Yoga and Buddhism for inner harmony

The origins of yoga and Buddhism 

Although yoga and Buddhism share fundamental values, they developed independently. Indeed, these practices cannot be directly linked since yoga is a spiritual practice while Buddhism is a religious practice. 

The appearance of Buddhism

The culture of Buddhism is one of the great spiritual and philosophical practices of the world which emerged two millennia ago. Moreover its name is taken from the word “buddha” which means awake or the one who is enlightened. If the practice was able to exist, it is thanks to Siddhartha Gautama. He decided to leave his royalist life in India in the 6th century in favor of a quest to seek truth about the nature of human existence and the origin of suffering. It was after years that he reached enlightenment or the middle lane under a tree in India at Bodhi in Bodh Gaya. 

Then he spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism, called the dhamma.  

The philosophy of yoga and Buddhism 

Yoga and Buddhism are both spiritual traditions that share deep roots in Asian antiquity, but they also have in common their developments in India. 

First of all, the first traces of yoga go back to the ancient Vedic texts, notamment le rig veda datant d’environ 1500 avant J-C. Par ailleurs, le yoga s’est precise et codified with the text of yoga sutras of patanjali who describes yoga as a way to calm and D'calm the incessant flow of thoughts and emotions afin d’atteindre la spiritual realization.  

Yoga and Buddhism

Subsequently, yoga expanded into different styles with several schools. We include in particular the hatha yoga pradipika, THE bhakti yoga or even the jnana yoga which focus on specific aspects of practice. 

Regarding Buddhism, it is based on four truths and one eightfold path which guide the yogi towards a end of suffering and theattainment of spiritual awakening. It is important to keep in mind that Buddhism follows three fundamental principles: conduct, view and cohesion between practice. They are inseparable from the spiritual path. Furthermore, in Buddhism, yoga is designated by the five golden dharma. That's to say, the teaching of shangpa, this is what guarantees the complete transmission of the method to his disciple. 

Qu’en est-il de l’hindouisme ? 

Yoga is generally associated with Hinduism. For good reason, the links between yoga and Hinduism are complex and deep. These practices form an alliance sharing common points. 

To begin with, yoga although a distinct practice, has its roots with the spiritual teachings of Hinduism. Indeed, we understand it in the sacred texts of Hinduism, the vedas. The latter evoke the sharing the same goal : connection to the divine and the search for inner truth. 

Additionally, they also share a holistic perspective of spirituality across the four paths of hinduism : 

• Jnana yoga, the yoga of knowledge

• Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion

• Raja yoga, the yoga of meditation
• Karma yoga, the yoga of selfless action 

Thus, we understand that the Hindu teachings nourished and elevated yoga, notably thanks to the spiritual master and philosopher swami vivekananda. 

Common text and ultimate goal

Also, the practice of Hinduism and yoga includes the sharing of a fundamental text, the Bhagavad Gita. En effet, que ce soit pour l’hindouisme ou le yoga, ce texte a considérablement influencé ces derniers. Notamment par ces teachings on duty, meditation and devotion. 

Finally, both yoga and Hinduism seekunion with the divine through body and spirit. 

Are yoga and Buddhism directly related? 

As said before, yoga and Buddhism have similarities in their methods and goals. But this does not mean that they are directly linked and we will understand why. 

The similarities between the two disciplines are mainly based on the structuring of the eight anga. In yoga you will find: 

• THE yamas sont les principes moraux qui comprennent la non violence, la chasteté ou encore l’honnêteté.
• THE niyamas are the principles of personal ethics (purity, discipline, contentment, etc.)
• THE asanas are physical postures.
• THE pranayama represent breathing techniques.
• THE pratyahara explore the withdrawal of the senses.
• THE dharana is the ability to concentrate.
• THE dhyana denotes meditation.
• THE samadhi equals spiritual awakening.

The anga seen from Buddhism

As for Buddhism, the anga are composed of eight noble paths. They overlap with the anga of yoga. But they look like this: 

• There right view to understand the reality of suffering.
• L'right intention which leads to cultivating positive and altruistic intentions.
• There fair word in order to refrain from lying. 
• L'right action to avoid harming others by implementing negative actions. 
• THE fair livelihood which means earning an honest living. 
• L'right effort means sowing kindness. 
• Ljust be careful refers to the development of mindfulness. 
• There right concentration is deep concentration through meditation. 

Moreover, this structure is present in the Theravada Buddhism and is also present in the traditional hatha yoga. The other common point is between Tibetan tantric Buddhism and Shaivite tantric yoga. 

What is tantrism? 

Different origins and contexts 

Buddhism and yoga emerged in different religious and cultural contexts in India. Indeed, Buddhism founded by Buddha Siddhartha Gautama focuses essentially onspiritual awakening and the freedom from suffering. While yoga comes from the Vedic teachings of Hinduism aimed at unite body, mind and soul. 

Diversity of teachings and practices

Le yoga et le bouddhisme comprennent une multitude d’enseignements philosophiques qui aident les pratiquants à accomplir leur chemin spirituel. Effectivement, pour le yoga, il y a la philosophy of vedanta which allows the self-realization or even the samkhya who analyzes reality through the separation of spirit and matter. With regard to Buddhism, we find the Theravada philosophy which focuses on the meditation and thepersonal awakening. Otherwise, you can turn to mahayana which emphasizes the universal compassion and theawakening of the well-being of all.  

Practices

As for practices, yoga brings together a range of practices including asanas, of the pranayamas, of the meditation and some devotion. The good thing is that any branch of yoga has a unique approach to achieving balance, inner peace and spiritual awakening. Then, Buddhism is known for its practices of meditation varied. Particularly with the vipassana which is a technique of observation meditation, there samatha which is a quiet meditation and the metta which aims to kindness. 

Divergences in key concepts 

Despite the similarities between yoga and Buddhism, differences persist. Particularly within their concepts and their spiritual objectives. 

The concept of self and non-self

First of all, one of the major divergences lies in their conception of self and non-self. Indeed, in yoga, the individual soul is considered a part of the universal divine. On the other hand, Buddhism teaches that nothing has permanent existence, including the self. Cette différence a une implication profonde sur la manière dont chacune des traditions va être approchée et comment l’identification du soi et de la quête de la libération vont être abordée.  

Spiritual goals

Both practices desire liberation from suffering and the realization of truth, but their spiritual goals remain different. Indeed, in Buddhism the goal is awakening in order to end the cycle of suffering and achieve rebirth. As for yoga, it offers various paths to union with the divine and self-realization to allow practitioners to choose the best path according to their nature. 

Concept of divinity 

Next, the concept of divinity is a significant difference. For good reason, Buddhism venerates bodhisattvas and buddhas as a spiritual figure and not a creator god. Unlike yoga where it is the goddesses and the gods which are celebrated. 

Meditation methods

Meditation methods also vary between yoga and Buddhism. First, Buddhism exercises a variety of meditation such as mindfulness meditation or the kindness meditation. While yoga incorporates meditation methods like deep meditation et the ultimate state of consciousness. 

Different approaches to suffering 

Even if both disciplines recognize suffering as a reality of life, the approaches are not the same. Indeed, Buddhism emphasizes the understanding the causes of suffering and on how to confront it in order to detach yourself from it and achieve awakening. For yoga, these are techniques for managing suffering by appealing to inner balance. 

The Buddhist yoga tree

The Buddhist yoga tree, better known as the bodhi tree, is a symbol that evokes enlightenment et spiritual awakening. It represents several layers of spiritual and philosophical meaning: 

• Enlightenment and awakening

• Cycle of birth and death
• The three jewels (buddha, teaching and community)
• Analogy of the awakening process

The six yogas

The six yogas of the tree are a series of advanced meditative practices taught in Buddhist classes in Kagyu. Here they are. 

Yoga forms

• Inner heat yoga through meditation and visualization exercises to purify the energy channels and chakras. 
• Clear Light Yoga, it is a meditation in the natural light of the mind to dispel the veils of illusion. 
• Yoga of dream projection, it is a lucid dreaming practice that serves to develop mindfulness in dreams with the aim of understanding the paltry nature of reality. 
• Yoga of clairvoyance, this focuses on the development of clairvoyance. 
• Yoga of Empty Consciousness, here the intention is to control one's breath and the movement of one's vital energy to achieve a state of empty consciousness. 
• Yoga transfer of consciousness, the latter is used at the time of death in order to direct consciousness towards a higher state of existence. 

What to remember about yoga and Buddhism 

First of all, from yoga and Buddhism, you can remember that there are similar bases, notably on the structure of the eight anga. For the Buddhism, it is constructed as follows: 

• The right view 
• The right intention
• The right word 
• Right action 
• Right Livelihoods 
• The right effort 
• The right attention 
• The right concentration 

Then, for the yoga, it is composed in this way: 

• The yamas 
• The niyamas 
• Asanas 
• Pranayama 
• The pratyaharas 
• The dharana 
• The dhyana 
• Samadhi 

But there are also many different points of view which are as follows: 

• Diversity of teachings and practices

• The conception of self and non-self

• Spiritual goals 

• The concept of divinity

• Meditation methods

• Different approaches to suffering

The Buddhist yoga tree

Finally, we saw the design of the Buddhist yoga tree which represents the key points of discipline: 

• Enlightenment and awakening

• Cycle of birth and death
• The three jewels (buddha, teaching and community)
• Analogy of the awakening process

More precisely, the tree is the drawing of several yoga : 

• Inner heat yoga
• Clear Light Yoga

• Yoga of dream projection

• Yoga of clairvoyance

• Yoga of Empty Consciousness

• Yoga transfer of consciousness

Immerse yourself in yoga and Buddhism at POSES

Have you been convinced by the history of yoga and Buddhism? Come and test the philosophy of yoga at POSES. It's time to bring out your best sports outfit for a dynamic yoga session that you will remember for the rest of your life! 

So prepare yourself psychologically to carry out movements, postures and transitions the most popular yoga during 50 minute sessions under the background of exclusive playlists and of dim light to give you even more motivation, without forgetting our coaches who already love you! 

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