asita mat-parah
TRANSLATION
One should hold one's body, neck and head erect
in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the
nose.Thus with an unagitated, subdued mind,
devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one
should meditate upon Me within the heart and
make Me the ultimate goal of life.
• Dhyana-yoga is about purifying
our consciousness by focusing
it upon the immanent form of
God called Paramātma
• Jnana-yoga engages the mind in
the thoughts of true
knowledge, Dhyana-yoga stops
the thinking of the mind.
• The mind perceives the
individuality (haecceity) of things.
By purifying the mind, one is
able to see the self and its
relationship to Paramātma

14.
W H AT I S B H A K T I
YO G A ?
Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 18,Text 65
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo 'si me
TRANSLATION
Always think of Me and become My devotee.Worship
Me and offer your homage unto Me.Thus you will come
to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are
My very dear friend.
Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 18,Text 66
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
TRANSLATION
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto
Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not
fear.
• Bhakti-yoga is about forming a
loving relationship with God
• In this personal relationship, the
emotions and desires of soul
and God are prioritized over
the pursuit of prefect
knowledge
• The dharma of the soul is
defined not through worldly
relations but only in
relationship to God

15.
THE HIERARCHY
OF YOGA
SYSTEMS

16.
ALL YOGA SYSTEMS AREN’T THE SAME
Chapter 12,Verse 8: Just fix your mind upon Me, the
Supreme Lord, and engage all your intelligence in Me.Thus
you will live in Me always, without a doubt.
Chapter 12,Verse 9: My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if
you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then
follow the regulated principles of bhakti-yoga In this way
you will develop a desire to attain to Me.
Chapter 12,Verse 10: If you cannot practice the regulations
of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because by
working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.
Chapter 12,Verse 11: If, however,you are unable to work in
this consciousness,then try to act giving up all results of
your work and try to be self-situated.
Chapter 12,Verse 12: If you cannot take to this practice,
then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better
than knowledge,however,is meditation, and better than
meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by
such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.
JñānaYoga
DhyānaYoga
KarmaYoga
Vaidhi Bhakti
Rāga Bhakti

17.
RATIONALE FOR HIERARCHY
JñānaYoga
DhyānaYoga
KarmaYoga
Vaidhi Bhakti
Rāga Bhakti
The basis of all forms of yoga is theoretical knowledge that
God is the creator, maintainer, and dissolver of the world
After knowledge, we have to begin some form of meditative
practice – spend some time of the day in meditation
Once meditation improves, then we dovetail most of our life
activities (most of the day) toward serving God
As we offer service to God, we develop devotion and we
can worship His deity form by the body and mind
As the mental worship improves, the devotee is constantly
able to associate with God through their mind

18.
“MONKEY” AND “CAT” APPROACHES
JñānaYoga
DhyānaYoga
KarmaYoga
Vaidhi Bhakti
Rāga Bhakti
The child of a monkey attaches to the mother.This
requires “effort” on the part of the monkey child. Similarly,
in the early phases of yoga practice, there is effort involved
in practicing yoga.This is called tapasya or austerity; one
has to undertake ‘austerity’ to acquire knowledge, control
the mind during meditation, undergo difficulties in serving.
The “cat” approach to devotion.The child of the cat is
carried by the mother cat in her mouth.The austerity ends.
Deity worship is for those who have perfect knowledge,
mind control, and life dedicated to God’s service.

19.
K N OW L E D G E I S T H E
B A S I S , P U R I T Y I S
T H E F O R C E
• All forms of yoga begin in the
acquisition of perfect knowledge
–How God is the creator, maintainer,
and destroyer of everything
–How God is simultaneously
transcendent and immanent
–How everything is emanated from
God and merges back into God
• Unless perfect knowledge is
acquired, the successive
practices of meditation, service,
and deity worship cannot be
perfectly practiced
• If knowledge has been acquired,
the purity of meditation, service,
and deity worship become
successively important
• This ‘purity’ means controlling
the mind, detachment from
results, and tolerance of
difficulties in the process

20.
“To become free from sinful
life, there is only simple
method: if you surrender to
Kṛṣṇa.That is the beginning
of bhakti.”
― A. C. Bhaktivedānta
Swami Prabhupāda
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