Another thing that the Yoga-sutras have borrowed from Buddhism is the notion of bhumi (land) in the sense of level or state of the mind in its advance towards kaivalya. These bhumis are: ksipta (restless), mudha (torpid), viksipta (distracted), ekagra (one-pointed), and niruddha (suppressed). The first two involve the predominance of rajas and tamas respectively; in the third sattva is predominant with some rajas. The fourth is the predominance of sattva. The fifth is the arrest of all gunas, but persistence of samskaras in the 'unconscious'. (Very much what Vipassana teaches.)
I was thinking: this is what we need to stress in our novitiate and post-novitiate. Obviously all our candidates, and all of us too, are restless, torpid, distracted, and we have to become one-pointed. But even at this fourth stage there is the work of handling the subconscious. Only beyond this is kaivalya or whatever it is that is homologous to kaivalya....
Hence the practice of sitting... under guidance.
"[T]he Yoga of Patanjali may at its best approach 'natural mysticism'" (Guidelines 256) A judgment shared also by Bede Griffiths.
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Yoga borrowings from Buddhism
I am amazed to find that Yoga has borrowed from Buddhism, rather than vice versa!
I must make this more precise: the Yoga-sutras of Patanjali have borrowed from Buddhism. Yoga itself is far older than the Yoga-sutras, which De Smet places in late 5 AD or early 6 AD. In fact, De Smet points out that Buddhism as a whole must be considered essentially as a system of yoga (see Guidelines 250).
The requisites of yoga are vairagya and abhyāsa. Abhyāsa is the repeated practice of the means of yoga and the good use of the 5 means (upaya) (cf. upaya-kausalya of Bddhism and Gita): sraddha, virya, smrti, samadhi, prajna. "These five means are obviously adopted from Buddhism." (Guidelines 252-253) In fact, I remember some of these terms from my brief acquaintance with Vipassana at Igatpuri: the need for faith in the method; the prajna or panna.
I must make this more precise: the Yoga-sutras of Patanjali have borrowed from Buddhism. Yoga itself is far older than the Yoga-sutras, which De Smet places in late 5 AD or early 6 AD. In fact, De Smet points out that Buddhism as a whole must be considered essentially as a system of yoga (see Guidelines 250).
The requisites of yoga are vairagya and abhyāsa. Abhyāsa is the repeated practice of the means of yoga and the good use of the 5 means (upaya) (cf. upaya-kausalya of Bddhism and Gita): sraddha, virya, smrti, samadhi, prajna. "These five means are obviously adopted from Buddhism." (Guidelines 252-253) In fact, I remember some of these terms from my brief acquaintance with Vipassana at Igatpuri: the need for faith in the method; the prajna or panna.
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