Perhaps the oldest written texts on our planet, India’s most ancient teachings The Vedas date back several thousands of years BC and hold the early seeds of yogic thought and wisdom. These authoritative teachings were 'received' as divine wisdom by the Rishis (sages) who undertook long periods of asceticism and meditation.
The knowledge, rituals and prayers of the Vedas describe what it takes to live an exalted life, be liberated from worldly attachments and entanglements, and to move towards realisation of divine consciousness.
It is not clear how old the Vedas actually are, because they were transmitted via oral tradition, probably for many centuries, before being written down. It is believed that all forms of yogic wisdom have roots in these early texts.
Much later, Maharishi Patanjali who is considered to be an enlightened sage, organised yogic wisdom into a cohesive system (around 200 BCE). His famous work Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is an important reference for all who enter the path of Yoga practice.
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