"The soul of man is his friend when by the Spirit he has conquered his soul... When his soul is in peace he is in peace, and then his soul is in God. In cold or in heat, in pleasure or in pain, in glory or in disgrace, he is ever Him...

The Yogi who, lord of his mind, ever prays in this harmony of soul, attains the peace of Nirvana, the peace supreme that is in me...

Thus joy supreme comes to the Yogi whose heart is still, whose passions are peace, who is pure from sin, who is one with Brahman, with God."

Bhagavad Gita 6:6-7,15, :27

Founding Where: India. When: no specific date, practiced at least since 3000 B.C.E. By Whom: no specific founder, though often attributed to Krsna. Important Texts: the Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata.

Modern Facts Major Divisions: Reform, Shaivite, Vashnavite, Veerashaiva (Lingayat) Where Found: primarily South Asia, but also in North America and elsewhere. Population: 830 million total: 580 million Vaishnavites, 220 million Shaivites, 22 million Reform, 10 million Veerashnaivas.