sign in sign up
<<
Home , A History of Modern Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Modern yoga

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Volume 18 Article 15

January 2005

Book Review: "A History of Modern : and Western Esotericism"

Harold Coward

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs

Part of the Religion Commons

Recommended Citation Coward, Harold (2005) "Book Review: "A History of : Patanjali and Western Esotericism"," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 18, Article 15. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1348

The Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies is a publication of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies. The digital version is made available by Digital Commons @ Butler University. For questions about the Journal or the Society, please contact [email protected]. For more information about Digital Commons @ Butler University, please contact [email protected]. Coward: Book Review: "A History of Modern Yoga: Patanjali and Western Esotericism" 54 Book Reviews

and the bhaktas are all longing for the theologians. Perhaps an initiation into grace of the Lord Siva. . process theism might bring some fresh Another curious term used by the thinking to the Saiva worldview. However authors here in the Saiva context is the standard objections of the Christian sorcery or black magic. They find a theologians to this approach will hold term "abhicara" for it and the good also for the Saivaunderstanding of Kanta Purnaa text refers to it as "velvi" the divine. A statement like this: Siva (p.88) .. The use of the term "sorcery" "though omniscient, there are many with all its negative connotations in the things he does not know - everything that context of the Daruvana episode is rather has to do with non-sentient phenomena misleading. The traditional understanding for example," (p.200) would also imply a of the yogic powers which are creative and limited understanding of God's Siva's creative power to transform all transcendence. obstacles are not sorcery. It is not clear The authors' effort to get at this why the authors hesitate to call it Daruvana episode by way of process "miraculous power", a term well known in theism requires careful study and the religious literature of the world. theological insight. I hope this publication Sorcery, witchcraft and "p illicuny am" invites Saivite thinkers to respond to this (Tamil equivalent), terms which would type of theological interpretation and sound very odd in the Judeo-Christian look at their own tradition from a new context, have their own logic and angle, even if they do not accept it fully. ontology, as the authors point out (p.90). Such an intercultural exchange would be But then what they describe after that is fruitful to both sides of the dialogue. the creative process of phenomenal Otherwise the Siva episodes will remain existence and the formation of the mere stories in calendar art and repeated individual consciousness. Yet one wonders with usual cliches without enriching the how this analysis fits into the visit of Siva tradition. to the pine forest. It may be true that the Saiva Anand Amaladass theologians' conceptual world is rigid, static, strangely idealistic. But then they are not used to interacting with process

A History ofModern Yoga: Patanjali and Western Esotericism. Elizabeth De Michelis. New York: Continuum, 2004, xvii + 282 pp. '! , I IN his important book, The Limits of "revivalistic reinterpretation" of Yoga (p. Scripture, Anantanand Rambachan 84) and how Vivekananda's is distinguishes between Sankara and foundational for the various developments Vivekananda on the authority of the Vedas of Modern Yoga which take place in the and its relationship to anubhava or personal " English-speaking world during the twentieth experience. Now in her A History of Modern century. A historical analysis and "Typology Yoga, De Michelis shows how a similar of Modern Yoga" is developed, and as a distinction obtains between Patanjali's Yoga criterion example of Modern Yoga, a Sutras and Vivekananda's Raja Yoga. detailed ,case study of the theory and Further, she demonstrates how this practice oflyengar Yoga is offered. reinterpretation of Yoga by Vivekananda All of this is most helpful in depends on Keshubchandra Sen's earlier allowing one to sort out and understand the plethora of Modern Yoga schools,

Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2005 1 "1 Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 18 [2005], Art. 15 I I Book Reviews 55

movements and which have arisen in identified as Vivekananda's ) and India, UK and America since Vivekananda's reinterpreting classical Yoga. Relying on his appearance at the Chicago Parliament of own inspiration and his understanding of the Religions in 1893. Unexpected connections mind-set of his Western listeners, with Theosophy, Mesmerism, Vivekananda focused on the practice section Religion, the Psychology of William James, of the Yoga Sutras (the so-called Krishnamurti and others are revealed in this astangayoga). He also drew from fine piece of careful scholarly analysis. In hathayogic teachings regarding yoga poses, the end the relationship between Patanjali's and mesmeric beliefs (popular in North Yoga Sutras and Modem Yoga is shown to America at that time) in relation to the I I be increasingly remote. Rather than power of or yogic breathing as Patanjali's mental emphasis grounded in practical techniques to speed up one's Sankhya metaphysics, much Modem Yoga, spiritual progress. In lecturing on Patanjali's is shown to focus on physical practices or meditative states, Vivekananda (yogic poses or and yogic breathing makes use of the then popular Functional or ) with a neo-Vedanta kind of Psychology of William James, with whom individual "self-realization" or anubhava he became acquainted during this stay in experience being emphasized. Indeed, Boston (p.171), and the earlier theosophist concludes De Michelis, "Within the writers, Blavatsky and Judge, who conceptual universe of Modem' Yoga, the distinguish the term raja yoga (the mental Sutras find themselves demoted to aspects) from (the physical representing only a very limited range of aspects) as both being present in Patanjali's (usually occultized) hathayogic practices" Yoga Sutras. It is Judge who explicitly (p.180). identifies 'rpja yoga with the classic The book begins by tracing the yogascittavrttinirodhah formulation of historical and intellectual roots of Modem Patanjali (Yoga Sutras 1.2). De Michelis Yoga through the Western philosophical and concludes her analysis as follows: "The Christian influences upon Rammohun Roy, misidentification between Vivekananda's Debendranath Tagore and Keshubchandra raja yoga and the Sen as foundational for Vivekananda and his . . . bet~ays a cognitive confusion which reinterpretation of Patanjali's Yoga. This causes a typically esoteric variety of yoga ... forms Part I of the book and depends to a to be understood ... as the most important large extent on the earlier studies of scholars and universally applicable form of yoga" such as Knof, Halbfass and Rambachan. Part (p.279). Yet this misidentification of raja II shows how this Neo Vedanta yoga and the Yoga Sutras is appropriated reinterpretation of "God realization" and from Vivekananda into most forms of "Self-realization" sets the stage for Modem Yoga. Vivekananda's basic formulation of Modem Having exposed the intellectual root Yoga in his publication Raja Yoga, in 1896, of Modem Yoga as Vivekananda's 1896 based on lectures delivered in America book on Raja Yoga, De Michelis goes on to shortly after the Chicago Parliament of trace twentieth-century developments. There Religions. This was a time in the West of is "Modem Psychosomatic Yoga" with its strong cravings for spiritual practices. As focus on practice and a privatized De Michelis puts it, in an age of swift religious/cultic milieu as exemplified by technological growth, secularization and Sivananda and his disciples or Swami utilitarianism, people wanted techniques to and his Himalayan, Institute. Arising out of achieve immediate practical and this approach come two others: "Modem rational/scientific· goals. Vivekananda Postural Yoga" and' "Modem Meditational responded by following the approach he had Yoga." According to the author, "Modem learned as a young man sitting at Sen's feet Postural Yoga" places a greater stress on (rather than Ramakrishna who is usually physical practices as seen in

https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol18/iss1/15 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1348 2 Coward: Book Review: ": Patanjali and Western Esotericism" 56 Book Reviews

and Astanga Yoga. In contrast, "Modem namely the Iyengar School of Modem Meditational Yoga" puts more stress on Postural , which it is claimed is the mental practices such as is seen in early TM, most influential and widespread of all the and some modem Buddhist postural schools. The author successfully groups. A chart outlining this typology is employs her own typology (described offered on p.188 and will be very helpful for " above) to analyze the theory and practice of" teaching purposes. A separate offshoot is the Iyengar School of Modem Yoga. called "Modem Denominational Yoga" by This carefully researched and well the author. It is characterized by a focus on written book fills in an important gap in Neo-gurus and on the school's own knowledge - how we got from the classical teachings which are given authoritative school based on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras to status. Examples include the Brahnia the modem forms of yoga that we encounter Kumaris, Yoga, ISKCON, and late in community recreation centers, college TM. After establishing her typology of adult education programs and in popular Modem Yoga groups, the author identifies books. As a scholar who has carefully three developmental phases: popularization studied Patanjali's Yoga Sutras (with my (1950s to mid-1970s), consolidation (mid- teacher, T.R.V. Murti) and published on 1970s to late 1980s) and acculturation (late them (e.g., Yoga and Psychology (SUNY 1980s to the present). These phases are Press, 2002), I have always been puzzled by described and discussed mainly with the modem practitioners who often cite the reference to the longer established Postural Yoga Sutras but are so different. Thanks to Yoga schools in the UK. There has been an this book, I, and my students, have a much increase of those practicing postural yoga of better understanding and a sound basis for about 300 percent from 1970 to 1993 when further study. those attending classes in Britain are numbered at 120,000 and its popularity Harold Coward continues to grow. University of Victoria The last -fifty pages of the book present a case study of one such school,

In Search of Identity: Debates on Religious Conversion in India. Sebastian C.H. Kim. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2003, 250pp. -

IN Search of Identity is a" meticulously conversion has historically been so researched, clearly written walk through the problematic. Although the answer is many-angled history of conversion debates undeniably tied to shifting and conflicting in India. The book offers a rather socio-economic, cultural, and political straightforward overview of Hindu-Christian realities, Kim believes the issue cannot be exchanges from the early nineteenth century resolved without considering pertinent to date yet, unlike many other writings in the theological differences between Hindu and field, focuses on debate and discordance Christian traditions. Kim argues that the rather than dialogue. Also distinguishing inter-religious dispute over conversion in Kim is his interest in exploring the problem India repeatedly reaches an impasse due to of conversion on theological rather than failure on both sides to effectively hear the practical grounds. His book, as he puts it, theological and ideological underpinnings of aims not so much at exploring why people the other's argument. In Search of Identity is change their religion but rather why an attempt to challenge this impasse by

Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2005 3