2020

Lhoir, Corinna: The Yogapradīpa – light on Yoga from a Jain perspective?

Next to the preparation of a critical edition with an annotated translation, this dissertation further examines the question of origin and philosophical heritage of a Jain medieval text by the name of the Yogapradīpa. Consisting of 141 verses, the Yogapradīpa is a treatise on Yoga. A critical edition and translation into Gujarati were published in 1960, but this text has never been translated into English.
In this text, the goal of liberation requires following an eightfold path, thus demonstrating great similarity with the eightfold path presented by Patañjali in Classical Yoga. However, in contrast to the sequence of the limbs listed in the Patāňjalayogaśāstra, the Yogapradīpa lists dhyāna rather than samadhī as highest member, thus assigning to the term an importance compared to the standing of dhyāna in other traditions such as Buddhism.
Next to several philosophical terms of mainstream Jain heritage such as śukladhyāna, jñāna-darśana-caritra and āṣṭakarma, the text also conveys a trans-sectarian approach: The supreme self underlies all religions and is listed as Brahmā for Brahmins, Viṣņu for mendicants, Rudra for ascetics, Buddha for Buddhists, Lord of the Jinas for Jains and Śiva for Kaulas.
How much Jainism is in this Jain text? Which are the parallels and, moreover, the differences to Classical Yoga and how have other traditions such as Buddhism and Advaita Vedānta influenced it?