Book Title: Traverses on Less Trodden Path of Indian Philosophy and Religion
Author(s): Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Previous | Next

Page 133
________________ 124 Traverses on less trodden path... Asanga, we bave already seen, also points out that to attain Supreme truth, one must practise pine principles of self-perfection (Älmaparipaka) and Paramitās. These spiritual disciplines are meant for self-purification or removal of de filement that cover up the real. He emphasises the paths of perfection known as six paramitas. Practice of dina (charity ), sila (good conduct), ksanti (tolerance) are the necessary steps on the path of spiritual attainment. Like Upanişadic thinkers he emphasises on philoso. phical wisdom (Pra jña). In the major Upadişads, we find some hints for the practical realisation of the reality by means of Yoga. The steady control of the seoses is considered as Yāga.98 We also come to koow from Mundaka Upanişad, that Yoga is required for purification of mind and prānas. After purification of mind only Ātman reveals himself. In the Mundaka Upanişad, we are told that the mind for its purification is dependent on the prāṇas and that it is only when the mind is purified after an initiated control of the Prāņas that the Ātman reveals himself.99 We also find in the celebrated passage of the BỊbadāranyaka Upanişad that Yajnavalkya tells Maitreyi to meditate upon Ātman. 100 Mundaka Upanisad tells us that one is able to realise the immaculate God after meditation. 101 We are also told in the Katha Upanişad that Naciketā learnt Yogavidhi (method of Yoga) from Yama. 10% It is true that Yogic stages are not mentioned in the Upanişads but the yogic practices were not unknown to them. • Asanga emphasised the Yogic practices as important methods for attaining the state of Nirvāņa. He mentioned ten stages in the yogic practice. Asanga was not only influenced by the ideology of the Upanişads but also has bodily lifted certain words from them. He uses many words of the Upanişads in their original Upanişadic meaning. For example, the words 'dhirah' and 'balah' are used for wise and ignorant respectively in the Upanişads. 108 Asanga also uses them in the same sense 104 Upanişads used the words like 'sukham' (happiness), 'śāntam' (peaceful) for 98. Tam yogamiti manyante sthịrām indriya dbāraņām. Kab. Up. II-VI-11. 99. Prānaiscittam sarvametam prajānam yasmin visuddhe vibhavatyeşa atmā. Mund. Up. III-I-9. 100. Atma nididhyasitavyah. Bịh. Up. IV-V-6. 101. Mund. Up. III-I-8. 102. Yogavidhin ca kştsnam. Kath. Up. IJ VI-18. 103. Kach, Up. 11-IV-20. 104, MSA, 1-12, V-8, VI-10, XIX 53. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302