The Paths of the Four Yogas
“There are four principal pathways that lead to enlightenment:
the yoga of love, the yoga of service, the yoga of knowledge, and the yoga of mysticism. Each of the yogas is a way to eternity, to eternal realization.” – Dr. Frederick Lenz – Rama
The Four Yogas
- Bhakti Yoga – The Yoga of Love
- Karma Yoga – The Yoga of Self-Giving
- Jnana Yoga – The Yoga of Discrimination and Absorption
- The Yoga of Mysticism
Bhakti Yoga – the yoga of love
The path that is followed by most persons in the beginning of their spiritual search is the path of love. Love is the easiest and most effective way to begin our search for self-realization, for ourselves. Love is the highest of all the qualities that we can experience. The more we know about love, the more we experience love, the happier and more complete we are.
Karma Yoga- the yoga of self – giving
Why aren’t you happy? Why aren’t all of you happy when there’s so much to have and so much to be? The reason is very simple. At the root of all problems we find one causal answer – self-giving. The reason you’re not happy, the reason the world lacks peace, the reason that we cannot find ourselves, is that we lack happiness – happiness that comes from self-giving.
Jnana Yoga – the yoga of discrimination
Discrimination means seeing that which is real and knowing that which is unreal. That which is real is that which is eternal, that which lasts forever. The yoga of knowledge is a way of reflection. The central question that we ask ourselves, again and again, is,
“Who am I?” To find this out it is necessary to meditate, to still our thoughts, and to go within. We discover, ultimately, that we are the self, we are eternity.
The Yoga of Mysticism
There are four principal pathways that lead to self-realization. Mysticism is the hidden way. The mystic practices the art of intentionality. Intentionality is the awareness of being in all of its profundity and a gentle humor, a not-so-serious view of our existence, a pure love of life in both its finiteness and its infiniteness.
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How to Practice
Each of the yogas is a way to eternity, to eternal realization. In the course of an individual being’s evolution, we will practice each of these yogas. In one incarnation, in one lifetime, we may just focus on the path of love, in another the path of service, perhaps in another knowledge or mysticism. One path is not superior to another. Each path has something special to offer. It is a way, a bridge between the finite and the infinite, between here and eternity.
“As you meditate you find a deeper joy, a more beautiful awareness, entering your life every day. You become conscious that there are realms beyond sight and sound and that the very essence of existence is within us, not within our bodies or minds, but within our awareness. The dream fades a little bit and reality comes a little bit closer.”
– Rama – Dr. Frederick Lenz
“Enlightenment is cumulative. You become a little more enlightened each day as you practice yoga and Buddhism.” – Rama
The descriptions on this page are based on the Lakshmi Series talk set.
The Lakshmi Series is combined of 28 talk recordings produced by Rama – Dr. Frederick Lenz in 1982 and 1983. These teachings cover a vast range of topics that Rama once called “the basics that everyone should know”.