________________
156
Shantilal M. Desai
or Veil
Māyā
3 Samyagjñāna or Samyag Jñāna
Vivekakhyāti & and Yoga its eight limbs Mārg of Yoga
Astāngika Mārga with eight limbs with samyag drişti etc. Nirvana
Kaşāya & a cover. The same is Darsana Moha or Asray Samyag Darsana, Samyag Jõāna Samyag Conduct, Samvara Moksa
4. Kaivalya and
Svarūpasthiti
Mukti & Niḥśreyas
All these columns are quite explicit and one can easily see the same underlying principles behind different words. All the four principles are accepted as basic truths by all the systems. Their expositions and sub-doctrines varied and developed in each traditional context and its own terminology. The sub-doctrines and allied yogic concepts too are similar to a great extent. This is because Yoga system as such in any tradition has developed out of experiential data and this must be similar as the mind of men work in the same inner world or on the same higher mental stages. It is a matter of common experience that the more one goes in the search of matter, the more and more and ultimately an innumerable variety he finds. But on the contrary as one goes deeper inside or rises higher in meditation on the levels of consciousness, one finds more and more of similarity and unity and ultinately oneness and oneness alone. This is an experiential and operational truth in the mental and spiritual world and is open and realizable as any other truth. Then why is there the difference in the yogic systems ? It is solely due to the different usage of language, in its exposition. Here too the same truth explained above is seen working. Language is an external instrument and naturally it varies from place to place, from people to people and differs even from man to man. The difference is merely apparant, but their unity is fundamental.
It is worthwhile now to explore how and who developed these main systems of Yoga. The Nyāya-Vaišeşik a tradition is included in the Vedic systems. Patanjali was the best exponent of the Vedic system and perhaps be stands unrivalled even now. Buddhagho sa very well compiled and synthesized all the yogic concepts and experiences of Buddha from different Pitakas and gave them a coherent exposition in Visuddhiwagga. Mahāvīra developed the Jain system of Yoga not only in thought but by making
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