Yogâchârya
(Sk.)
(1) A mystic school. (2) Lit., a teacher (âchârya) of Yoga, one who has mastered the doctrines and practices of ecstatic meditation — the culmination of which are the Mahâsiddhis. It is incorrect to confuse this school with the Tantra, or Mahâtantra school founded by Samantabhadra, for there are two Yogâchârya Schools, one esoteric, the other popular. The doctrines of the latter were compiled and glossed by Asamgha in the sixth century of our era, and his mystic tantras and mantras, his formularies, litanies, spells and mudrâ would certainly, if attempted without a Guru, serve rather purposes of sorcery and black magic than real Yoga. Those who undertake to write upon the subject are generally learned missionaries and haters of Eastern philosophy in general. From these no unbiassed views can be expected. Thus when we read in the Sanskrit ‐ Chinese Dictionary of Eitel, that the reciting of mantras (which he calls “ spells”!) “ should he accompanied by music and distortions of the fingers (mudrâ), that a state of mental fixity (Samâdhi} might he reached ‘ — one acquainted, however slightly,. with the real practice of Yoga can only shrug his shoulders. These distortions of the fingers or ,mudrâ are necessary, the author thinks, for the reaching of Samâdhi, “characterized by there being neither thought nor annihilation of thought, and consisting of six‐fold bodily (sic) and mental happiness (yogi) whence would result endowment with supernatural miracle‐working power”. Theosophists cannot be too much warned against such fantastic and prejudiced explanations. (TG).
Some links:
- Quotes: H. P. Blavatsky
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To show: Yogâchârya; sortable: Yogacharya
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Shortly: (1) A mystic school. (2) Lit., a teacher (âchârya) of Yoga, one who has mastered the doctrines a...