Eliade. Yoga Immortality and freedom

CONTENT

FOREWORD

I. THE TEACHINGS OF YOGA
Starting point - Equivalence of suffering and existence - "I" - Substance - Relationship between Spirit and primordial matter - How is liberation possible? – Structure of mental experience – Unconscious

II. SELF-MASTERY TECHNIQUES
Concentration on "one point" - Yogic postures (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama) - Digression: pranayama in non-Indian asceticism - Yogic concentration and meditation - The meaning of Ishvara - Concentration and hypnosis - Samadhi "with support" - Siddhis or "extraordinary abilities- Samadhi "without support" and final liberation - Reintegration and freedom

III. YOGA AND BRAHMANISM
Ascetics and masters of ecstasy in the Vedas - Tapas and yoga - "Inner" rituals - Symbolism and gnosis of the Upanishads - Immortality and freedom - Yoga in the Maitri Upanishad - Sannyasa Upanishads - Yogic Upanishads - "Brahmanistic magic" and yoga: Rigvidhana - "Good" and "evil" ascetics and contemplatives

IV. TRIUMPH OF YOGA
Yoga and Hinduism - Yoga in the Mahabharata - Yoga and Sankhya in the Mahabharata - Yogic techniques in the Mahabharata - Yogic folklore in the Mahabharata - Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita - An example of Krishna - "Actions" and "sacrifices" - Yogic practice in the Bhagavad Gita

V. YOGIC TECHNIQUES IN BUDDHISM
The path to nirvana and the symbolism of initiation - Jhanas and samapattis - Yogis and metaphysicians - "Miraculous abilities" - Knowledge of past lives - Paribbajakas - Makkhali Gosala and Ajivika - Metaphysical knowledge and mystical experience

VI. YOGA AND TANTRISM
Approximate outlines - Iconography, visualization, nyasa, mudras - Mantras, dharani - Excursion: dhikr - Mandala - Body praise: hatha yoga - Nadis: ida, pingala, sushumna - Chakras - Kundalini - "Intentional language" - Mystical erotica - Maithuna - "Coincidence of opposites"

VII. YOGA AND ALCHEMY
Legends of Alchemist Yogis – Tantrism, Hatha Yoga and Alchemy – Chinese Alchemy – Alchemy as a Spiritual Discipline

VIII. YOGA AND NATIVE INDIA
Roads to Freedom - Aghoras, Kapalikas - Gorakhnath and the 84 Siddhas - Matsyendranath and the "transmission" myth - Shamanic magic and the quest for immortality - Yoga and shamanism - Ascension to heaven - Mystic flight - "Magical heat" - "Inner light" - Similarities and Differences - Merging and Decadence: Yoga and Popular Religions - Dravidian Legacy, munda, protomunda - Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro

IX. CONCLUSION

APPS

I, 1: Sankhya texts - I, 2: Patanjali and texts of classical yoga - I, 3: "I" and the psycho-mental world - I, 4: Three gunas - I, 5: Logic and theory of knowledge in Sankhya yoga - I, 6: Samkhya and criticism of the existence of God - I, 7: Samkhya and Buddhism - I, 8: Samkhya criticism of Buddhism - II, 1: Obstacles in concentration - II, 2: On asanas - III, 1: Five breaths - III, 2: Tapas and diksha - III, 3: Hinduization of the autochthonous religion - III, 4: "Mystical sounds" - III, 5: Lists of ascetics - IV, 1: Sankhya in "Mokshadharma" - IV, 2: Pancharatrina - V, 1: Buddhist samadhi and jhanas - V, 2: Non-Buddhist dhyana and Buddhist pseudo-dhyana - V, 3: Stages of meditation - VI, 1: About Tantrism literature - VI, 2: About Tantrism and iconography - VI, 3: About mudras - VI, 4: Dhikr - VI, 5: Chakras - VI, 6: About intentional language - VI, 7: "By the same actions..." - VI, 8: Holding the breath and stopping ejaculation in Chinese practices - VI, 9: Sahajiya and Vaishnavism - VII, 1: Nagarjuna as an alchemist - VII, 2: Chinese alchemy - VII, 3: Metallurgy and alchemy - VIII, 1: On the "orgies" of Vallabhacharins - VIII, 2: Burial of ascetics - VIII, 3: Yogis and fakirs - VIII, 4: Dravidian heritage - VIII, 5: Serpents, dragons, nagas - VIII, 6: Munda, protomunda - IX, 1: Cultural contacts between India and the rest of the world

ELIADE AND YOGA (S.V.Pakhomov)

FOREWORD

There is probably no story more fascinating than the story of the discovery and interpretation of India by Western consciousness. I am referring not only to geographical, linguistic and literary discoveries, expeditions and excavations - in short, everything that constitutes the foundation of European Indology - but also the various events in modern Indian culture, which are influenced by a growing familiarity with Indian languages, myths and philosophy. Some of these events have been described by Raymond Schwab in his excellent book The Oriental Renaissance.
Be that as it may, the discovery of India continues to this day, and nothing obliges us to suppose that its end is near. For the analysis of an alien culture reveals mainly what was sought in it, what the seeker was already ready to discover. The opening up of India can only stop when the creative forces of the West have dried up.
When spiritual values ​​are unclear, the contribution of philology, no matter how significant it may be, is not able to exhaust all the wealth subject. Of course, attempts to understand Buddhism, as long as its works were published carelessly and the various philological schools had not yet gained strength, were of little success. The idea of ​​this deep, complex spiritual phenomenon was not supported by the possession of such reliable help as critical editions of sources, terminological dictionaries, historical monographs, etc. When a researcher begins to study exotic consciousness, he first of all encounters the fact that his understanding of this phenomenon is influenced by the specifics of his profession, cultural orientation, historical era to which he belongs. This truism is ubiquitous. The image that the nineteenth century has given to "lower societies" stems largely from positivist—i.e. from anti-religious, anti-metaphysical ideas shared by a number of prominent researchers and ethnologists who approached the "savages" with the ideology of the contemporaries of Kant, Darwin or Spencer. Among "primitive" peoples they constantly found "fetishism" and "religious infantilism" - simply because they could not see anything else. Only the revival of European metaphysical thought at the beginning of this century, the religious renaissance, numerous innovations in depth psychology, poetry, microphysics made it possible to truly understand the spiritual horizon of the "savages", the structure of their symbols, the meaning of myths, the maturity of mysticism.
In the case of India, the difficulties were even greater. On the one hand, philological instruments had to be sharpened; on the other hand, in the general array of Indian spirituality, it was necessary to select those aspects of it that were considered the most transparent for Western consciousness. However, as one would expect, what seemed the most understandable in reality expressed the cherished desires of European culture itself. The predominant interest in comparative Indo-Aryan philology brought Sanskrit forward as a subject of study in the middle of the nineteenth century, just as, a generation or two ago, the philosophy of idealism and the charm of ancient legends rediscovered by German romanticism urged minds to turn towards India. During the second half of the century, India, both in Europe and America, was interpreted mainly in terms of natural mythology or cultural style. Finally, the development of sociology and cultural anthropology in the first quarter of our century opened up further prospects.
All these experiments had a certain value, since they tried to solve the primordial problems of European culture. The various ways of approaching the subject which Western scholars have used in uncovering the true meaning of the Indian spirit, though not always quite successful, have served their purpose. Little by little, India began to establish itself in the consciousness of the West. For a very long time this statement was perfectly reflected in comparative grammar. In addition, albeit timidly and uncertainly, India also appeared in books on the history of philosophy, in which, according to the current fashion, it was interpreted either as a kind of German idealism, or as "pre-logical thinking". And when interest in sociology increased, they often began to criticize the caste system in harsh tones. All such assessments find their explanation within the framework of modern Western culture.
When, in an effort to resolve controversial issues of culture, they began to increasingly rely on linguistic or socio-structural analysis, India was again not ignored - it was attracted both to clarify this or that etymology, and to illustrate some stage of social evolution - although by and large it was only a sign of respect. In principle, the ways of approaching India were not bad in themselves; they were simply too specialized, which means that their possibilities in revealing the various contents of the most complex spiritual phenomenon turned out to be very limited. Fortunately, any method becomes obsolete over time; thus, realizing the mistakes and errors of their predecessors, subsequent generations quickly learned not to repeat them. It is useful to reflect on the progress in the study of Indo-European mythology since the time of Max Muller in order to understand the advantage that Georges Dumézil was able to achieve, not only in comparative philology, but also in sociology, the history of religions and ethnology, an advantage expressed in the ability to present a much more accurate and a rich reflection of the great examples of Indo-European mythological thought.
There is every reason to believe that in our time a clearer knowledge of the Indian spirit has become possible. India engaged in orbit world historical process, and Western consciousness, albeit with errors, but comes to take more seriously the philosophy of the people who have taken their place in history. Moreover, since the last generation of philosophers, the West has been increasingly inclined to define itself in terms of its attitude to the problems of time and history. For over a century, the main part of the scientific and philosophical efforts of European thought has been devoted to the interpretation of the factors that "condition"

Eliade. Yoga Immortality and freedom

CONTENT

FOREWORD

I. THE TEACHINGS OF YOGA
Starting point - Equivalence of suffering and existence - "I" - Substance - Relationship between Spirit and primordial matter - How is liberation possible? – Structure of mental experience – Unconscious

II. SELF-MASTERY TECHNIQUES
Concentration on "one point" - Yogic postures (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama) - Digression: pranayama in non-Indian asceticism - Yogic concentration and meditation - The meaning of Ishvara - Concentration and hypnosis - Samadhi "with support" - Siddhis or "extraordinary abilities- Samadhi "without support" and final liberation - Reintegration and freedom

III. YOGA AND BRAHMANISM
Ascetics and masters of ecstasy in the Vedas - Tapas and yoga - "Inner" rituals - Symbolism and gnosis of the Upanishads - Immortality and freedom - Yoga in the Maitri Upanishad - Sannyasa Upanishads - Yogic Upanishads - "Brahmanistic magic" and yoga: Rigvidhana - "Good" and "evil" ascetics and contemplatives

IV. TRIUMPH OF YOGA
Yoga and Hinduism - Yoga in the Mahabharata - Yoga and Sankhya in the Mahabharata - Yogic techniques in the Mahabharata - Yogic folklore in the Mahabharata - Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita - An example of Krishna - "Actions" and "sacrifices" - Yogic practice in the Bhagavad Gita

V. YOGIC TECHNIQUES IN BUDDHISM
The path to nirvana and the symbolism of initiation - Jhanas and samapattis - Yogis and metaphysicians - "Miraculous abilities" - Knowledge of past lives - Paribbajakas - Makkhali Gosala and Ajivika - Metaphysical knowledge and mystical experience

VI. YOGA AND TANTRISM
Approximate outlines - Iconography, visualization, nyasa, mudras - Mantras, dharani - Excursion: dhikr - Mandala - Body praise: hatha yoga - Nadis: ida, pingala, sushumna - Chakras - Kundalini - "Intentional language" - Mystical erotica - Maithuna - "Coincidence of opposites"

VII. YOGA AND ALCHEMY
Legends of Alchemist Yogis – Tantrism, Hatha Yoga and Alchemy – Chinese Alchemy – Alchemy as a Spiritual Discipline

VIII. YOGA AND NATIVE INDIA
Roads to Freedom - Aghoras, Kapalikas - Gorakhnath and the 84 Siddhas - Matsyendranath and the "transmission" myth - Shamanic magic and the quest for immortality - Yoga and shamanism - Ascension to heaven - Mystic flight - "Magical heat" - "Inner light" - Similarities and Differences - Merging and Decadence: Yoga and Popular Religions - Dravidian Legacy, munda, protomunda - Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro

IX. CONCLUSION

APPS

I, 1: Sankhya texts - I, 2: Patanjali and texts of classical yoga - I, 3: "I" and the psycho-mental world - I, 4: Three gunas - I, 5: Logic and theory of knowledge in Sankhya yoga - I, 6: Samkhya and criticism of the existence of God - I, 7: Samkhya and Buddhism - I, 8: Samkhya criticism of Buddhism - II, 1: Obstacles in concentration - II, 2: On asanas - III, 1: Five breaths - III, 2: Tapas and diksha - III, 3: Hinduization of the autochthonous religion - III, 4: "Mystical sounds" - III, 5: Lists of ascetics - IV, 1: Sankhya in "Mokshadharma" - IV, 2: Pancharatrina - V, 1: Buddhist samadhi and jhanas - V, 2: Non-Buddhist dhyana and Buddhist pseudo-dhyana - V, 3: Stages of meditation - VI, 1: About Tantrism literature - VI, 2: About Tantrism and iconography - VI, 3: About mudras - VI, 4: Dhikr - VI, 5: Chakras - VI, 6: About intentional language - VI, 7: "By the same actions..." - VI, 8: Holding the breath and stopping ejaculation in Chinese practices - VI, 9: Sahajiya and Vaishnavism - VII, 1: Nagarjuna as an alchemist - VII, 2: Chinese alchemy - VII, 3: Metallurgy and alchemy - VIII, 1: On the "orgies" of Vallabhacharins - VIII, 2: Burial of ascetics - VIII, 3: Yogis and fakirs - VIII, 4: Dravidian heritage - VIII, 5: Serpents, dragons, nagas - VIII, 6: Munda, protomunda - IX, 1: Cultural contacts between India and the rest of the world

ELIADE AND YOGA (S.V.Pakhomov)

FOREWORD

There is probably no story more fascinating than the story of the discovery and interpretation of India by Western consciousness. I am referring not only to geographical, linguistic and literary discoveries, expeditions and excavations - in short, everything that constitutes the foundation of European Indology - but also the various events in modern Indian culture, which are influenced by a growing familiarity with Indian languages, myths and philosophy. Some of these events have been described by Raymond Schwab in his excellent book The Oriental Renaissance.
Be that as it may, the discovery of India continues to this day, and nothing obliges us to suppose that its end is near. For the analysis of an alien culture reveals mainly what was sought in it, what the seeker was already ready to discover. The opening up of India can only stop when the creative forces of the West have dried up.
When spiritual values ​​are unclear, the contribution of philology, no matter how significant it may be, is not able to exhaust all the wealth subject. Of course, attempts to understand Buddhism, as long as its works were published carelessly and the various philological schools had not yet gained strength, were of little success. The idea of ​​this deep, complex spiritual phenomenon was not supported by the possession of such reliable help as critical editions of sources, terminological dictionaries, historical monographs, etc. When a researcher begins to study exotic consciousness, he first of all encounters the fact that his understanding of this phenomenon is influenced by the specifics of his profession, cultural orientation, historical era to which he belongs. This truism is ubiquitous. The image that the nineteenth century has given to "lower societies" stems largely from positivist—i.e. from anti-religious, anti-metaphysical ideas shared by a number of prominent researchers and ethnologists who approached the "savages" with the ideology of the contemporaries of Kant, Darwin or Spencer. Among "primitive" peoples they constantly found "fetishism" and "religious infantilism" - simply because they could not see anything else. Only the revival of European metaphysical thought at the beginning of this century, the religious renaissance, numerous innovations in depth psychology, poetry, microphysics made it possible to truly understand the spiritual horizon of the "savages", the structure of their symbols, the meaning of myths, the maturity of mysticism.
In the case of India, the difficulties were even greater. On the one hand, philological instruments had to be sharpened; on the other hand, in the general array of Indian spirituality, it was necessary to select those aspects of it that were considered the most transparent for Western consciousness. However, as one would expect, what seemed the most understandable in reality expressed the cherished desires of European culture itself. The predominant interest in comparative Indo-Aryan philology brought Sanskrit forward as a subject of study in the middle of the nineteenth century, just as, a generation or two ago, the philosophy of idealism and the charm of ancient legends rediscovered by German romanticism urged minds to turn towards India. During the second half of the century, India, both in Europe and America, was interpreted mainly in terms of natural mythology or cultural style. Finally, the development of sociology and cultural anthropology in the first quarter of our century opened up further prospects.
All these experiments had a certain value, since they tried to solve the primordial problems of European culture. The various ways of approaching the subject which Western scholars have used in uncovering the true meaning of the Indian spirit, though not always quite successful, have served their purpose. Little by little, India began to establish itself in the consciousness of the West. For a very long time this statement was perfectly reflected in comparative grammar. In addition, albeit timidly and uncertainly, India also appeared in books on the history of philosophy, in which, according to the current fashion, it was interpreted either as a kind of German idealism, or as "pre-logical thinking". And when interest in sociology increased, they often began to criticize the caste system in harsh tones. All such assessments find their explanation within the framework of modern Western culture.
When, in an effort to resolve controversial issues of culture, they began to increasingly rely on linguistic or socio-structural analysis, India was again not ignored - it was attracted both to clarify this or that etymology, and to illustrate some stage of social evolution - although by and large it was only a sign of respect. In principle, the ways of approaching India were not bad in themselves; they were simply too specialized, which means that their possibilities in revealing the various contents of the most complex spiritual phenomenon turned out to be very limited. Fortunately, any method becomes obsolete over time; thus, realizing the mistakes and errors of their predecessors, subsequent generations quickly learned not to repeat them. It is useful to reflect on the progress in the study of Indo-European mythology since the time of Max Muller in order to understand the advantage that Georges Dumézil was able to achieve, not only in comparative philology, but also in sociology, the history of religions and ethnology, an advantage expressed in the ability to present a much more accurate and a rich reflection of the great examples of Indo-European mythological thought.
There is every reason to believe that in our time a clearer knowledge of the Indian spirit has become possible. India engaged in orbit world historical process, and Western consciousness, albeit with errors, but comes to take more seriously the philosophy of the people who have taken their place in history. Moreover, since the last generation of philosophers, the West has been increasingly inclined to define itself in terms of its attitude to the problems of time and history. For over a century, the main part of the scientific and philosophical efforts of European thought has been devoted to the interpretation of the factors that "condition"