Taittiriya Upanishad
The Taittiriya Upanishad is a profound philosophical text that forms a part of the Taittiriya school of the Yajurveda. Its origins are believed to date back to around 1st millennium BCE. Comprising three main sections (Shiksha Valli, Brahmananda Valli, and Bhrigu Valli), this Upanishad delves deep into the fundamental questions of existence, the nature of reality, and the essence of the self.
In the Shiksha Valli, the Upanishad emphasizes the importance of education, both spiritual and worldly, imparting teachings on various aspects of living a righteous life. It includes practical guidance on rituals, conduct, and ethical values, stressing the importance of humility, discipline, and service.
The Brahmananda Valli, also known as the Ananda Valli, explores the nature of Brahman, the ultimate reality, and its relationship with the individual soul (Atman). It discusses the concept of bliss (ananda) and elucidates how the realization of the true self leads to eternal happiness and liberation from the cycle of birth and death (samsara).
The Bhrigu Valli recounts a dialogue between the sage Bhrigu and his father Varuna, where Bhrigu learns about the nature of Brahman through a series of contemplations and realizations. This section further explores the concept of Brahman as the substratum of the universe, the source of all existence, and the underlying essence of all beings.
Throughout the Taittiriya Upanishad, profound insights into metaphysics, cosmology, and spirituality are presented. It remains one of the foundational texts of Hindu philosophy, revered for its timeless wisdom and profound teachings on the nature of reality and the self.
The koshas, the sheaths that are said to cover the self, are explained here in detail. This is one of Dr. Rao's favorite texts to teach.
What a scholar of his standing gives you is the inside view. He has spent a lifetime with this text and he carries the correlations with him, the references out to other works and the traditional readings that sit behind a given line. He also understands how the text meets a modern yoga student, and how to bring a practitioner from outside the tradition into it with humor, warmth, insight, and a genuine love for Sanskrit study.
Dr. H. V. Nagaraj Rao is a scholar of Sanskrit grammar and poetics, trained in both the traditional and the modern methods. He began as a researcher at the Oriental Research Institute in Mysore and has published many original Sanskrit works with English and Kannada translations. He has taught at the University of Chicago as a visiting professor, held a fellowship at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and lectured in Thailand, Hong Kong, Israel and England. He guided the World Sanskrit Conference at Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2006, where he delivered a speech in chaste Sanskrit, and that same year the Sahitya Academy, the highest literary body in India, gave him its award for his translations. He was later chosen for honor by the President of India as a noted Sanskrit scholar, and he is the honorary editor of Sudharma, the only Sanskrit daily newspaper in the world.
Rarer still among Sanskrit scholars of his standing, he teaches in English, and he brings new light to the Gita and the Upanishads while he does it. Now in his 80s, he works with a razor sharp wit and a light hearted humor. He is one of our favorite teachers.
Ten Sundays, ten hours of lecture with Dr. Rao.
Each lecture runs a minimum of one hour, with time for questions and answers at the end. The hour is anchored to 6:30 PM in India, which does not shift its clocks. For the first seven Sundays that is 8:00 AM Central USA, 9:00 AM Eastern, 6:00 AM Pacific, 2:00 PM in Britain and 3:00 PM in Central Europe.
Two clock changes land inside the course. Britain and Central Europe move off summer time on October 25, the United States on November 1, and each shift holds for the Sundays that follow it. India stays at 6:30 PM for all ten.
$108 USD for the full ten weeks.
Video, audio, and a written essay for each lesson. The invite link is sent out right before each session begins.
Class recordings will be provided to all participants. Recordings are yours to keep after the course is complete.
We have a limited number of discount scholarships.
Ten Sundays with Dr. Rao, beginning September 6.
Questions? Write to andrew@ashtangayogastudio.com or WhatsApp +1 405 503-7779.
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