Could the presuppositions behind the distinction between theory and practice in the realm of yoga be misguided, if not misleading? To approach this question, this paper drafts a meta-perspective gleaned from the thought of three thinkers credited with the earliest Indian doxographies, namely the sixth-century philosopher of Madhyamaka Buddhism, Bhāviveka, the seventh-century Jaina logician Haribhadra Sūri, and the eighth-century Advaita-Vedānta philosopher Śaṅkarācārya. The paper examines the notion of “view” entertained in Indian thought, and suggests that yoga is particularly interested in shaping views. It draws a distinction between the notions of “practice” and “praxis,” arguing that the latter best captures the “yoga” of our authors. The paper then discusses the transformative role of hermeneutics and how, when combined with dialectic, it captures the essence of “scholastic praxis.” Finally, it presents a traditional framework to elucidate the interplay of hermeneutic praxis and soteriology within Buddhism, with brief references to similar patterns in the work of our two non-Buddhist authors. The self-transformative aspect of hermeneutics has so far received little attention and requires further research. This paper is an attempt in that direction.

This paper attempts to interpret selected stanzas from the work of Nārāyaṇa Guru (1854–1928), a South Indian philosopher and social reformer from Kerala. The ancient yogic concept of kuṇḍalinī śakti presented by Guru in his short poem the Kuṇḍalinī Pāṭṭ (The Song of the Kundalini Snake) also appears in Svānubhava Gīti – Lyric of Ecstatic Self-Experience (among others in stanza 41 and 42) – the Malayalam hymn which represents the nirguṇa-poetry describing the mystical experience. An analysis of each motif included in the stanzas mentioned above in the light of Tamil Śaiva tradition (among others Tirumantiram by Tirumūlar) shows that not only the kuṇḍalinī concept could have been adopted from Tamil tradition; Nārāyaṇa Guru seems to apply the very same style of presentation of yogic experiences to his works by means of the twilight language. A comparative analysis of Svānubhava Gīti and Tirumantiram allows us to better understand the concept of the Śiva-Śakti relations presented by Guru.

The aim of the paper is to consider the implications of applying the enactive approach to cognition within the study of religions. This approach is discussed as an alternative to the classical, cognitivist stance predominant among the proponents of cognitive science of religion (CSR). The most popular model within CSR is that of cognition as manipulation of concepts. The key assumptions of this model limit the understanding of religion to a system of beliefs. Applying an alternative model – of cognition as enaction – may contribute to creating a more comprehensive model of religion, taking into consideration its pre-conceptual origins. Using the category of representation as the departure point, the author juxtaposes the cognitivist and the enactive stance, showing how substituting the former with the latter necessarily changes the construal of religious activity and thinking.

This article undertakes the issue of the Mahāyāna Buddhist concept of tathāgatagarbha, seen as a form of selfhood. Its task lies in outlining the methods employed to disclose tathāgatagarbha as a “true” and “original” – but also utterly Buddhist – form of self. In the first part of the article I demonstrate the stance of sūtras from the Mahāparinirvāṇa-mahāsūtra group, in which tathāgatagarbha is bluntly termed ātman, and which posit that all ideas of selfhood are derivatives of the notion of tathāgatagarbha. In the second part, where the Śrīmālādevī-sūtra is taken under consideration, I introduce an interpretative strategy that shows how this scripture establishes tathāgatagarbha as an enduring self. This is done mainly by assigning the tathāgatagarbha a function of sustaining the diachronic coherence of sentient beings in saṃsāra. Consequently, tathāgatagarbha can be viewed as a “prototype” for the idea of “base consciousness” (ālayavijñāna). The final part of the article is built around the question of why Śrīmālādevī-sūtra warns against ascribing the label ātman to tathāgatagarbha.

According to Kerala legends, around the 9th century, direct disciples of the philosopher Śaṅkara established four Advaita Vedānta Maṭhas in Trichur in Kerala, thereafter appointing Nambudiri Saṃnyāsins as heads of these religious institutions. What is peculiar about these monasteries is the prescription according to which Trichur Maṭhas were, and still are, intended only for Nambudiri Brahmins, and moreover only for Nambudiris from specific families who keep the Vedic sacrificial tradition. However, the Advaita Vedānta doctrine was not a current concept among Nambudiri Brahmins. Presumably, in the medieval period it was the mīmāṃsā schools of Bhāṭṭa and Prābhākara which were favoured among Nambudiris. Nevertheless, the appropriation of the Śaṅkaric model of monasticism somehow seemed to be an alluring modus operandi for the aristocracy of the Nambudiri community to gain considerable power.

The study of the history of yoga in Poland has only just begun, and knowledge about the earliest stages of the reception of the idea in thi country is so far negligible. This paper is an attempt to broaden the current state of knowledge on yoga in Poland in the interwar period. It focuses on the interpretation/understanding of yoga presented by Eugeniusz Polończyk (?–1932), a medical doctor, social activist and esotericist. Polończyk’s interpretation of yoga forms an integral part of his socio-political views. It may be seen as an attempt to strengthen his synarchist beliefs as well as a way to introduce them into the practice of social life in order to enable the revival of the Polish nation and create an ideal (utopian) state. The paper also highlights the most characteristic features of interpretations of yoga in Poland in the interwar period – patriotic, messianic, Christian and esoteric.