Taking a Look at the Mahabarata

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The Mahabharata is one of the great texts of Asian Philosophy. It is one of the two main texts that influenced the philosophies and culture of India and Southeast Asia (1). It is an epic that had great historical significance and encompasses much of the ethics and religious teachings of the Hindu culture through story and lesson (2). Within the Mahabharata is the Bhagavad-Gita. It is located in the middle of the epic within a section containing only about 700 verses (3). In comparison to the entire Mahabharata, this is only a small subset. Overall, The Bhagavad-Gita is symbolizes the struggle between ‘ego’ and ‘higher nature’ (4). The underlying themes in this text are used as tools in the teachings of Yoga; the teachings of unity of the mind and body, calmness, practice and spirituality (5). The Gita speaks of awareness and what one needs to do to achieve enlightenment, while also providing the steps to do so.
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Yoga and Sankhya are discussed. Sankhya encompasses the idea that purusha (consciousness) and prakriti (nature) joining in unison is the bases for the universe. The purusha refers to atman. Atman is the Self or the eternal person. Prakriti is what is fundamentally natural. The three gunas sattva, rajas, and tamas demonstrate this. Sattva is peace and serenity, like sunlight. Rajas is activity and restlessness like lightning, and laziness and stupidity like a rock (6). The major theme in this is that most would assume that enlightenment is sattva, but even peace and serenity have to be overcome.
To really understand the difference between Sankhya and Yoga more explanation is necessary. Sankhya and Yoga is like knowledge and action. Although they seem separate, they are rooted in ...

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... can focus their attention on God and the self. (8)
The Asanas are the poses that provide discipline to the body and the mind through a physical means. The places focus on the distribution of energy. Going into the pose creates it, holding the pose organizes it and circulates it through the body, and coming out of the pose holds and keeps the energy. When these poses become rhythmic and effortless, the body, mind and self come together to isvara pranidhana, which is devotion to God. Pranayama controls the mind while pratyahara detaches one from the world around them like their senses and perceptions. Within breath control one can move to the stage of pratyahara to move inward and detach from their senses and desires. (8)
These last three are very interconnected and are the meditative stages. The Bhagavad Gita provides instructions on how to achieve this:

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