Jaina Philosophy Historical Outline

Author(s): Narendra Nath Bhattacharya
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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A Comparative Study 189 gorically explain how this relationship is brought about. The Yoga school says that this is brought about by the agency of God. The concept of God is thus an extraneous graft on the Yoga system.
Frankly speaking, although included in the six systems of Indian philosophy, the Yoga has nothing to do with the philosophical speculations. It is logical to look upon Yoga as essentially as certain ancient practices rather than any specific philosophy. The practices are in fact immensely old. These take us back to the primitive times, in the ecstatic rites and magical practices of the prehistoric peoples for acquiring supernatural powers through the most strenuous methods. That these were prevalent as early as the third millennium BC has been proved by the Harappan stone-statues and pictures depicted on the seals. In course of time these practices became the floating possessions, as it were, of all sorts of religious sects and even philosophical systems. This primitive inheritance was moulded in accordance with subsequent religious doctrines and philosophical conceptions. As for the methods and means of Yoga, the Yoga Sūtra mentions the following eight Yogāngas: yama (restraint), niyama (discipline), äsana (sitting posture), prānayāma (breath-control), pratyähāra (withdrawal of the senses), dhārana (attention), dhyāna (meditation) and samādhi (concentration). The supposed experience resulting from these Yoga practices was able to influence the adherents of different religio-philosophical schools.
In Jain tradition it is said that lord Mahāvīra devoted himself for long twelve years chiefly to the Yogic practices, and the canonical works of Jainism attach great importance to the Yogāngas, i.e. the components of Yoga. The Jain doctrine of Karma has something common with its Yoga conception. Karma in Yoga is divided into four classes (1) Sukla or white (punya, those that produce happiness), (2) Krsna or black (pāpa, those that produce sorrow), (3) Sukla-kļşņa (ordinary actions, partly virtuous and partly vicious) and (4) Aśuklakrsna (those inner acts of self-abnegation and meditation which are devoid of any fruits as pleasures and pains). All external actions invlove some sins, for it is difficult to work in the world and avoid taking the lives of insects. All Karmas proceed from the five fold afflictions (Klešas), namely, avidyā, asmitā, rāga, dveșa and abhinivesa. The Karmas performed in the present life generally accumulate and
IBV, I. 24; YV., 1, 24. * VB and TVS, IV, 7.