1 BUDDHISM AS YOGA Buddhism is a religion/philosophy/psychology ( take your pick!) that exists in its own right but grew and developed during a rich period of body/mind/spiritual exploration in Northern India around 500 BC. It is so intertwined with ideas and practices in yoga as to be in many ways indistinguishable ( in my opinion). Some traditional Buddhism contains aspects of Tantra, hatha yoga, and yoga based descriptions of the nature of body, mind and conciousness, but some don t so much. The Tibetans have a form of hatha yoga in parts of their tantric Buddhist tradition and the Thais have a form of yoga called Reusi Dat Ton, similar to hatha yoga, which also forms the basis for Thai massage. Thereavadin and Zen Buddhists tend not to include asana type practices (arguing that they can increase attachment to the body) Perhaps the most important area of Buddhism that has become entwined with modern yoga is the practice of mindfulness, which is at the heart of all Buddhist traditions and is essentially the Buddha s core description of meditation and awareness of psychosomatic processes. In its essence it is not really different to the meditation described in yoga books, but it is maybe better explained and for that reason perhaps more accessible to the modern mind. Importantly it includes and elaborates on ideas that help people become aware of the interrelationship between thoughts, feelings, emotions and body sensations. Early life Some History of Buddhism Buddhism is the name given to a wide and diverse tradition centred on the teachings of Siddartha Gautama the original historical Buddha (an awakened one), probably born 563 BCE as a Prince in Northern India. The received story goes that as a baby an Astrologer told his Father, the King of that region, that his son would either be a great ruler and warrior, or a mystic. Not being so keen on the mystic possibility his father kept him inside the palace walls and surrounded him with every imaginable pleasure so as to distract him from spiritual inquiry and existential discomfort. At some point he got out of the Palace and witnessed ageing, sickness and death which awakened within him the need to look more deeply into life. (Interesting to consider that it is often the trials or difficulties of life that tend to send us off looking for answers).
2 He left his wife and son in the palace (a point of debate for some! But no doubt she was catered for), and set off on his search initially studying and practicing with people teaching various forms of yoga from the Upanishadic tradition and other practices popular at the time (Perhaps he faced choices not so different from the choices facing the modern day yoga student in wondering where on earth to start and who to believe!). To cut a long story short he easily attained what they were teaching but found it ultimately not liberating. He then tried self mortification practices (popular at the time, and still pockets of it to be found in India to this day, such as standing up only for 10 years or so), but having pushed himself to the edge with lack of food he was rescued by a cow girl after he fainted, he decided to eat more normally again. This was important as it gave him an important insight that was to become part of his teaching that of the principle of the Middle Way - he sensed that there must be some centre ground between uncompromising self-abnegation and self- indulgence. Enlightenment He then became a trailblazer forging his own path of meditative insight by one day sitting beneath a tree in modern day Bodh Gaya in North India and determining to stay there until he realised and understood the truth of things; he stayed up all night and attained Nirvana (liberating awareness) reportedly on a full moon day in May. He then remained several days deliberating on his experience, then after a brief inner struggle he decided not to keep it to himself, but to teach what he had understood. Teaching and spread of Buddhism His first teaching was at a deer park at Sarnath (near modern day Varanasi, North India) and is known as The turning of the wheel of the Dharma. He taught for 45 years over a large portion of northern and central India with remarkable success. According to some this success was in part due to the fact that people were fed up with the corrupted nature of Hindu priestly practices ( the Buddha rejected the caste system which was a social revolution at that time). To this day in India, Dalits (the untouchable caste) convert to Buddhism in order to escape the caste system. Another interesting speculation that may further explain the spread of the Buddha s teaching is that at that historical juncture in India many people were moving from village communities to towns and cities for the first time. Arguably in a rural community where people were inextricably bound by and deeply connected to the cycles of nature and each other, there was less likely to be a strong sense of individual identity with all its implications. The initial movement out of familiar environments and cycles generally heightens anxiety, a sense of separateness, ego identification
3 and general existential discomfort meaning that Indians were perhaps psychologically ripe to receive a teaching such as Buddhism. Perhaps in a similar way today, many people in the West also have become more mobile as to where we live, and therefore perhaps lead life with an additional degree of existential anxst to which yogic/buddhist practices provide a direct antidote? After spreading widely in India, Buddhism eventually became integrated into areas of Hinduism and less a religion in its own right ( although it is often argued that the west misunderstands Hinduism in that it is less a religion, more an inclusive spiritual culture, meaning that for India to integrate the Buddha as part of that is really not a problem intellectually). It had though already begun to spread to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, China and Japan where whilst staying distinct it took on varying flavours. The advent of Buddhism After the Buddha s death is where the Buddhism, as opposed to what the Buddha taught, which may or may not be the same thing, started. (We might also wonder how much what Jesus Christ taught and Christianity have to do with each other at times). After his death there were various councils and debates around how to continue the teachings. Debates occurred on areas such as deciding which monastic type rules were important to keep, what the Buddha said and didn t say about the nature of liberation amongst many other things. As with many traditions it was a long time before things were written down. This, along with the fact that many communities were practicing far apart from each other without much communication, inevitably led to splits and differing views; the main one resulted in the two main forms of Buddhism practiced today Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism, (though there is also further diversity especially within Mahayana Buddhism). Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhism is what is practiced in modern day Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma and much of South East Asia. It forms the basis of all the approaches and its proponents claim it is the original untainted teaching (if you get into the politics of Buddhism). The emphasis is on personal liberation through your own effort. Mahayana Buddhism - was essentially a reaction to the idea of personal liberation as the main goal as this was perceived by some as being a barren, selfish and world negating approach (although we might suggest that sorting yourself out is a big favour to other people ). The Mahayanists re-included more emotive and social aspects of human life and re-orientated the goal of liberation to include the primary motivation so that it would then be possible to help all beings. They also included the idea that Nirvana (liberating awareness) and Samsara (being lost in the conditioning of our worldly existence) were one and the same thing and liberation just required a shift in perspective (albeit ultimately a fairly radical one).
4 Zen Buddhism Zen is essentially a form of Mahayana Buddhism that developed mainly in China and Japan. It s known for its sparsity of language and generally anti intellectual stance, preferring rigorous forms of practice as the way forwards, Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism was a later development largely in North India and Tibet it is a combination of Mahayana Buddhism, Hatha Yoga and Bon Po (the original shamanic religion of Tibet including various symbolic deities, sorcery and magic). The Tantrics basic view is that all the answers lie in the body/mind and its energies, and many practices are more body centred in one way and another; the body is part of the tool of transformation, whereas in some traditions the body can appear somewhat neglected or negated. Western Buddhism clearly still very new, but taking root in many places. It has the advantage of having an overview of all the forms of Buddhism which have all been transplanted in one form or another. Currently there are a number of matured Western teachers who have practiced in traditional settings but lived, practiced and interacted within their own culture for a long time. This interaction will ultimately determine Western Buddhism in time, but so far it is often a combination of what is perceived to be the best of the Asian traditions. (The same types of developments apply to Yoga, Indian food or anything else that moves cultural setting). As mentioned Buddhism as a religion largely died out in India itself partly as much of it was embraced and included into a more developed version of the non dualist Upanishadic yoga (Advaita Vedanta) taught in the 8th/9 th Century CE by Sankara. This was a rich fusion of ideas that were essentially saying the same thing. Central Teachings of the Buddha All the schools of Buddhism tend to agree on the idea of the middle way, 5 main ethical points, the 4 Noble Truths and the 8 fold path as being the basis of practice (The Buddha was fond of lists there are lots of them partly no doubt to aid memory from the times of mainly oral tradition.) The exception might be some of the tantric schools that have other more unusual practices to speed up the enlightenment process but even then they would encourage a foundation in ethics and mindfulness. The Middle Way Forms a central pillar of the Buddha s teaching that there needs to be a balanced approach to any meditative path.
There are two extremes that have positive aspects but may need balancing out (we probably recognise these in ourselves to one degree or another): 5 1. Is to avoid a denial of life and/or becoming so introverted through meditation that there is no connection to life. Perhaps this is a danger for more introverted people or those who could use a meditative practice/lifestyle as a way of avoiding their outer problems. Whilst these people may develop a strong practice often they could do with getting out more and developing their practice in relation to the world.. 2. On the other side, perhaps for more outwardly orientated people who can also avoid problems but by constantly distracting themselves outwardly with other people and perhaps other people s problems rather than their own. Whilst their outward energy can be well used, for these people there needs to be enough introversion in practice to be centred, steady and calm in heart and mind so as to develop a clearer more grounded relationship with the world around them. Also The Middle Way includes recognition that we need sufficient comfort and food so we are strong enough to practice (though the life of a Buddhist Monk probably would seem a bit sparse to most of us!) What we actually need is of course open to debate according cultural/social context. The idea o f the Middle Way was also used more subtly in debates over the nature of reality. Ethics The core ethics that support practice (in a similar way to the Yamas of Patanjali s Classical Yoga) are: Non violence Non stealing Avoiding mis-use of sexual energy (in monastic traditions most are celibate, but some Tibetan Lamas marry and live householder lives).for householders it means celibacy while on retreat and ethical balanced behaviour otherwise. Avoiding Lying and harsh speech and gossip. Avoiding intoxicants that cloud perception. For householders it means no intoxicants on retreat, beyond that, open to discussion.
As with Patanjalis Yamas ( universal ethics ) Buddhist ethics are less rules more ideas for observation and inquiry within ourselves. The 4 Noble truths (or the facts of life!). 6 1. Dukkha - The truth of Suffering/Dissatisfaction - This refers to mental suffering, dissatisfaction and existential anxst as well as the more obvious trials of pain, ageing, sickness and death. Dukkha is metaphorically like a constant irritating stone in your shoe which without awareness can lead us to constantly attempt to manipulate external circumstances to our convenience as a means to try and satisfy ourselves. 2. The truth of its causes - the two main causes are desire/grasping after things we want and aversion/resistance to things we don t want or put another way the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain/discomfort. These two tendencies are deeply rooted in human experience and manifest in various other ways such as doubt, restlessness and fear. Ultimately it is the grasping and deluded identification with the Ego, sense of I and separate sense of self that fuels Dukkha. 3. The truth of the possibility of the cessation of Dukkha - If it is possible to clearly understand the source of Dukkha then it is possible to liberate ourselves from it and its cause the identification with I and the grasping and aversion it produces. 4. The path to freedom - The eight fold path. Each of these points could have a lengthy commentary of its own but basically: 1. Right understanding Understanding impermanence in that nothing exists inherently in separation from anything else in particular that there is no independent identity, self or ego or I. 2. Right thought or right resolve to renounce attachment to changing phenomena and to practice non violence and positive friendliness to life. 3. Right Action, or conduct. Abstaining from killing, stealing, misusing sexual energy, lying harsh speech or gossip and intoxicants and being aware of the consequences of these actions on ourselves and others on many levels gross and subtle. Similarly being aware of the positive effects of cultivating patience, generosity, compassion and other more positive traits on ourselves and others. 4. Right Livelihood Earning or gaining your livelihood through means ethically consistent with a meditative/yogic path. 5. Right Effort Giving an appropriate amount of attention to maintaining awareness. Also a balanced effort in focussing and steadying the mind in meditation not too tight, not too loose.
7 6. Right Mindfulness Both formal and informal meditation to cultivate awareness of the psychosomatic processes of our life The four foundations of mindfulness in the type of language tending to be used by Buddhists: a. Mindfulness of the body. b. Mindfulness of feelings and sensations. c. Mindfulness of mind and consciousness. d. Mindfulness of mental phenomena and objects. In practice formal meditation using this approach would consist of the practice of concentration and settling the mind; then when the mind is more still observing directly (without conceptualisation described as mindfully) the experiences of the body, sensations, feelings, emotions, thoughts, images and anything else that presents itself. With observation comes the insight that these things are changing and moving on and are therefore not essentially what we are. This presents the possibility of an more expansive vision of what we are. We learn to notice that when we are contracting in some way (physical tension, mental distress ) then on some level we are either grasping or resisting.. With practice, this approach in formal meditation can be accessed in day to day living offering the possibility of living more free of entrenched habits of reactivity to our experience and life. 7. Right Concentration Enough concentration in meditation practice to settle the mind, and enough to experience transcendent awareness. 8. Right speech (it has its own category!) avoiding pointless talk, gossip and aggressive or hurtful speech. Generally recognising the powerful effects of speech on ourselves and others and using it wisely. These 4 noble truths form the basis of all Buddhist practice. Karma An understanding of Karma and the nature of the conditioning that drives it (as discussed in previous handouts) forms an important part of the overall understanding and dynamics of the Buddha s approach. Traditionally rebirth was assumed, but many modern day practitioners have expressed uncertainty in this area suggesting that it is more important to consider that the ideas seem to work anyway within the context of one lifetime. The main point is that what we think, say and do has an effect on ourselves and others; and a negative approach to life one way or another will tend to invite negativity back and the same for a positive approach. Mahayana Buddhism Has these foundations of ethics and the 4 noble truths but with the addition of the Bodhisattva ideal which is the motivation to become enlightened for the benefit of all beings so that it will be possible to help them in their own practice and understanding. Mahayana Buddhism possibly
8 implies a more expansive engagement in life than is arguably implied by Theravada Buddhism. It is important though to realise that the Theravada path forms an essential foundation to the Mahayana as it would be unwise (if fairly common!) to be attempting to help others in their understanding if one didn t have a clear understanding of the dynamics driving oneself (the blind leading the blind). Nirvana Traditionally the end of the cycle of rebirths. But for modern purposes, liberation from an ego driven conditioned life that separates out life rather than directly realising the interconnectedness, interdependence and oneness of life. And then being able to live as if we know it. Samsara living an ego driven conditioned life that separates out life rather than directly realising the interconnectedness, interdependence and oneness of life and the multiple problems this causes. In a nutshell the Buddha taught that there is suffering (Dukkha) and then taught the practices that show the way to end it. What to do? Whilst the Buddha encouraged questioning and philosophy he also appears to have been very pragmatic - for those of us paralysed by scepticism, doubt and too much intellectualising the Buddha told a story of The Poisoned Arrow: A tribesman is shot by a poisoned arrow but when he was about to be helped (i.e. someone pull the arrow out ) he said stop, before you pull the arrow out I want to know who shot it, what tribe he was from, what the arrow head is made of, how the poison was made etc needless to say he died before these things could be discovered. We may reflect that it is certainly easier to speculate, or be sceptical or critical or ask endless questions than it is to sit down and meditate and see if the practice of it is of value to us. Further notes and thought on Buddhism. Although classed as a major World Religion, Buddhism is arguably deep agnostic inquiry more than a religion as we may normally think of it which may account for its increasing popularity in modern secular countries. Nirvana and the Wisdom that Understands Emptiness
9 The highest form of understanding that leads to Nirvana according to Buddhism is the wisdom that understands emptiness or the concept of dependant origination. Essentially that the truth is that everything is interdependent on many levels and constantly in flux. No composite forms (i.e. the world of apparent solid appearances) have any inherent permanent existence or in other words, nothing exists in isolation only in dependence on other factors. With this in mind there is nothing to hold on to or identify with. This liberating awareness is what leads to Nirvana or Liberation and the end of suffering or discontent (caused by our attachment to things with no independent existence). I rather see this as a positive vision of an interrelating dynamic whole rather than the nothing exists so there s no point take that some people put on it. This insight can come about through Samatha/Vipassana (calm and insight) meditation, mindfulness practice, intellectual inquiry and other types of practices and meditation. Although Emptiness can be understood intellectually on one level, it is ultimately when it becomes a non-conceptual realisation, a realisation of the heart and mind of our connection to all of life that it becomes transformative in terms of how we perceive and live life. We can consider that there are plenty of things that we understand intellectually that may not change the way we live and behave. From a direct understanding of Emptiness comes a capacity for Acceptance, Love, Equanimity and Compassion; these qualities are really just parts of the same vision, understanding and state of being. Mahayana Buddhism also emphasises practicing Compassion as the other side of the coin that can lead to an understanding of Emptiness The vision and understanding of Emptiness is arguably another way of saying what the non dualist Upanishads are saying. In Vedanta there is the idea of the two levels of truth - an ultimate reality and a conventional reality that allows us to get along day to day; it s likely though that Sankara took this idea from Buddhism as it was the Buddha who first taught the two levels of truth the relative level ( you,me, I, this, that ) and the ultimate level ( all is one). Parallel Development of Yoga and Buddhism. The Buddha lived and taught around 500 B.C.E., later than most of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita, but before Patanjali wrote the Yoga sutras. Situated at that particular historical juncture Buddhism helped stimulate developments and clarifications in the practice of yoga of which it was arguably an important part. There has been an interplay between yogic and Buddhist ideas since then; they are far more similar than they are different being essentially concerned with personal realisation and understanding through practical experimentation with the human body-mind.
10 Certainly the study and practice of the Buddhas teaching can help clarify some areas of yoga practice and theory. The historical Buddha learned from early Upanishadic yogis before forming his own path and there is clear evidence that Buddhist principles and modes of presentation were used in Patanjali s Yoga sutras. Many scholars feel Patanjali s work was in part a response to the popularity of Buddhism and an attempt to re-present yoga more clearly and coherently. Later again in Sankara s Advaita Vedanta (A more evolved and sophisticated presentation of Upanishadic non-dualist teaching), Buddhist ideas were in clear evidence. In the West today there are many people involved in meditation originating from the Buddha s teaching who practice Hatha Yoga as a complement. Or you can find mindful yoga though I m not sure what not mindful yoga would be. POSSIBLE AREAS OF DIFFERENCE A potential philosophical point of difference is that while in Yoga there is a concept of an unchanging underlying reality - the Brahman of the Upanishads, and the Purusha of Patanjali - in Buddhism there is not - the Buddha refused to answer certain types of speculative questions on unchanging reality and rebirth as he deemed them unhelpful to the business of getting on with practice illustrating again his pragmatism and insistence on practice rather than speculation. The Nirvana of Buddhism, though, is often described as the deathless state which sounds very similar to Brahman/Atman/Purusha in implication. In the end it is arguably a matter of philosophical nitpicking and preference on teaching ideas than a difference of experience in deep meditation. (It would be legitimate to question how it would be possible to distinguish between certain types of experiences in meditation?) Certainly the Indian philosopher and Advaita Vedanta teacher, Sankara, in the 8 th /9 th Century CE saw no contradiction in evolving an approach that seemed very much like Buddhism in some ways, yet retained Brahman/Atman as the central idea of ultimate reality. Inquiry questions we will look at some of these in our group discussions.
1 a. What do you think of the Buddha s teachings? What makes sense? Is there anything that doesn t? b. Given that many of us practice yoga to release stress and tension how does the Buddha explain the cause of much of this tension and stress? c. What is the nature of it? 11 d. Could the teaching and practices offered by the Buddha cut some of these problems at root? How? 2 a. What are the four foundations of mindfulness? b. How could practicing the four foundations of mindfulness help our asana practice? c. How can the four foundations of mindfulness help with a freer and easier life? d. Does the practice of mental noting help? 3 a. If all the feelings, sensations and phenomena we note and observe are impermanent and changing what does that leave? If anything? Is what is left a full or empty experience? b. How might you explain the feeling of the I or ego identification/sense of a separate self? c. How do you understand emptiness? d. How do you understand the two levels of truth? Reading Either of these would be fine: Buddhism without Beliefs, a contemporary guide Stephen Batchelor. - A clutter free guide to Buddhism and more importantly how it relates to our experience
One Dharma Joseph Goldstein - looks at core principles of Buddhism and how the best aspects of all the traditions can be drawn into a single path appropriate for Westerners Further reading Seeking the Heart of Wisdom Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield (Mainly on Meditation.) Essential writings - Thich Nhat Hanh. A Path with Heart Jack Kornfield 12 For Parents - The inner work of Mindful Parenting (easier to read than to do!) Jon and Myla Kabatt-Zinn. Interesting but I m not entirely sure I would live my life by this.. Full Catastrophe Living Jon Kabatt-Zinn The application of Buddhist based mindfulness practice and meditation for stress reduction, the management of ill health and many other practice applications.