yoga_philosophy

Introduction

The advice I give to all of my yoga students is to broaden your knowledge of the philosophy of yoga. This will help to give your practice a reason for being and will help you to understand the many concepts and approaches that can be taken when you look at yoga.

Yoga has continually evolved. The nature of the practice remains to this day but yoga's origins are hidden in the mists of time. What tends to happen is that certain beliefs form a bedrock or foundation, a solid structure, on to which new ideas and dimensions are added over the course of many centuries. This diversification makes it hard for a beginner to put a handle on what yoga is. The best thing I can suggest is to begin to 'think outside the box.' You will not be able to pin down into a statement 'this is yoga.' It will be far better to think of distilling your knowledge into an essence of what yoga means for you.

Tantrism

Tantra :- "What extends knowledge"

"According to Buddhist tradition,tantrism was introduced by Asanga (c.400), the eminent Yogacara master and by Nagarjuna (second century A.D.) a famous and mysterious figure in medieval Buddhism"1 By the sixth century tantrism had been adopted into "all the great Indian religions and by all the 'sectarian' schools."1

It is with the advent of tantrism that the human body takes on a greater significance in Indian spiritual practices. Brought forward from Vedic times were the beliefs that the human body is in union with the energies of the cosmos and that it should be healthy,strong and sanctified. But tantrism adds a new interpretation. Tantrism suggests that the body can be seen as a possible route to liberation and should be used as man's instrument to that end. Liberation can be gained in this life and "the body must be preserved as long as possible and in perfect condition, precisely as an aid to meditation". 2

Two additional beliefs now arise. Firstly, total life experience is seen to be of value on the spiritual path and secondly, the will to transform the body into a divine vehicle. This second is the basis of Hatha yoga.

Gorakhnath and Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga is associated with Gorakhnath. He was an ascetic and founded an order called the Kanphata Yogis. He is believed to have lived in the twelfth century. Gorakhnath is said to have written a treatise called Hatha Yoga - now lost. But also one that has survived called Goraksa Sataka. The kanphata yogis are significant, because from them, over subsequent centuries, the great texts of yoga have survived to this day, namely:

Hathayogapradipika by Svatmarama Svamin (about 15th century)

Gheranda Samhita by Gheranda, a Vaisnavite of Bengal

Shiva Samhita

In each of the works there are many Buddhist influences. The Madhyamika vocabulary is used in the Hathayogapradipika. From these works we learn the terms of asana and their benefits and what will become associated with Patanjali's eight limbs of yoga - pranayama, pratyahara, mudras and meditation.

Here are some translated verses from each text:

Hatha Yoga Pradipika:

Chapter 1 Verse 10

"For those continually tempered by the heat of tapas ( the three types of pain -, spiritual, environmental and physical) hatha is like the hermitage giving protection from the heat. For those always united in yoga, hatha is the basis acting like a tortoise"3

Chapter 1 Verse 15

"Overeating, exertion, talkativeness, adhering to rules, being in the company of common people and unsteadiness (wavering mind) are the six (causes) which destroy yoga"3

Gheranda Samhita

Chapter 4 Pratyahara

"Now I shall teach the sublime pratyahara, the mere understanding of which brings about the destruction of enemies such as passion"4

"The restless and unsteady mind is to be reined in from wherever it goes and brought under control in the self."4

"Wherever the sight goes, the mind follows,so draw it back and bring it under control in the self"4

Shiva Samhita

Chapter 2 The microcosm

1"In this body the mount Meru - ie the vertebral column - is surrounded by seven islands; there are rivers, seas, mountains, fields and lords of the fields too."5

2"There are in it seers and sages; all the stars and planets as well. There are sacred pilgrimages, shrines and presiding deities of the shrines."5

3"The sun and moon, agents of creation and destruction,also move in it. Ether, air, fire, water and earth are also there"5