Samadhi: The Numinous And Cessative in Indo-tibetan Yoga (S U N Y Series in Religious Studies)

Explores yoga and meditation in Eastern religions, incorporating psychological and social aspects of these practices. Annotation. A historical and comparative study grounded in close readings of important works, this book explores the dynamics of the theory and practice of yoga in Hindu and Buddhist contexts. Author Stuart Ray Sarbacker explores the fascinating, contrasting perceptions that meditation leads to the attainment of divine, or numinous, power, and to complete escape from worldly existence, or cessation. Sarbacker demonstrates that these two dimensions of spiritual experience have affected the doctrine and cultural significance of yoga from its origins to its contemporary practice. He also integrates sociological and psychological perspectives on religious experience into a larger phenomenological model to address the multifaceted nature of religious experience. Speaking to a broad range of methodological and contextual issues, Sam#x0101; dhi provides numerous insights into the theory and practice of yoga that are relevant to both scholars of religious studies and practitioners of contemporary yoga and meditation traditions A historical and comparative study grounded in close readings of important works, this book explores the dynamics of the theory and practice of yoga in Hindu and Buddhist contexts. Author Stuart Ray Sarbacker explores the fascinating, contrasting perceptions that meditation leads to the attainment of divine, or numinous, power, and to complete escape from worldly existence, or cessation. Sarbacker demonstrates that these two dimensions of spiritual experience have affected the doctrine and cultural significance of yoga from its origins to its contemporary practice. He also integrates sociological and psychological perspectives on religious experience into a larger phenomenological model to address the multifaceted nature of religious experience. Speaking to a broad range of methodological and contextual issues, Samadhi provides numerous insights into the theory and practice of yoga that are relevant to both scholars of religious studies and practitioners of contemporary yoga and meditation traditions. Samadhi......Page 2 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 INTRODUCTION. Method and the Study of Meditation......Page 14 1. Sources and Definitions......Page 26 2. Reinterpreting Religious Experience......Page 40 3. Yoga, Shamanism, and Buddhism: A New Phenomenology......Page 66 4. The Debate over Dialogue: Classical Yoga and Buddhism in Comparison......Page 88 5. Traditions in Transition: Meditative Concepts in the Development of Tantric Sadhana......Page 124 CONCLUSION. Meditation, Phenomenology, and the Concept of Sama\dhi......Page 140 INTRODUCTION......Page 150 CHAPTER 1......Page 152 CHAPTER 2......Page 155 CHAPTER 3......Page 160 CHAPTER 4......Page 164 CHAPTER 5......Page 172 CONCLUSION......Page 174 Bibliography......Page 176 B......Page 192 D......Page 193 G......Page 194 L......Page 195 M......Page 196 P......Page 197 S......Page 198 U......Page 200 Y......Page 201 Z......Page 202