Edward Fitzpatrick Crangle - The Origin and Development of Early Indian Contemplative Practices 1994 Harrassowitz Verlag· Wiesbaden the watermark STUDIES IN ORIENTAL RELIGIONS Edited by Walther Heissig and Hans-Joachim Klimkeit Volume 29 1994 Harrassowitz Verlag . Wiesbaden The series STUDIES IN ORIENTAL RELIGIONS is' supported by Institute for Comparative Religion, Bonn University Institute for Central Asian Studies, Bonn University in collaboration with Institute for Advanced Studies of World Religions, Carmel, New York Institute of History of Religion, Uppsala University Donner Institute, Academy of Abo, Abo, Finland Institute of Oriental Religions, Sophia University; Tokyo Department of Religion, University of Hawaii Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente, Roma Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme Crangle, Edward Fitzpatrick: . The origin and development of early Indian contemplative practices / Edward Fitzpatrick Crangle. - Wiesbaden : Harrassowitz 1994 (Studies in oriental religions; Vol. 29) Zugl.: Univ. of Queensland, Diss. ISBN 3-447-03479-3 NE:GT © Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden.l994 This work, including all of its p~rts, is protected by copyright. Any use beyond the limits of c,opyright law without the permission of the publisher is forbidden and subject to penalty. This applies particularly to reproductions, translations, microfilms and storage and processing in electronic systems. Printed on permanent/durable paper from Nordland GmbH, DiirpenlEms. Printing and binding by Hubert & Co., Giittingen Printed in Germany ISSN 0340-6702 ISBN 3-447-03479-3 This work is dedicated to Sylvia TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ............................................................................... xi ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................. xiii 1 INTRODUCTION The Problem .................................................................................... 1 The Project ................................................................................... 8 The Methodology..... ......... ........ ............ ...... .......... ............... ........... 11 The Structure of the Work............................................................ 15 2 EARLY VEDIC CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES Introduction .................................................................................... 19 The Texts...................................................................................... 19 Vedic Religious Practice .... ....... ........ ........ ..... ..... ............ ....... ......... 22 Early Vedic Contemplatives............................................................ 24 The Rsis (Seers) ........................................................................... 25 The Munis (Ecstatics) .................................................................. 28 The Yatis (Ascetics) ..................................................................... 31' The Brahmadirin.......................................................................... 32 Early Vedic Contemplative Powers ................•.............................. 36 Brahman ...................................................................................... 36 Dhi: Devotional Prayer/visionary Thought ................................. 39 Power and dhih......................................................................... 44 The instrumentality of dhih ....................................................... 45 ------------ -~-------- --~----- viii Table of Contents Yoga in the Rg Veda..................................................................... 46 "Yoking", "directing" etc. o/manas (mind) ................................ 48 Tapas ...................................................................... :................... 53 Practices in the Brl1hmanas and Aranyakas ..................................... 55 Upasana ........................................................................................ 59 Conclusion ................ ...... ......... ........... .................. ................. ......... 62 3 CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES IN THE UPANISADS Introduction...... ................. ... .............. ...... ...................... ................. 65 Upasana ........................................................................................... 72 The Nature of Up as ana ................................................................. 73 (a) Vedic deities as manifestations o/Brahman ......................... 76 (b) Perceptible/orms as contemplative symbols ........................ 77 (c) The imperceptible/orms o/contemplative symbols............... 79 Vidyas and legends regarding upasana ..................................... 82 Qualifications 0/ the worshipper................................................ 85 yoga ................................................................................................ 90 Terms Derivedfrom "Dhyai" ............................ ;........................... 91 Meditation on "Om"................................................................... 94 Meditation (dhyfula) on the gods................................................ 95 The combination 0/ dhyana with upa + as.................................. 97 Terms Derivedfrom ·"yuj".,.......................................................... 99 On the Term "yoga" .... :............................................................... 103 Definition o/Yoga in-the Upanisads ............................................ 104 Control o/the sense-organs ...................................................... 106 Tapas ........................................................................................ 107 Process o/upasana and yoga techniques: a synthesis ............... 109 Different Stages in the Process o/Yoga....................................... 111 Pranayama: introversion and breath controL........................... 112 Pratyahiira: withdrawal o/the senses from external objects ...... 114 Table of Contents ix Dhyana: profound meditation... ..... ......... .... ......... .... ...... ........... 114 Dharan1i: concentration of the mind .......................................... 117 Tarka: contemplative enquiry .................................................... 119 Sam1idhi: absorption ................................................................. 120 The Physiological/Anatomical Details of Yoga ......................... 121 The yogin as worshipper and meditator .................................... 123 Turya: thefourth state of consciousness ................................... 124 The restraint/destruction of mind .............................................. 126 Conclusion ...................................................................................... 134 4 CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES IN THE PALl SUTTAS Introduction .................................................................................... 139 The Threefold Training (Tividha Sikkh1i) ..................................... 142 Two Meditative Methods .............................................................. 146 The Religion of Self-Mastery ........................................................ 148 Two Trainings in Insight: Metaphysic and Realisation ................. 154 Learner vs. Perfected One ........................................................... 155 The Five Powers .......................................................................... 162 The seven factors of enlightenment (bojjhangas) .......................... 164 Slla.................................................................................................. 165 The Buddhist Metaphysic ............................................................. 166 Samadhi .......................................................................................... 171 Samm1i V1iyfuna: Right Effort ...................................................... 171 Skilled states of mind vs. unskilled states of mind...................... 174 The divine abodes (brahma-viharas}.......................................... 176 Samm1i Sati: Right Mindfulness ................................................... 178 Catu -satipatthana: the four applications of mindfulness ............ 180 K1iyanupassan1i: mindfulness of body........................................ 183 Vedananupassan1i: mindfulness offeelings ................................ 189 Cittanupassan1i: mindfulness of consciousness .......................... 191 x Table of Contents Dhammanupassana: mindfulness of mind-objects ..................... 193 The six recollections (anussati) ................................................. 195 Resemblance ofsatipatthiina to upasana .................................... 198 Summary of samma sati ............................................................ 199 Samma-Samiidhi: Right Concentration........................................ 200 The jhanas ................................................................................ 201 Anapanasati: mindfulness of in-and-out-breathing ....................... 207 Paiifia.............................................................................................. 214 Abhifiiia: Supernormal Knowledges ............................................ 214 Samma fiana: right insight ........................................................... 224 Cessation: the Synthesis of Concentration with Insight................ 235 The cessation of bodily, verbal, and mental formations ............ 239 The means to cessation according to the Buddha ............... ...... 244 Nine