Course Overview
The gnostic Gospel of Phillip says, Christ came not to make us Christians but to make us Christ, one with the Mysterious Ultimate. Only those who are able to practice the discipline taught by the Christ can be regarded as his disciples. The teaching of the Christ, like all other transformational teachings, is not easy to practice. As Christ himself said, “He who is near me is near the fire; he who is far from me is far from the Kingdom” (Gospel of Thomas). Sadly, the church authorities have emphasised belief much more than search, thus diluting the transformational teachings of the Christ. But all those who take Christ’s teachings seriously need to do their part. This set of four webinars by Ravi Ravindra is meant to be in the service of the transformational teachings of the Christ. Although he published a book titled The Yoga of the Christ (published in North America under the title The Gospel of John in the Light of Indian Mysticism), these webinars will not be based exclusively on that book. The presentations will be based on the spiritual teachings of the Christ as expressed in the gospels, both canonical and gnostic, writings of St. Paul, John of the Cross, Meister Eckhart, Angelus Silesius and others found in the classical mystical books in the Christian heritage such as The Philokalia, Theologia Germania and The Cloud of Unknowing. The focus will be on the understanding of Christ’s teachings brought by the Christian sages who tried to live according to his teachings, and not on the usual mass-level teachings of the Christian organizations.
Watch the first lesson from the course
Uncover the journey towards success in sharing knowledge.
Ravi Ravindra
Ravi Ravindra obtained B.S. (Hons) and M.Tech from IIT, Kharagpur, before doing M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Toronto. Later he obtained an M.A. in Philosophy at Dalhousie University. At different times he has held Post-doctoral fellowships in Physics (University of Toronto), History and Philosophy of Science (Princeton University) and in Religion (Columbia University). He is now Professor Emeritus at Dalhousie University in Halifax (Canada) where he had taught courses in the departments of Physics, Philosophy and Comparative Religion. He was a Member of the Institute of Advanced Study in Princeton, a fellow of the Indian Institute of Advance Study in Shimla, the Founding Director of the Threshold Award for Integrative Knowledge. He is an Honorary Member of the Scientific and Medical Network, of the European Yoga Society, and a Fellow of the Temenos Academy, England. He was a judge for the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion for three years. Ravi’s spiritual search has led him to the teachings of J. Krishnamurti, G. I. Gurdjieff, Zen, Yoga, and a deep immersion in the mystical teachings of the Indian and Christian classical traditions. He is the author of hundreds of articles and several books on religion, science, mysticism and spirituality. For decades he has been one of the prominent voices in Science and Spirituality.
Curriculum
-
-
the_yoga_of_the_christ-week_1_-_talk (720p) Free preview
-
the_yoga_of_the_christ-week_1_exchange (720p) Free preview
-
-
-
(Included in full purchase)
the_yoga_of_the_christ_webinar_2_-_part_1 (720p)
-
(Included in full purchase)
the_yoga_of_the_christ_webinar_2-_part-2 (720p)
-
(Included in full purchase)
-
-
(Included in full purchase)
yoga_of_christ_webinar_3-week_1 (720p)
-
(Included in full purchase)
yoga_of_christ_webinar_3_-_part_2 (1080p)
-
(Included in full purchase)
-
-
(Included in full purchase)
yoga_of_christ_webinar_4_-_part_1 (720p)
-
(Included in full purchase)
yoga_of_christ_webinar_4_-_part_2 (720p)
-
(Included in full purchase)
What people are saying
Testimonials build trust — fast. Edit this section to show how your product is making a difference and help your audience purchase with confidence.
Ravindra’s is a great book. It challenges the spirit. It calls for deep cogitation and prayerful reconsideration of eternal verities. The author has understood the cosmic significance of Jesus Christ as the universal Spirit, Truth and Love. Undoubtedly, the best commentary on the Fourth Gospel from an Indian point of view…
Chennai
Superb in every way! It catches the tone and spirit of St John and this gospel’s profound coherence with other traditions, particularly the Hindu tradition in India and of course the Bhagavad Gita.
author of The Universe Story
IN OUR PLURALISTIC world”, says Ravi Ravindra in his introduction to The Yoga of the Christ, “cross-cultural communication has become a matter of necessity for global survival.” He goes on to claim that a new consciousness is emerging, and that one of its features is a “nonsectarian spirituality”. His book is an attempt to contribute to the development of this new consciousness, and in particular to show how one of the central texts in the Christian tradition- the Gospel of John-contains truths which transcend religious and cultural boundaries. Ravindra believes that his interpretation of John shows that the exclusiveness which characterises much of Christianity fails to understand the true meaning of texts such as St. John’s Gospel.
Shows the benefits that cross-cultural perspectives can bring, helping readers to see with the heart as well as the head. . . . The best study of St. John’s Gospel that I have found.
Parabola
Dazzlingly brilliant spiritual and cross-cultural study of the most mystical of the books of the Bible, the Gospel of John. Few will finish this book unchanged, either intellectually or spiritually.
author of The Cross and the Grail
Looking at Christ through Hindu eyes, Ravindra’s ‘external’ view of Christ is in ways more faithful to Christian history than much Western Christology now manages to be. This makes The Yoga of the Christ something of a landmark in interfaith dialogue.
author of The World’s Religions
For the first time, a systematic study of the Gospel according to St. John is made by a non-Christian. Dr. Ravindra explores John’s twenty-one chapters, one by one, with beautiful and incisive style… Ravindra’s commentary is not an intellectual exercise but a heart pilgrimage. He warns us that the ‘rational mind is always uneasy about the Spirit which displaces it from the centre of being…’ The author shares with us his spiritual journey, using John’s Gospel as the structure for his development. The basis of personal experience of the spirit within us is reminiscent of Pascal’s Pensées, and, closer to us, Thomas Merton’s reflections on Zen Buddhism… Stemming from this are larger, more universal truths; on an otherwise too-familiar text he brings us countless insights, which can only be gained from such a fresh perspective. Throughout the book these nuggets startle and delight… The Yoga of the Christ will be for many readers such a source of light, as the best insights of the Hindu tradition are integrated to better reveal the dynamic elasticity and immense spiritual wealth of John’s Gospel.
in-Atlantic Provinces Book Review
Ravindra’s book remains a moving guide to this most deeply mystical of the canonical gospels and is excellent on several themes such as Christ as both crucifer and crucified, on the nature of evil and the role of Satan, on both Judas and Peter. All offered as insight into the theory and practice of our own transformation, its possibilities and difficulties.
The reflections of Ravi Ravindra will stimulate the initiated as well as the less informed readers. This book contributes, in a spirit of tolerance, to the enrichment of religions
author of The Hidden Christ of Hinduism
…just to say that reading your Yoga [of the Christ] is not merely a delight, it also tended to make me weep. How is it, I wondered, paragraph by paragraph almost, that so many Christians fail to understand the Gospel of John when ‘an outsider ‘ can do it so much better? On second thoughts, however, I realised that that was grossly imperceptive of me… Of course, I have come to know—and by now should have not merely known, but viscerally realized and assumed—that insight, the ability to understand, is a function of the observer’s spiritual depth, not of his or her community membership. And therefore of course you would understand better
(the Founding Director of the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University, in a letter dated July 6, 1990)
In need of a Scholarship?
We understand that some of us need this knowledge for our spiritual growth, but currently are not in a position to afford the full price. If you are facing such difficulties, please do not hesitate to write to us at, [email protected] with the subject, "scholarship - Yoga of the christ" and we will revert immediately with alternative payment options that will suit you.
Timeless wisdom, for those with less time. Enroll and join the community.
Enroll Now and get access to a community of fellow seekers enrolled for the same course. This course is designed with you in mind. Learn it your way.