Sevenhundred Elves wrote:

> Robert Epstein wrote:
>
> 
>
> <snip>
> 
>
>
> That's why I'm sure your input would be most welcome over in alt.yoga.
> So sure, in fact, that I'm taking the liberty of crossposting into that
> group now. (If you for some reason is opposed to that, just re-edit the
> headers, and we'll keep it confined to apz). I do believe it would be
> beneficial for everyone if you could spare some time to participate in
> some conversations over in alt.yoga. There are lots of beginning yogis
> who come there for advice, and you'd love to participate in the
> philosphical discussions, I'm sure.
>
> 
>
>
> I too have read Patanjali's Yoga sutras in a few translations, that's
> what, together with reading in alt.zen etc, has put me on this "quest".
> I have noted so many similarities between Buddhism and yoga that I've
> become curious about the history of it all. I also agree with your view
> that the Buddha was a yogi of some kind, now I'm curious about what
> kind. Was he a part of the Samkhya (sp?) tradition, or what? How much
> has Buddhism influenced yoga, and vice versa? Cross-fertilization
> between the two traditions is happening today, and has probably happened
> at more than one time in the past. I'm sure Patanjali was very much
> aware of Buddhist perspectives. He even describes one kind of meditation
> that i guess may be Buddhist in origin:
>
> Yoga Sutras I, in Swami Vivekananda's translation
> "37. Or (by meditation on) the heart that has given up all attachment to
> sense-objects"
>
> Commentary by Vivekananda:
> "Take some holy person, some great person whom you rever, some saint
> whom you know to be perfectly non-attached, and think of his heart. That
> heart has become non-attached, and meditate on that heart; it will calm
> the mind."
>
> 
>
>
> Thank you. A very clear presentation. I noticed that I have overlooked
> much of the Taoist influence on Zen.
>
> S.

It's something I didn't think about much until a few years ago.  Now I
find it very interesting.  Especially since I also practiced T'ai Chi
for a long time.

Don't know about the Samkhya connection.  If you do some research into
that, let me know what you find.

Don't know if I'll make it to alt.yoga.  I may try.  My time is getting
pretty pressurized and I may have to take a newsgroup break for a while,
if I can withstand their addictive power, and my concern for some of the
issues that are still unresolved.

Robert

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