Yoga system of philosophy: General practice and synthesis

Abstract

The paper begins with analysis of the Yoga System of Philosophy on the assumption that Yoga-practice has been widely used for attaining ultimate goal of one's existence (moksha), even though moksha might have had varying meanings for different philosophers and laymen. If Yoga-practice has been widely accepted by all, then two significant questions arise: firstly, "how has the Yoga-practice - an apparently noncognitive enterprise - come to occupy a role in the intellectual enterprise, which is a cognitive activity, such as philosophization?"; secondly, "how is that, almost all schools of Indian Philosophy have accepted Yoga as an indispensable means (sadhanaa), for the attainment of moksha despite the possible technical difficulties?" Alternatively, the points of concern are: firstly, the general interface between Yoga-practice and philosophy; and secondly, the essential quality or limb(s) of Yoga that is perceived as the logical link between Yoga-practice and philosophization, such that Yoga becomes indispensable to all schools of Indian Philosophy. The former point is of general nature and confines mainly to the first question. This point seems to presuppose a historical existence of some kind of general practice and also more than one covert/overt philosophical position; and also that they have utilized each other to make their own point, as for example, philosophy prescribes practical ways to attain the goal of moksha. However, these facts stand in need of analytical networking without which the alleged interface would make little sense. The paper attempts to elaborate on this point of analytical networking involved in the general interface first and then takes up the point concerning the essential quality or limb(s) of Yoga that is perceived as logical link between Yoga-practice and philosophization. In the conclusion, the paper considers the type of Means- End relationship applied by Advaitins and Samkhya-Yoga systems in the attainment of moksha.