Comparing Patanjali’s 8 Limbs with Buddha’s Noble 8-fold path

In addition to martial arts, I have practiced yoga for many years, first as an adjunct to my training (as well as my climbing and running) and then as an end into itself. I attended teacher training at Midtown Yoga in Baltimore in 2006 and taught there before moving to Seattle. I have maintained my interest in Buddhism and Taoism since that time. I attended the Kalachakra for World Peace in 2011 and last year I began additional training in the union of Yoga and Tantric Buddhism offered through Tibet House US. This short essay was written as part of that course.

While yoga is commonly meant to be joined to (“yoked”) or associated with something, that association takes on different meaning depending on what one is associated to. In early Pali canon and Abhidharma writings, four types of negative associations were common that were considered by Asanga to be at odds with obtaining a purified state. They were: Hamayoga, Bhavayoga, Drstiyoga, and Avidyayoga.

P. Gohkale's analysis in The Yogasūtra of Patañjali: A new introduction to the Buddhist roots of the yoga system contrasts the negative usage above with the positive connotation yoga has in the Upanishads and early Brahminical literature, where yogi had the meaning of being a spiritual practitioner (one who yokes themselves). Asanga’s discussion of the fall from yoga (yogabramsa) enumerates different separations from the yogic path, either by rebirth (where one is incapable of practicing yoga) or before or after attainment. This highlights the need for stricture or guidance on the path. Vasubandhu classifies the mind as potentially in afflicted/affected (klesha) or wholesome (kusala) states. Some contrasting mental states include concentrated vs. scattered, balanced vs. agitated, peaceful vs disturbed, energetic vs. slothful, etc. We would like to cultivate the former and guard against the latter. [1]

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the ultimate goal is the development of discriminating wisdom (Viveka) in order to develop self-actualization and liberation through the dialectic contrast of the eternal (Atman) versus the temporal (Anatman). Here the path is reminiscent of the famous quote of the pavamāna abhyāroha from the Bṛhadāraṇyako paniṣad:

Lead me from the unreal to the real.

The seventh brahma of the third chapter discusses the notion of the self as interconnected with all existence; the ninth then the notion of neti or equivalence. The Yoga sutras fit into this larger context, devoting attention to positive observances (niyamas) and restraints/restrictions (yamas) as part of its eight-fold ethical system for how one should relate to the world while on the path. These helps guide the practitioner towards union with positive associations, potentially including Bramha (if entering the path of yoga from a theistic perspective) and Ishvara/Atman (from an individual perspective). The other six limbs of Patanjali are further tools to help develop the practitioner’s discriminative awareness and include asana (posture), pranayama (breath practice), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (absorption).

Asana and pranayama develop the outermost layers or sheathes (kosha) of the body mind processes – from anamayakosha (physical body) primarily in asana to pranamayakosha in pranayama – and serve as a fabric or weave on which additional practices are supported, in a mutually dependent manner.

Dharana (concentration) bears strong similarities to the Buddhist practice of Shamata, where a one-pointed concentration is developed first through a practice of calm abiding meditation with external support (such as a statue or mandala depiction or candle flame), internal support (such as the visualization of such statue or mandala), or without support (such as focusing on the breath, or in advanced teachings black and white drops that move up or down the susumna or central channel). This limb and the Buddhist Shamata practice is associated with the manomayakosha (mental body of thoughts, emotions and perceptions).

Dhyana (meditation) bears strong similarities to the Buddhist practice of Vippasana, which is an active analytical meditation that in Mahayana traditions is utilized as a technology or inner science for a variety of purposes. This limb and the Buddhist Vippasana practice is associated with Vijnanamayakosha (the intellect, intuition, and wisdom).

One important practice in Mahayana is exploring the nature of the sense of self as being dependent on external support (dependent arising) versus existing independently and immutable compared to cyclic existence. This at first appears in contrast to the idea of discovering the atman (self/soul) in aspiration to connect with Ishvara, which in Advaita Vedanta is manifested in the form of Brahman. However, there is a strong parallel in Varjayana where one, through a process of dissolution and then post-meditative equipoise, develops insight into, on the subtle and super-subtle levels, the soul drop which is carried between liminal states (Bardo) and forms the continuity of karmic existence, albeit changing over time (in contrast to the immutable atman). Buddhist practices such as the exchange of self and other (tonglen) are sued to help cultivate the altruistic motivation bodhicitta ( the desire to end other being’s suffering ), as well as seeing everyone as one’s mother in one of our infinite lives.

Samadhi (absorption or enlightenment) is the eighth limb of Patanjali’s system of yoga, where the self is in union with the divine, and then discriminating awareness or wisdom (viveka; विवेक) allows the yogi to distinguish between the real (satya) and the unreal (asatya), the permanent from the impermanent, and the true from false sense of self. In non-dual Advaita Vedanta, viveka helps the yogi understand the true nature of the world. The concept of viveka is often paired with vairagya (detachment).

In Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path (आर्याष्टाङ्गमार्ग) consists of right view or understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and samadhi; and is represented by the wheel of dharma. Right view includes acceptance of karma and karmic rebirth (which Vedic, Vedanta and Yogic traditions share with Buddhism) and the importance of the Four Noble Truths. Right thought or resolve concerns positive motivation and aspiration for practice. Right speech relates to satya (truthfulness). Right action correlates very strongly to the Yamas of Patanjali. For example, we can relate right action both to ahimsa (non-violence) and asteya (non-stealing) in the exoteric sence of avoiding causing immediate harm. In Mahayana, for example, vegetarianism is seen as a form of compassion for the animal world. When dealing with esoteric practices, we can point to extensive literature in the Tibetan tradition by Tsongkhapa on ethics in the practice of Tantra. Also here the yama (restraint) of Brahmacharya or moderation in the sexual domain. Right livelihood is not in direct correspondence to the yamas and niyamas, and I wonder if this might subtlety point to the tantric nature of Patanjali’s system, beyond immediate cause and effect, but ahimsa, asteya, and bramacharya do relate to different types of livelihood. Right effort correlates well with asana, pranayama and pratyahara. In the Pali canon the notion of indriya-samvara (guarding the sense doors) and the development of wholesome states (sapta bodhyanga) including mindfulness, dhramrapravicaya, energy (virya), joy (priti), relaxation, concentration (samādhi), and equanimity (upekshā).

In the Mayahana tradition, the pāramita (perfections) include similar positive qualities to be cultivated, including generosity (dāna), virtue (sila), energy (viriya), patience (ksanti), honesty (sacca), determination (adhitthāna), loving-kindness (mettā), equanimity (upekkā), bala (power/strength), jnana (knowing) and their source prajnapāramitra (the perfection of wisdom). Vīryapāramitā and Balapāramitā relate well to the physical body-mind processes/limbs in yoga. While initially asana and pranayama are cultivated to enable the adherent (yogi or yogini) to practice mental cultivations such as dharana and dyana, they themselves in a non-dual manner have an esoteric interpretation as cultivating tapas (heat, purification) in the body like the Atiyoga of Tummo. Similarly, the practice of yoga nidra seems (to my uninitiated perspective at least) to relate to the dream yoga of Naropa.

Where the Eight Limbs of Patanjali diverge, at first analysis, from Buddhist thought can be summarized by examining the Three Principal Aspects of the Path (to enlightenment) from the Tibetan tradition: renunciation, bodhicitta, and wisdom realizing emptiness. This summary of the path stems from the inspiration of Shantideva, whose revealed teachings post-date Patanjali. Thus, the Yoga Sutras do not mention explicitly the cultivation of bodhicitta or conduct an examination of emptiness (shunyata). However, the nirbija samadhi (nirvikalpa samadhi, “samadhi without seed”) is samadhi without external support of an object. In nirvikalpa samadhi, the consciousness is filled with truth as to our true nature. One becomes filled with truth (ṛtambharā) [2, 1.47-48].

At the nirvikalpa stage of samadhi, spiritual light awakens (adhyātma prasāda) seemingly of its own accord, which to me feels evocative of some descriptions in Vajrayana practices such as Mahamudra or Shingon practices such as the Ajikan meditation drawn from the Mahāvairocana-sūtra [3, 4]

These are but some similarities that provide a common ground for establishing a Buddhist practice of Yoga in the current day.

References

1. Gokhale, Pradeep P. The Yogasūtra of Patañjali: A new introduction to the Buddhist roots of the yoga system. Routledge India, 2020.
2. Swani Beda Bharati, The Yogasūtra of Patañjali with the Exposition of Vyasa, Vol II.
3. Mahamudra: The Moonlight--Quintessence of Mind and Meditation. Simon and Schuster, 2006.
4. Green, Ronald S. "The Shingon Ajikan, Meditation on the Syllable ‘A’: An analysis of components and development." (2017).