Yoga In Jainism

Jain Studies is a relatively new and rapidly expanding field of inquiry for scholars of Indian religion and philosophy. In Jainism, "yoga" carries many meanings, and this book explores the definitions, nuances, and applications of the term in relation to Jainism from early times to the present.

 

Yoga in Jainism begins by discussing how the use of the term yoga in the earliest Jain texts described the mechanics of mundane action or karma. From the time of the later Upanishads, the word Yoga became associated in all Indian religions with spiritual practices of ethical restraint, prayer, and meditation. In the medieval period, Jain authors such as Haribhadra, Shubhacandra, and Hemacandra used the term Yoga in reference to Jain spiritual practice.

 

In the modern period, a Jain form of Yoga emerged, known as Preksha Dhyana. This practice includes the physical postures and breathing exercises well known through the globalization of Yoga.

 

By exploring how Yoga is understood and practiced within Jainism, this book makes an important contribution to the fields of Yoga Studies, Religious Studies, Philosophy, and South Asian Studies.