Haribhadras Yoga Works and Psychosynthesis

SR No.: 001262
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: S A Desai
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1983
Total Pages: 106
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Yoga
File Size: 7 MB

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Haribhadra, Jainism and Yoga
defies and tries to break the very grounds of all Ekantavāda. Ekantavāda is a sort of reductionism in modern psychological parlance and Haribhadra cannot have any truck with limited psychological view points. After breaking their arguments, he established the theory of Anekantavāda with all the force of unassailable arguments. He used some harshwords like Sathokti for arguments of the opposite parties. There is nothing ackward in using such words for opponents as it was the general practice then and such is the practice even now among the philosophers and theoriticians. But for Haribhadra it was a passing prarctice as it could not suit his integral approach which developed rapidly. In this book, he seems to be in a mood to conquer the opponents but soon this attitude of conquest passes away and he began to view other view-points with an eye of equanimity. In Sastravartasamuccaya the subject is the same but Haribhadra's approach was much changed. Therein he has made a balanced exposition of Vedic and Buddhist view-points. Such a rapid change and that too on the same subject is a characteristic of Haribhadra's life and is well reflected in these works. 10 No Jain nor non-Jain commentator has given such generous treatment to other's view-points. Haribhadra in addition has tried to synthsize other-points. Buddhist learned commentators like Dharmakirti and Santarakṣita have critisized Vedic and other views but they have not even tried to give a synthesis of their view-points. Haribhadra tried to see the view-points of other Vadas from their point of view and with detachment and with sympathy at the same time and naturally he could do justice to them. In this wise, he tried to synthesize and accomodate the concept of the relation of Prakṛti with Puruşa of Sankhya in Jainism. Similarly he has tried to explain God as creator in Vedic tradition with non-creator God in Jain tradition. He sees no fault in seeing God as creator for the sake of devotion.11
In this way, Haribhadra's insight and capacity to integrate different systems of philosophy increased at each stage of widening vision. By such a deep insight he could harmonise other systems with the truth he saw and realized without any conflict. This is an art and this art of synthesis was within his grip when he wrote Saddarśansamuccaya. In this work he has made exposition on almost all systems of Indian philosophy. Such attempts were made before him and after him by Jain and non-Jain philosophers but they only did so to strenthen their own respective systems. Siddhasena Divakara has made a beginning in right direction of comparative and integrative harmonization but Haribhadra could develop it to a great extent successfully. He had included therein even the Carvakian materialistic philosophy. The key to such an effective integration lies in the threefold attitude to the subject (1) He has enlarged the meaning of
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