Meditation Und Mystik Im Yoga Des Patanjali

Here's a comprehensive summary of Gerhard Oberhammer's "Meditation und Mystik im Yoga des Patanjali," based on the provided text:

Introduction: Contrasting Western and Indian Philosophy and the Core of Yoga

Oberhammer begins by contrasting the Western philosophical impulse, rooted in wonder leading to the understanding of "being as such," with the Indian philosophical impetus, driven by the desire to overcome suffering. While acknowledging that the West has other philosophical approaches, he highlights the Indian ideal of philosophy as a doctrine of liberation (mokṣaśāstram). This liberation, he explains, is predicated on the idea that human existence can be overcome through true knowledge, implying that the true reality of humanity is transcendent and empirical existence is an error-conditioned phenomenon. The Yoga of Patanjali, the focus of his lecture, is presented as emerging from this Indian historical context of philosophy as liberation.

Defining Patanjali's Yoga and the Challenges of Interpretation

Patanjali's Yoga is defined as a system of mental and physical exercises based on Samkhya philosophy. Its aim is for the practitioner to overcome their empirical-phenomenal existence and penetrate into a trans-phenomenal depth, which promises or contains the state of liberation (kaivalyam or emancipation).

Oberhammer notes the varied historical interpretations of Yoga, from outright rejection to praise as the highest form of spirituality. He criticizes modern attempts, like those of G. Tucci and M. Eliade, which explain Yoga through the lens of religious history and depth psychology. While valuable, these approaches often fail to distinguish between subjective experiences and objective realities, leading to imprecision, especially regarding "ontological modalities" and "magical mastery." He argues that a purely subjective or historical interpretation is insufficient; an objective, systematic approach is needed to understand what truly happens in yogic meditation, not just what the yogin believes happens.

The Focus: Meditation and Mysticism in Patanjali's Yoga

The lecture's title, "Meditation and Mysticism," signals a focus on the objective, spiritual process within Yoga. The investigation aims to analyze the structure of meditation itself, then relate it to the concept of mysticism to move beyond subjective historical accounts towards an objective understanding of human reality. Theories derived from Samkhya philosophy, including explanations of meditative phenomena and siddhis (supernatural powers), are largely excluded, especially since Patanjali himself downplays the significance of siddhis and notes their potential origin in drug use. The primary texts for the study are Patanjali's Yogasūtras (YS) and its commentary, the Yogabhāṣya (YBh).

Identifying Different Meditation Schemata

Referencing E. Frauwallner's work, Oberhammer suggests that the Yogasūtras contain layers of texts, leading to apparent inconsistencies. He proposes that identifying distinct meditation schemas is crucial for understanding these variations. He outlines three main groups of statements within the Yogasūtras that describe different meditative approaches:

1. YS I, 2-18: This section is associated with the "Stillness Yoga" (Nirodhayoga).
2. YS I, 41-50: This section describes samāpattiḥ (appropriation).
3. YS II, 54-III, 7: This section describes samyamaḥ.

Oberhammer posits that the second and third groups are typologically similar and distinct from the first. His lecture will primarily focus on the first two schemas.

The Stillness Yoga (Nirodhayoga): Phases and the Path to Asamprajñāta Samādhiḥ

Patanjali defines Yoga as the "cessation of the modifications of the mind" (citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ), achieved through abhyāsaḥ (practice) and vairāgyam (non-attachment). Oberhammer elaborates on these:

• Abhyāsaḥ: Persistent effort to keep the mind in a state of calm flow without further mental processes.
• Vairāgyam: Awareness of control, where one does not desire worldly or scriptural things, extending to a disinterest in the guṇas (qualities of nature) and all manifestations of primordial matter (Prakṛti).

The dynamic structure of meditation is understood through these three components (practice, non-attachment, and stillness), progressing through phases of increasing intensity.

The four stages of samprajñāta samādhiḥ (concentration with discriminative knowledge) are detailed:

1. Savitarka samādhiḥ: With reflection (includes reflection, reasoning, bliss, and ego).
2. Savicāra samādhiḥ: With subtle reflection (lacks reflection).
3. Sānanda samādhiḥ: With bliss (lacks reasoning).
4. Sasmita samādhiḥ (Asmitāmātraḥ): With ego-identity alone (lacks bliss).

These stages represent a progressive exclusion of mental contents, supported by a conscious object. The crucial transition occurs when all mental content, including the "ego-identity" (asmitā), is eliminated, leading to asamprajñāta samādhiḥ (concentration without discriminative knowledge), also called nirbīja samādhiḥ (seedless concentration).

Distinguishing Asamprajñāta Samādhiḥ from Sleep

A key distinction is made between asamprajñāta samādhiḥ and dreamless sleep. Sleep is defined as a mental process with the idea of "non-being" as its support, effectively obstructing consciousness. In contrast, asamprajñāta samādhiḥ, achieved through the "practice of the cessation-idea" (nirodha-vṛtti-abhyāsaḥ) and highest non-attachment, is a state where all mental processes cease, but consciousness is not obstructed by a negative concept. The cessation-idea is "fixed" to bring about a state devoid of content without the consciousness being "veiled."

The Philosophical Dimension: Being as Horizon and Natural Mysticism

Oberhammer then delves into the philosophical underpinnings, drawing from K. Rahner. He argues that human cognition, to be possible, must always have a prior reference to Being in itself as a "horizon." While Being cannot be directly apprehended as an object, it can be experienced through a "thematizing of transcendence" in meditation. This experience, characterized by the direct encounter with Being in its most abstract form, is termed natural mysticism.

In asamprajñāta samādhiḥ, the "apperceiving subject" (the pure consciousness, puruṣa) is said to be present in its own form, free from the modifications of the mind (sattvam). This state, akin to liberation (kaivalyam), means the "power of the spirit" (geisteskraft) exists in itself, without being conscious of anything specific. This state, where Being as a horizon is encountered in an undifferentiated "vision," is presented as a form of natural mysticism.

The "Appropriation Yoga" (Samāpattiḥ): Structure and Limitations

The second type of meditation discussed is samāpattiḥ (appropriation), described in YS I, 41-50. Unlike the "Stillness Yoga," this can be termed "Appropriation Yoga." While Patanjali and commentators attempt to harmonize it with the Stillness Yoga, Oberhammer argues for distinct typological differences. Both schemas culminate in asamprajñāta samādhiḥ, but their internal dynamics differ significantly.

Samāpattiḥ is defined as "being colored as the knowing subject, knowing, and known object of a mind whose psychic processes have ceased and which is thus like a crystal, through its relation to them." The key term here is tatsthatadañjanatā, meaning "being colored by its relation to them." This is illustrated by a crystal taking on the color of its background. The mind, even when its processes are stilled (kṣīṇavṛttiḥ), takes on the form of the conceptual elements it relates to: the knower (grahītā), knowing (grahaṇam), and the known (grahyaḥ).

The Appropriation Yoga is characterized by a conception-intuitive influence of a meditation object on the meditator, with attention fixed on that object. Crucially, the meditation object itself is paramount, not just the formal process. The dynamic unfolds through a progression of objects, typically the cosmological principles of Samkhya: empirical objects, subtle elements (tanmātrāni), ego (ahaṅkārāḥ), intellect (lingamātram), and finally primordial matter (alingam or pradhānam).

The stages of samāpattiḥ are:

1. Savitarkā samāpattiḥ: Appropriation of an empirical object, where ideas of the object, word-ideas, and ideas of its cognition are appropriated undifferentiatedly.
2. Nirvitarkā samāpattiḥ: The same object is grasped such that the mind is purified of word-ideas, and meditative cognition is free from inferential and instructional representations, leaving only the object's appearance, stripped of its own form.
3. Savicārā samāpattiḥ: Appropriation of subtle elements, where properties are manifest and determined by place, time, and cause. This involves appropriation of the elements as constituent parts, apprehended in undifferentiated knowledge.
4. Nirvicārā samāpattiḥ: Appropriation of subtle elements that contain all properties and are not determined by past, present, or future attributes. This stage involves eliminating the form elements of cognition, leading to a state where knowing is purely the object, devoid of its own form.

The Limitations of Appropriation Yoga for Mysticism

Oberhammer concludes that Appropriation Yoga, while aiming for direct experience, ultimately limits itself to representations and ideas of objects, rather than direct apprehension of reality. The objects of later stages are not independently accessible but are only known through philosophical or theological concepts. By eliminating the means of knowledge like instruction and inference for supersensible objects, Appropriation Yoga reduces objectivity to subjective experience and cannot verify the truth of its experience.

Therefore, Appropriation Yoga, even if focused on God, would lead only to an experience of the concept of God derived from a system, not direct experience of God. It is more akin to a religious meditation aiming to grasp known beliefs experientially, serving to vivify faith but not leading to mystical insight.

Conclusion: Plotinus and the Enduring Quest

The lecture concludes by referencing Plotinus, who sought dialogue with Indian philosophy. Plotinus's words highlight the constant presence of the Absolute, accessible when we shed "otherness." We are always with the Absolute, but we must turn our attention to it to truly be there and achieve rest. This echoes the yogic endeavor to transcend the multiplicity of experience and realize a unified state of being.

In summary, Oberhammer's lecture distinguishes two core types of meditation in Patanjali's Yoga: the Stillness Yoga, leading to a form of natural mysticism through the realization of pure consciousness devoid of content, and Appropriation Yoga, which, while aiming for deep insight, remains bound to conceptual representations and thus falls short of true mystical experience.