Jnana Yoga

Jnana yoga, also called gyana yoga, is the yoga of true knowledge. It is based on the Hindu philosophy of nondualism, called advaita (nondual) vedanta (Vedic knowledge).
Jnana yoga looks into the truth about who we are and what we are experiencing. The full realization of this truth brings enlightenment. Of course, all yogas offer a direct road to enlightenment if followed fully. Whether a particular road is suitable to reach this goal is a personal matter, largely depending on where you are coming from.
Jnana yoga can serve all people, whatever path they take. It keeps the true objective of yoga in sight and offers the blessing of truth getting closer at every step. But that does not make Jnana Yoga the only or even the best yogic path for everyone. Most yogis will combine jnana yoga with other yogic paths, such as bhakti yoga, karma yoga, and tantra yoga.
A similar nondualistic view of reality is held by many branches of Buddhism, including Zen, by Taoism, by Islamic Sufism, as well as by some branches of Christianity that follow the Gospel of Thomas. Some of the best-known Hindu teachers of Jnana Yoga are Vashishtha, Adi Shankara, Ramana Maharshi, and Nisargadatta Maharaj.

Jnana yoga is the yoga of knowledge; it is theory and practice. Jnana Yoga uses the intellect as a tool to understand that our true Self is behind and beyond our mind. It is, however, a mistake to think the Source could be found with the intellect alone. For the purpose of Self-discovery, Jnana Yoga probes the nature of the Self through the question "Who am I?" Thus Jnana Yoga may be called the Quest for the Self or the Inquiry into "who we are."

Jnana yoga is the path of wisdom. It involves withdrawing the mind and emotions from deluded perceptions and thus beholding Spirit.
The main purpose of jnana meditation is to withdraw the mind and emotions from perceiving life and oneself in a deluded way so that one may behold and live in attunement with Reality, or Spirit.

Jnana yoga or the yoga of knowledge according to the Bhagavadgita as the means to achieve liberation.
Generally speaking, the word "jnana" means knowledge. In Hinduism the word has many connotations. Knowledge is viewed by the Hindu scriptures as both liberating and binding. Knowledge is viewed as the means to achieve certain ends. It can used to fulfill our desires or liberate ourselves. The knowledge that helps us realize our selfish desires and perpetuate our limited identities is considered lower knowledge. It is also termed as avidya or ignorance. The knowledge that helps us overcome our egoistic attitude and desires and realize who we are is considered as higher knowledge or the real knowledge. Real knowledge liberates us from the three impurities of human existences, namely egoism, desire ridden actions and the illusion that we are different from the rest of the world and that the objective reality which we experience through our senses is real and permanent.
Jnana yoga is therefore the pursuit of true knowledge learning how to control our minds and senses and center ourselves in our spiritual selves so that we can become free from our bondage to the cycle of the births and achieve liberation. The Bhagavadgita identifies jnana yoga as one of the three paths to liberation, the path of knowledge, the path of action and the path of devotion. While the path of devotion is described as superior to the other two, jnana yoga is suitable for people who are deeply intellectual.
The second chapter of the Bhagavadgita is known as Jnana Yoga or Samkhya yoga. According to some scholars it is a summary of the Bhagavadgita itself since it contains all the important concepts and ideas of the scripture. It reminds us that we should not identify ourselves with our minds and bodies as we are immortal, spiritual beings and that to transcend our limited nature we have have to gain control over our sense organs and our desires through detachment and equanimity and work for our salvation by performing actions for the sake of God.

Jnana Yoga leads the devotee to experience his unity with the spirit directly by breaking the glass, dissolving the veils of ignorance. Jnana Yoga techniques and paths include: Viveka (intellectual discernment), Neti-neti (discarding thoughts and distractions), Vicara (internal examination and reflection), Vairagya (detachment), Shad-sampat (the six virtues), Mumukshutva (longing for liberation).

The path of right knowledge or Jnana Yoga (also called Gyana Yoga or Dhyana Yoga) means focusing on what is never changing as opposed to the illusions of Maya, which is ever changing. That includes the Ego or false self-identification and Jnana Yoga continually questions reality by finding "not this, not that". Jnana Yoga is the understanding of the laws of existence and the awareness of a means to synchronize with them. In Jnana Yoga one ceases to be attached to forms of expression and becomes drawn to the essence, the process of insight. The cause of bondage is maya. The cause of liberation from maya to bliss is jnana.

Thoughts on various aspects and branches of yoga, brief biographies of several spiritual leaders. Different aspects of Yoga, i.e. Main Ideas, Yoga Sadhana, Yoga Margas, Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Yogic Treatises - Bharata Dharma - Biographies. Mirror Points System in Astrology

Jn&acirc;na yoga or &quot;path of knowledge&quot; is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies. Jn&acirc;na in Sanskrit means &quot;knowledge&quot;.<br />
As used in the Bhagavad Gita, the Advaita philosopher Adi Shankara gave primary importance to jn&acirc;na yoga as &quot;knowledge of the absolute&quot; (Brahman), while the Vishishtadvaita commentator Ramanuja regarded knowledge only as a condition of devotion.<br />
In the Bhagavad Gita (13.3) Krishna says that jn&acirc;na consists of properly understanding kshetra (the field of activity--that is, the body) and kshetra-jna (the knower of the body--that is, the soul). Later in the Gita (13.35) Krishna emphasizes that a transcendentalist must understand the difference between these two.

Jnana is knowledge. To know Brahman as one's own Self is Jnana. To say, &quot;I am Brahman, the pure, all-pervading Consciousness, the non-enjoyer, non-doer and silent witness,&quot; is Jnana. To behold the one Self everywhere is Jnana.<br />
Ajnana is ignorance. To identify oneself with the illusory vehicles of body, mind, Prana and the senses is Ajnana. To say, &quot; I am the doer, the enjoyer, I am a Brahmin, a Brahmachari, this is mine, he is my son,&quot; is Ajnana. Jnana alone can destroy Ajnana, even as light alone can remove darkness.&nbsp;<br />
Brahman, the Supreme Self, is neither the doer of actions nor the enjoyer of the fruits of actions. The creation, preservation and destruction of the world are not due to Him. They are due to the action of Maya, the Lord's energy manifesting itself as the world-process.