Concepts of the Divine in the Works of B.K.S. Iyengar as a Reflection of the Ideas of the Founders of Neo-Vedanta

Abstract

The article discusses concepts of the Divine in the works of the modern yoga school founder, B.K.S. Iyengar. The center of interest is the basic accents put by Iyengar on various aspects of the Divine. The author gives the comparative analysis of the ideas about the Divine of Iyengar and founders of neo-vedanta and the world-famous reformers of Hinduism, such as Ram Mohan Rai, Swami Dayananda, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda. To disclose the specifics of views on the problems of the search for and knowledge of God, the presentation of proofs of the existence of God, the relationship between God and the soul the methods of historic-philosophical reconstruction and comparative analysis were used. The author shows that it is impossible to determine whether Iyengar's teaching belongs to a particular school of Vedanta. Iyengar’s beliefs share the views of the Advaita Vedanta and Vishishta Advaita philosophers. The conclusion that Iyengar philosophical views are an uncritical mixing of the ideas of Western and Eastern religious and philosophical teachings and continue the Neo-Vedanta tradition is done.