Sambodhi

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 11

Haribhadra's Synthesis of Yoga
worldly enjoyments and the Bhavabhinandi (7) lastly the means of right faith, right knowledge and right conduct. In such a wise, Haribhadra has successfully covered the sevenfold common ground and thereby has laid down a firm foundation for building up the synthesis of yoga. There cannot be two opinions about this as it is an apparent and clear fact acceptable to all.
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Categories of Sadhakas
Once the common ground for the synthesis is found the next question would be of deciding the qualifications or the categories of the sadhakas. As it has already been mentioned that most of the common lot of the people at large is worldly-minded and Haribhadra has rightly called them Bhavabhinandi because they desire to enjoy the world as it is. Yoga requires some primary qualifications for its practice. Here to Haribhadra openly denounces secterianism and barren scholasticism because they too create obstacles in the path of yoga and they like narrowness of mind, dry logic chopping and attachment to half truths. They are no better than worldliness. The real danger of these hindrances lies in the fact that they lead the practitioner of yoga on a wrong path. Wrong practice of yoga is even more dangerous than even worldliness and Haribhadra considers it to be like a poison in Kārikā 155 of Yogabindu. The reason is not far to seek. Even an ordinary act like cooking or washing or digging becomes dangerous if done wrongly and would entail harm to the doer as he would burn himself or hurt himself by a wrong method in such daily simple works. Yogic practice becomes more and more subtle as it proceeds on higher and deeper levels of conciousness and therefore Haribhadra's precaution to avoid improper performance is not only timely and opportue but highly necessary.
In the Kärikäs 109 on wards in Yogabindu, he considers for preliminary actions and practices necessary for such preparation : (1) service of the elders and worship of the deities (2) gentlemanly conduct (3) penance and (4) non-antipathy towards Mokṣa. A man cannot qualify himself for yogic practice unless he does such a performance. He must be service-minded by becoming humble and should serve not only his parents but his Guru along with old people, preceptors and the like. Service makes a man humble, broader in views, unselfish and deligent. Mere lip-service is of no avail. Service must be actually carried out in practice and that would certainly make a man to give up lethargy and turn him into an industrious man. Detached activity is the first and the last requirement of yogasadhana. Mere mechnical service is not enough. It must be backed by gentelemanly behaviour and nobility. Not only at the time of service but at all times he must exhibit a gentleman's behaviour. This would stabilize Sambodhi IX(2)