The Yogic Contemplative Tradition

The earliest glimpse of what would become the Yogic Tradition is usually thought to be found archaeologically in the form of the Pashupati Seal, which contains a depiction of a horned figure seated in a traditional yogic meditation pose.  This seal, dated to the 3rd Millennium B.C.E., is (speculatively) the first known reference or allusion to yoga which has been uncovered.  If the depiction does in fact allude to the practice of yogic meditation, it would follow that some form of yogic meditation was being practiced concurrent with some of the earliest records of Indian civilization.  

In addition to the Pashupati Seal, early literary references to yoga include over 900 references to yoga or yogi in the Mahabharata epic as well as yoga-like practices alluded to in both the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads.  In these early literary references, the term yoga and meditative practice associated with it does not have a systematic definition.  From these accounts, it can be deduced that various yogic traditions existed simultaneously in the pre-modern period.  It is not until the time of Patanjali when the Yogic Tradition would find systematic form.

Little is known about the figure of Patanjali, but his Yoga Sutras (usually dated around the 1st or 2nd Century C.E.), and an early commentary by Vyasa, would eventually become normative for the Yogic Tradition.  Modern yogic teaching draws from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as the yogic text par excellence.  In his sutras, Patanjali defines Yoga as “the stilling of the mind” (citta-vrtti-nirodhah) and provides several schemas for how it can be achieved.  

The most well-known schema for the Yogic Path is Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga.  The Eight Limbs include: (1) abstentions (nonviolence, truthfulness, refrainment from stealing, celibacy, and renunciation of unnecessary possessions); (2) observances (cleanliness, contentment, austerity, study of scripture, devotion to God); (3) posture (meditative posture should be “steady and comfortable” – the rationalization for postural/asana yoga, which is given attention in only two sutras of the entire text); (4) breath control (pranayama); (5) withdrawal of the senses; and (6, 7, 8) concentration, meditation, and absorption (the deepening experience of meditative concentration on an object, leading first to complete mental absorption in the object, and finally to nirbija-samadhi – samadhi “without seed” – pure consciousness, purusa aware of itself (alternatively referenced as asamprajnata-samadhi, “abstract samadhi”)).  As with many spiritual paths, Patanjali’s Eight Limbs contains a philosophical (in this case implicit), moral, and meditative element.  

In his sutras Patanjali also states more broadly that the mind can be stilled through “practice and dispassion” (1:12), which can conceivably be mapped onto his Eight Limbs.  Finally, Patanjali also somewhat crypticaly mentions that the final goal of yoga can be obtained simply “from devotion to the Lord” (1:23) and there is a devotional aspect which runs throughout the text.   

The Yogic Tradition, like many other eastern traditions, often emphasizes the concept of lineage and the guru-disciple relationship.  The tradition is thus broad in the sense that it consists of various lineages, but Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras remain normative for modern yogic teaching. Yogic teaching also often draws heavily from Vedanta, with many teachers mixing concepts from each tradition freely. This can sometimes create confusion, as someone who calls themself a “yogi” may be referencing wider meanings of the term. There remains a looseness within both the Yoga and Vedanta Traditions which allows each guru to develop their teaching in novel ways, drawing from the whole of Hindu scripture. In the West popular manifestations include Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, the Integral Yoga Institute, Chinmaya Mission, and the Self-Realization Fellowship. 

One controversial element of the Yogic Tradition is the concept of Siddhis or “mystic powers.”  The third chapter of Patanjali’s sutras is filled with “powers” one could conceivably obtain through yogic meditation.  While Patanjali seems to believe the attainment of these powers is possible, he also states that they are “obstacles to samadhi” (3:37) – in some ways counter to the true goal of yoga.  Siddhis remain a controversial part of some modern yogic teaching.  One way that “the miraculous” is sometimes understood in the contemplative traditions more widely is the acknowledgement of the fact that odd or miraculous things do sometimes occur on the contemplative journey, but that they should not be sought after, and are most often a distraction from a contemplative’s true goal. For other site content related to Siddhis, see the following blog posts here and here.

For more on Yogic meditative practice, see the Yogic Meditation page of the site.