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

Page 47

1
Haribhadra and Psychosynthesis
the comparison with the Gunastbānas too this personatity is included. Real sādhanā starts from the stage Apunarhandháka onwards and its 'higher stages are the real sādhakas. Dr. Dixit compares these categorics with the fourteen Jain Guņasthānas thus : ''Thus it is that he mentions the 'weto comers of the worldly existence and the Apunarbandhakas (both occupying the fourth Gunasthāna) the Cāritrins of the Deśaviratas type (occupying the fifth Gunasthāna), those of Sarvavirata type (occupying the sixth and the seventh Guņasthānas, those of the Ksapaka śreni-ārohin type (occupying rather passing through the eigthth, ninth and tenth Gunasthanas) and those of Vitarāga type (occupying the twelfth Guņasthāna), the Sayoga Kevalin (occupying the thirteenth Gunasthāna), the Ayoga Kevlin (occupying the fourteenth Gunasthāna)" Thus all the fourteen Guņasthānas are cyvered up by these five main categories of personalities and in doing so Haribhadra has mostly used the terms of his own choice. In both these schemes of hierarchy of personalities the chief aim is to show the qualifications or the fitness of different categories of sādhakas. Here the eleventh-Guņasthāna is not considered because from that stage the sadhaka is not pro. gressing upward but transcends everything.
· These are the main categories of Sādhakas according to Haribhadra. It: is an arbitrary categorization of sādhakas and is an outcome of prevatent: conceptions of Haribhadra's times. It does not matter how the categories are construed. It only suggests that there is a hierarchy of sādhaka; but it does not provide a hard and fast classification because the categories averlap in some of their characteristics.
Even then the concept of personality growth is quite clear in all yoga systems. Characterbuilding, cultivation of good habits and virtues, expansion of ego and consciousness are the main features of yogic method of personality-building. Modern psychology gives no better method than these and in a way they fall short because its emphasis is more on the ego than on the self.
It would not be out of place, nor would it be considered inappropriate if some adverse comments be made with regard to these Haribhadra's categories of sādhakas. He has devoted many Kārikās on these categories which are merely arbitrary constructions in accordance with the prevailing concepts. They may be his own concepts of different types of sādhakas. Their descriptions are unnecessarily lengthy and are overlapping too. There are avsidable repetitions which do not lend any charm to their descriptions but on the contrary they are sometimes boring. Similarly his classifications of yoga in different ways too are repetitive and are overlapping too. The arrangements of subjects and subtopics do not seem to be very systematic.