Sanatana Dharma
The Essence of The Yoga Life
Sanatana Dharma, an ancient Sanskrit term, can be literally translated as eternal truth.
It is a unique worldview of faith, belief, and spirituality, a path of spirituality that is not
opposed to any creed, any prophet, to any incarnation, to any pathway to enlightenment
or Self-realization.
Sanatana Dharma, later called Hinduism because its adherents were primarily from the
Indus River Valley, recognizes that each age and each country will bring forth fresh ways
of expressing spiritual truths: different paths of realization, different modes of worship,
different rituals, different names and forms – different ways of relating to - the One
Source and Essence, what we call God.
Sanatana Dharma recognizes the spark of Divinity within each individual and the
potential of any being to realize it for themselves. Anyone who has realized this spiritual
Truth is therefore qualified to teach its nature and the means of its direct personal
realization.
One of the most important principles of Sanatana Dharma is found in the Rig Veda, one
of the oldest sacred texts in the world:
Truth is One; paths to its realization are many.
The way to experience this Truth is not limited to any one faith tradition. There may be
many trails capable of leading us to the summit of a mountain, but on reaching the top,
we find the same vision. That vision, the experience of oneness of all life, is Sanatana
Dharma. It is a vision of understanding the individual’s need for freedom in finding the
path that best suits them and for the respectful acceptance of the path taken by others.
Yoga is a collection of principles and practices that help take us to the mountaintop. To
directly experience the view from the summit. Yoga is a time-tested holistic spiritual path
grounded in moral and ethical precepts, meditation, worship, selfless service, study, and
the promotion of physical well-being.
This is the heart of yoga: rooted by tradition in India, but ever-willing and able to adapt to
today’s world.