140159 VO Historical Introduction to Yoga Philosophy and Early Indian Traditions of Meditation (2014S)

This series of lectures addresses the foundations of yoga philosophy and its his-
torical development into the modern period. The course also covers the forms
of meditation that are described in the earliest Indian literature.
How old is yoga? What is it, really? Is it a system of meditation, or physical
postures, or both? Is it a kind of medicine? Was it once even a form of controlled
suicide? What role did British gymnastics of the nineteenth century play in the
formation of modern yoga practice? How does the early history of yoga relate
to modern forms of yoga such as that taught by Iyengar, Jois, Desikacharya and
Bikram Choudhury?

This course will introduce you to the foundation texts of yoga, the Yoga Sūtra
of Patañjali, and the Bhāṣya commentary on these sūtras.
Shorter selections from other early yoga treatises will also be read in translation
and discussed in class, including passages from the Mahābhārata, some of the
commentaries on the Yoga Sūtra and its Bhāṣya, and perhaps other works such
as the Gorakṣaśataka, and the Haṭhayogapradīpikā.
Central to early yoga practice was meditation. How do these ancient Sanskrit
texts on yoga describe meditation? Are there several forms of meditation, and
how do they differ? We shall explore how yoga drew on older meditational
traditions, especially those of Buddhism, and reformulated them for a new cul-
tural milieu.

Throughout this course, a historical and analytical approach will be taken as
the touchstone for discovering reliable knowledge. Emphasis will be given to
modern discoveries and interpretations.