Manoj Chalam is a rarely brilliant and balanced person.  A researcher and scientist, he also fluidly navigates spirituality and ancient texts, backing up tradition with evidence.  The hour-long talk was a brief introduction to the gods and goddesses of the vedantic tradition with a focus on their important role as archetypes and spiritual guides.

Manoj also outlined the four basic paths of yoga and explained the need for all of them in a balance unique to each individual's karmic weight.  The stories and symbolism of different deities encourage different openings along one's unique path.  This is definitely something I want to spend some time with: discovering an archetype that resonates with me and then learning its lessons through sitting in meditation with the symbols.

If you haven't gotten much into the metaphor of ganasha--a giant elephant headed god--riding on a mouse--a symbol for the racing mind--to squash it into clarity or the story of Patanjali (author of the foundational Yoga Sutra) falling from heaven as a snake to experience life's lessons, then it is time to pick up Manoj's book and enjoy the history of enlightenment.