________________
Contribution of Haribhadra to the Yoga-vidya
Patanjali's system1, the final consummation of anālambana concentration is Asamprajñāta samadhi. Similarly, the fourteenth stage of spiritual development corresponds to the dhar mamegha samadhi of Patanjali's system, to amṛtatman of yet another system, to bhavaśatru of a third system, to Śivodaya of yet another, to Sattva nanda of yet others and to para of yet another school.2 Similarly, Haribhadra tries to show the unanimity of the conception of final self-realization of all the systems of thought. Haribhadra enumerates eight primary defects, from which the mind of a yogin must always be free. By practising the concentration of mind the soul realizes itself. This is known as Supreme bliss (Paramananda ) in the Vedanta, the extinguished lamp. ( vidhmatādīpa) of the Buddhists, extinction of animality (paśutvavigama ), end of suffering (dukkhanta), freedom,from the specific qualities (Nyayavaiśeşika), and detachment from the elements (bhūtavigama ).4 Like an impartial truth-seeker, Haribhadra asks the seekers to keep their minds open and investigate the truth with perfect detachment and freedom from prejudices.
Similarly, Haribhadra shows that there is a fundamental unity among all apparently conflicting systems of thought regarding the means to free from the worldly existence. He asks us to see unity in diversities. He lays down five steps as a complete course of Yoga, i. e, Contemplation of truth (adh yatma), Repeated practice (bhavana ), Concentration of mind, (dhyana), Equanimity (samată) and Annihilation of all the traces. of karman (Vṛttisaṁkṣaya ).5 The same principle,
269
1. Yoga-vimśika, I. 20.
2. Yasovijaya's Tika on Yoga-vimśika of Haribhadra, p. 20; Yoga-bindu of Haribhadra, Jaina Granthamala Prakashaka Sabha, Ahmedabad, Series No. 25, 1940, p. 422.
3. Soḍaśaka-prakarana of Haribhadra with Yaśobhadra's Tika, XIV. 2-3; XVI. 14.
4. Ibid, XVI. 1-4.
5. Yoga-bindu, pp. 17-18 ( with Svopajñavṛtti ).
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
