Yoga

Jnana Yoga is the yoga of the thinker. One who wants to go past the visible, touchable reality. Jnana in Sanskrit means "knowledge" and is often thought to mean "knowledge of the true self". The Jnana Yogi attains God by gaining knowledge.

Yoga using the intellect demands vast strength of will to discriminate and to reason. It is thought to be the yoga of analysis.

In the first part, the student gains knowledge of the Vedas, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Geeta. In the second stage, the student asks for the help of a Guru to help him/her in doubts and thoughts. In the last and third stage, the student focuses on deep Dhayana, totally without doubts or hesitations.

This yoga is most popular with people who like to think and study, people who love to gain knowledge and the growth of their mind.

Jiddu Krishnamurti begain this type of yoga. He was born in India in 1895. He was adopted by a western woman who was convinced he was to become a great spiritual teacher. He moved away from this in 1929, after questioning his path greatly. He then travelled the world, speaking as a real person, having discussions and being with the people. He died in February 1986.

His want was to set people free in their minds so they might find harmony within themselves. He also wanted to help people find the way to transform their human psyche. Thus, leaving behind the need for violence and suffering that has been a part of human existence for thousands of years. His belief was that if only 12 people were transformed, that would be enough to change the world.

Education was one of his main beliefs. Krishnamurti believed that there was no direct way to transformation. No exact method or guru could help people. He believed that an increasing awareness of one's own mind could be the only way for transformation to occur and encouraged people to follow this gentle path.