Lecture Notes on Asian Philosophy
Sacred Heart Seminary Philippines
YOGA PHILOSOPHY
Introduction:
The yoga sutras were complied prior to 400 CE by sage Patanjali who
synthesized and organized knowledge about yoga from older
traditions.
The word “YOGA” is often described as “UNION”
It implies that the individual is united with the Universe, the
personality with the Universality.
The yoga school of Hindu philosophy is most closely related to the
Samkhya school. in both, the foundational concepts include two
realities: Purusha and Prakriti.
The Purusha is defined as that reality which is pure consciousness and
is devoid of thoughts or qualities.
The Prakriti is the empirical, phenomenal reality which includes matter
and also mind, sensory organs and the sense of identity (self, soul)
Epistemology
Pratyaksa
Means perception. It is of two types in Hindu texts:
external and internal. External perception is described
as that arising from the interaction of five senses and
worldly objects, while internal perception is described
by this school as that of inner sense, the mind.
Anumāṇa
Means inference. It is described as reaching a new
conclusion and truth from one or more observations and
previous truths by applying reason.
Śabda
Means relying on word, testimony of past or present
reliable experts. Hiriyanna explains Sabda-pramana as
a concept which means reliable expert testimony. The
schools of Hinduism which consider it epistemically
valid suggest that a human being needs to know
numerous facts, and with the limited time and energy
available, he can learn only a fraction of those facts and
truths directly. He must cooperate with others to
rapidly acquire and share knowledge and thereby
enrich each other's lives. This means of gaining proper
knowledge is either spoken or written, but
through Sabda (words). The reliability of the source is
important, and legitimate knowledge can only come
from the Sabda of reliable sources.
Theism
Yoga philosophy allows the concept of God, unlike the closely
related Samkhya school of Hinduism which is atheistic/non-theistic.
In the Yoga-sutras, God is defined as a distinct self (purusha),
“Isvara” a "personal god" to a "special self" to "anything that has
spiritual significance to the individual". untouched by sufferings,
Sacred Heart Seminary Philippines
YOGA PHILOSOPHY
Introduction:
The yoga sutras were complied prior to 400 CE by sage Patanjali who
synthesized and organized knowledge about yoga from older
traditions.
The word “YOGA” is often described as “UNION”
It implies that the individual is united with the Universe, the
personality with the Universality.
The yoga school of Hindu philosophy is most closely related to the
Samkhya school. in both, the foundational concepts include two
realities: Purusha and Prakriti.
The Purusha is defined as that reality which is pure consciousness and
is devoid of thoughts or qualities.
The Prakriti is the empirical, phenomenal reality which includes matter
and also mind, sensory organs and the sense of identity (self, soul)
Epistemology
Pratyaksa
Means perception. It is of two types in Hindu texts:
external and internal. External perception is described
as that arising from the interaction of five senses and
worldly objects, while internal perception is described
by this school as that of inner sense, the mind.
Anumāṇa
Means inference. It is described as reaching a new
conclusion and truth from one or more observations and
previous truths by applying reason.
Śabda
Means relying on word, testimony of past or present
reliable experts. Hiriyanna explains Sabda-pramana as
a concept which means reliable expert testimony. The
schools of Hinduism which consider it epistemically
valid suggest that a human being needs to know
numerous facts, and with the limited time and energy
available, he can learn only a fraction of those facts and
truths directly. He must cooperate with others to
rapidly acquire and share knowledge and thereby
enrich each other's lives. This means of gaining proper
knowledge is either spoken or written, but
through Sabda (words). The reliability of the source is
important, and legitimate knowledge can only come
from the Sabda of reliable sources.
Theism
Yoga philosophy allows the concept of God, unlike the closely
related Samkhya school of Hinduism which is atheistic/non-theistic.
In the Yoga-sutras, God is defined as a distinct self (purusha),
“Isvara” a "personal god" to a "special self" to "anything that has
spiritual significance to the individual". untouched by sufferings,
