Studies in Jainology Prakrit Literature and Languages

SR No.: 001597
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: B K Khadabadi
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy
Publication Year: 1997
Total Pages: 460
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Literature, & Language
File Size: 22 MB

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Studies in Jalnology, Prakrit
Visuddhimagga by Buddhaghosa. In the Bauddha Yoga, samādhi, which is to be attained through dhyāna, and which is the constituent part of the Madhyama Pratipada propounded by the Buddha, has great importance.
The early phase of the Jaina system of Yoga, as developed by Mahāvīra after taking it over from Pārsva, is indicated by words like kāyotsarga, samvara, dhyāna, tapa etc, found in the early cononical works. It is also held that Umāsvami culled this system under samvara and its constituents (Ch.XI) in his Tattvārthasūtra, though his usage of the term Yoga here, in the sense of Activities of the body, speech and mind, is quite contrary to that of Patañjali, who used it in the sense of 'restraint of activities of the Mind'. Kundakunda's works like Niyamasara, Pavayanasara and Mokkhapāhuda also give some glimpses of Jaina Yoga. The Kāyotsarga Adhyayana'' in the Āvasyaka Niryukti can be called an introductory and important chapter in Jaina Yoga. Many other Jaina teachers like Pūjayapada, Jinabhadra Ksamāśramana, Yogindradeva etc. gave thought to Jaina Yoga and composed works concerning the same." But Haribhadrasūri (800 A.D.) happens to be the first Jaina teacher who used the term Yoga with a synthetic and integrated view of the different Yogic concepts and practices of both the other systems viz., the Hindu and Buddhist. In one of his four works on Yoga viz., Yogavimsikā, he calls Yoga ‘a noble and spiritual conduct of life'. Hemacandra (1200 A.D.), almost following the same ideal, named his work on the codified rules of conduct prescribed for the monks and the laity as Yogasastral and reiterated the age- long ideal of Jaina Yoga, i.c., the entire religious striving for salvation (moksa) itself is Yoga. This inherent Jaina ideology of Yoga, I believe, rather indicates the reason why exclusive and codified works on Yoga on the model of Patañjali's were not produced by early eminent Jaina teachers like Bhadrabāhu, Kundakunda or the like. Then taking a comparative view of the Jaina Yogic practices with those of Patañjala Yoga, it can be noted that pranāyāma, dhārana, and