What are the Four Paths Towards Yoga? (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))
Revision Note
Written by: Glenn Millington
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
The Four Paths
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a Hindu discipline and part of a Hindu’s spiritual journey which allows for loving service to God and unites Hindus in their pursuit of moksha
Yoga in some countries is connected with a leisure activity involving stretching, movement and meditation
More broadly, yoga includes a variety of spiritual and physical practices intended to encourage mental and bodily wellbeing
Within Hinduism, yoga is not just concerned with the action of yoga itself but also with the outcome of the practice in terms of religious devotion
The Bhagavad Gita mentions yoga and as this is a holy scripture, it adds importance to the practice of yoga
And of all yogis, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me – he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion (Bhagavad Gita 6.44–47)
There are four ways, or paths, of practicing Yoga: Karma yoga, jnana yoga, astanga yoga and bhakti yoga
The Four Paths
Karma Yoga | Jnana Yoga |
|---|---|
The path of unselfish action by doing the daily work and the duties of your stage in life and caste, without the desire for reward or selfish gain Talent and fulfilling your own potential for the good of society is considered to be the path of karma yoga Gandhi, who worked tirelessly and selflessly in campaigns for Indian independence and the upliftment of the untouchables, was seen as the ideal karma yogi | Jnana is the path of knowledge and understanding, achieved through deep meditation and an experience of oneness with the supreme spirit, Brahman Yogis following this path focus on the limitations of this temporary life and so instead focus on what is eternal They believe that through this understanding and knowledge, they will gain true wisdom, knowledge and happiness |
Astanga / Raja Yoga | Bjakti Yoga |
This is also known as ‘royal yoga’ and is regarded by many Hindus as the highest form of yoga as it is fulfillment of all of the other three ways This is a form of self-control over both the senses and the mind Raja yoga involves deep contemplation of Brahman, and when success is achieved, the yogi’s personality is transformed and they are freed from anger, greed, envy and sadness | Bhakti is loving devotion, so Hindus who choose this path choose to express their beliefs through a loving relationship with a personal deity Yogis following this path will sing and chant God’s name The yogi is surrendering to their chosen deity and feels the experience of complete peace and love of God By doing this they get refuge from God and believe it will lead them to moksha |
The Differences Between the Four Paths
Hindus believe that, through yoga, Hindus can reach God either as a personal god (vaikuntha) or as the God within humans (antaryami)
Hindus choose the type of yoga they want to practise depending on the stage they are at in their life, as they will require different things at different times
The four paths, although different, all have the same intention, but there is a certain aspect of the mind involved in a particular path or practice
In Karma Yoga the active aspect of mind is involved
In Bhakti Yoga, the emotional aspect
In Rāja Yoga, the mystical aspect
In Jñāna Yoga, the intellectual aspect
Although each path is different, each yoga blends into the next; each yoga balances and strengthens the others
Hindus may use elements of each path, or switch paths depending on which is most appropriate to their the stage of life
Worked Example
Which one of the following is not one of the Four Paths towards Yoga?
[1 mark]
A Jnana
B Bhakti
C Raja
D Moksha
Answer:
D - Moksha
Reasoning
Jnana, Bhakti and Raja are all paths towards Yoga where as Moksha is what Hindus are hoping to achieve
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You may be asked to evaluate the importance of one form of yoga over the others
For example, a previous question asked;
‘For a Hindu, devotion (bhakti yoga) is the best way to achieve union with the divine (God)’
Evaluate this statement
In your answer you should:
refer to Hindu teaching
give reasoned arguments to support this statement
give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
reach a justified conclusion [12 marks]
Arguments in support of the statement could include
Devotion is love and requires only that a person does something for the deity out of love, eg pilgrimage, offerings
Devotion motivates a person to focus on the deity so they learn from that deity and by being motivated to do this, all other yogas are practised. For example, jnana because they want to learn more from the scriptures, karma because they want to act in the way their deity does ie help others, astanga because meditation allows insight into religious truths
Devotion does not rely on wealth, intelligence or self-discipline/bodily health, just love and so can be done by anyone
Bhakti makes a person a nicer person who helps the world and reaches moksha as a result
‘Bhakti softens the heart and removes jealousy, hatred, lust, anger, egoism, pride, and arrogance. It infuses joy, divine ecstasy, bliss, peace, and knowledge. All cares, worries and anxieties, fears, mental torments, and tribulations entirely vanish. The devotee is freed from the Samsaric wheel of births and deaths. He attains the immortal abode of everlasting peace, bliss, and knowledge’ – Swami Sivananda
Arguments in support of other views could include
Anything a Hindu does in their religious practice is valuable, whether they make offerings to the deity, make pilgrimage, help others, study scripture, focus on achieving moksha, all are rewarded
There are four kinds of yoga, bhakti, jnana, astanga and karma and so they should be able to do any
They might find their personality suited better to a different form of yoga and it might suit their stage in life
Ultimately, each path has the same aim and are interconnected and so there is not one better than the others
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