Religious Therapeutics

Gregory P. Fields

Description

Religious Therapeutics explores the relationship between psychophysical health and spiritual health and presents a model for interpreting connections between religion and medicine in world traditions. This model emerges from the work's investigation of health and religiousness in classical Yoga, Ayurveda, and Tantra--three Hindu traditions noteworthy for the central role they accord the body. Author Gregory P. Fields compares Anglo-European and Indian philosophies of body and health and uses fifteen determinants of health excavated from texts of ancient Hindu medicine to show that health concerns the person, not the body or body/mind alone. This book elucidates multifaceted views of health, and--in the context of spirituality and healing--explores themes such as mental health, meditation, and music.

List of Figures and Tables
Acknowledgments
Symbols and Notes on Sources
Abbreviations

Introduction
THE IDEA OF RELIGIOUS THERAPEUTICS
Religion and Medicine
A Model of Religious Therapeutics

Chapter One
BODY AND PHILOSOPHIES OF HEALING

Body in Western Philosophy of Medicine
Presuppositions about the Body
Descartes on Body and Medicine
Body in the History of Western Medicine

Iconoclastic Concepts of Body in Yoga, Tantra, and Ayurveda
Traditional Indian Views of Person and Body
Yoga's Use of the Body to Transcend Itself
Tantra's Enlightenable Body
Body as the Ground of Well-being in Ayurveda

Chapter Two
MEANINGS OF HEALTH IN AYURVEDA

Inquiry into Health

Determinants of Health
Biological and Ecological Determinants

Life, Development, and Longevity
Equilibrium
Adaptation
Non-susceptibility
Vitality, Endurance, and Relaxation

Medical and Psychological Determinants

Normality
Freedom from Pain
Wholeness and Integration
Awareness and Mental Clarity

Socio-cultural and Aesthetic Determinants

Relationality
Creativity
Generativity
Enjoyment

Metaphysical and Religious Determinants

Self-identity
Freedom

Ayurvedic Religious Therapeutics

Chapter Three
CLASSICAL YOGA AS A RELIGIOUS THERAPEUTIC

Meanings and Forms of Yoga
Meanings of 'Yoga' 85
Yoga in the Vedas, Upanisads, and Bhagavadgıta

Yoga in the Vedas
Yoga in the Upanisads
Yoga in the Bhagavadgita

Traditions of Yoga Practice

A Matrix of Classical Yoga as a Religious Therapeutic
Metaphysical and Epistemic Foundations

Yoga's Therapeutic Paradigm
Yoga's Diagnosis of the Human Condition
The Yogic Remedy

Soteriology

Self-realization by Healing the Af

Value Theory and Ethics: Health and the Good in Yoga

First Limb: Moral Self-restraints—Yama
Second Limb: Moral Commitments—Niyama

Physical Practice: The Soteriological Role of Body and Health in Yoga

Third Limb: Postures—Asana
Fourth Limb: Regulation of Vital Energy Through Breath—Pranayama
Fifth Limb: Withdrawal of the Senses—Pratyahara

Cultivation of Consciousness: The Polarity of Samadhi and

Vyadhi (Illness)
Sixth Limb: Concentration—Dharana
Seventh Limb: Meditation—Dhyana
Eighth Limb: Meditative Trance—Samadhi

Liberation as Healing in Classical Yoga
Healing and Yoga's Therapeutic Paradigm
Wholeness and Holiness
Identity and Freedom

Chapter Four
TANTRA AND AESTHETIC THERAPEUTICS

Body and Tantric Yogas

Features of Tantric Practice
Sexuality in Tantra
Kundalinı Yoga
Mantra Yoga

Aesthetic Therapeutics in Tantra

Therapeutic Elements of Tantra
Sacred Music

Sacred Music as a Religious Therapeutic

How Is Sacred Music Therapeutic?
Breath, Music, and Healing
Body as Instrument of Sacred Music
Elements of Healing in Sanskrit Chant
Healing in Identi
Sound as a Bridge Between Substantial and Non-substantial Being

Sujets

• Complementary Medicine
• East Asian religions
• Hinduism
• Alternative medicine

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 29 mars 2001
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9780791490860
• Langue: English

Extrait

R ELIGIOUS T HERAPEUTICS

SUNY series in Religious Studies

Harold Coward, editor

R ELIGIOUS

S t a t e

T HERAPEUTICS

Body and Health ¯ in Yoga, Ayurveda, and Tantra

G R E G O R Y P. F I E L D S

U n i v e r s i t y

o f

N e w

Y o r k

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2001 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, N.Y. 12207

Production, Laurie Searl Marketing, Dana E. Yanulavich

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fields, Gregory P., 1961– Religious therapeutics : body and health in yoga, Ayurveda, and Tantra/Gregory P. Fields. p. cm. — (SUNY series in religious studies) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn0–7914–4915–7 (alk. paper) —isbn0–7914–4916–5 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Medicine, Ayurvedic. 2. Medicine—Religious aspects—Hinduism. 3. Yoga. 4. Tantrism. 5. Body, Human— Religious aspects—Hinduism. 1. Title. 11. Series. r606.f53 2001 615.5'3—dc21 00–049234

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

List of Figures and Tables

Acknowledgments

C ONTENTS

Symbols and Notes on Sources

Abbreviations

Introduction THE IDEA OF RELIGIOUS THERAPEUTICS Religion and Medicine A Model of Religious Therapeutics

Chapter One BODY AND PHILOSOPHIES OF HEALING Body in Western Philosophy of Medicine Presuppositions about the Body Descartes on Body and Medicine Body in the History of Western Medicine ¯ Iconoclastic Concepts of Body in Yoga, Tantra, and Ayurveda Traditional Indian Views of Person and Body Yoga’s Use of the Body to Transcend Itself Tantra’s Enlightenable Body Body as the Ground of Well-being in Åyurveda

v

ix

xi

xiii

x

v

1 2 6

11 11 11 14 17 21 21 27 29 36

vi

r e l i g i o u s t h e r a p e u t i c s

Chapter Two ¯ MEANINGS OF HEALTH IN AYURVEDA Inquiry into Health Determinants of Health Biological and Ecological Determinants Life, Development, and Longevity Equilibrium Adaptation Non-susceptibility Vitality, Endurance, and Relaxation Medical and Psychological Determinants Normality Freedom from Pain Wholeness and Integration Awareness and Mental Clarity Sociocultural and Aesthetic Determinants Relationality Creativity Generativity Enjoyment Metaphysical and Religious Determinants Self-identity Freedom ¯ Ayurvedic Religious Therapeutics

Chapter Three CLASSICAL YOGA AS A RELIGIOUS THERAPEUTIC Meanings and Forms of Yoga Meanings of ‘Yoga’ YogaintheVedas,UpaniÓsads,andBhagavadg¯ıt¯a Yoga in the Vedas YogaintheUpaniÓsads YogaintheBhagavadg¯ıt¯a Traditions of Yoga Practice A Matrix of Classical Yoga as a Religious Therapeutic Metaphysical and Epistemic Foundations Yoga’s Therapeutic Paradigm Yoga’s Diagnosis of the Human Condition The Yogic Remedy Soteriology Self-realization by Healing the Afflictions)se´sa(Kl

45 47 50 50

5

6

8

9

7

7

5

8

83 85 85 87

91 94 94

9

9

c o n t e n t s

Value Theory and Ethics: Health and the Good in Yoga First Limb: Moral Self-restraints—Yama Second Limb: Moral Commitments—Niyama Physical Practice: The Soteriological Role of Body and Health in Yoga ¯ Third Limb: Postures—Asana Fourth Limb: Regulation of Vital Energy Through Breath—r¯aÓP¯aman¯ay Fifth Limb: Withdrawal of the Senses—Praty¯ah¯ara Cultivation of Consciousness: The Polarity ofSam ¯adhiand Vy¯adhi(Illness) Sixth Limb: Concentration—nÓara¯hD¯a Seventh Limb: Meditation—Dhy¯ana Eighth Limb: Meditative Trance—Sam¯adhi Liberation as Healing in Classical Yoga Healing and Yoga’s Therapeutic Paradigm Wholeness and Holiness Identity and Freedom

Chapter Four TANTRA AND AESTHETIC THERAPEUTICS BodyandT¯antricYogas Features of T¯antric Practice Sexuality in Tantra KuÓnÓdalin¯ıYoga Mantra Yoga Aesthetic Therapeutics in Tantra Therapeutic Elements of Tantra Sacred Music Sacred Music as a Religious Therapeutic How Is Sacred Music Therapeutic? Breath, Music, and Healing Body as Instrument of Sacred Music Elements of Healing in Sanskrit Chant Healing in Identification of Self with Cosmos Sound as a Bridge Between Substantial and Non-substantial Being

Conclusion COMMUNITY: RELATIONALITY IN RELIGIOUS THERAPEUTICS

vii

105

112

122

131 131 134 136

139 140 140 143 146 149 153 154 155 157 159 160 161 163 164 165

167

viii

Notes

Sources

Indices

Subject Index

Sanskrit Terms

Index of Names

Sanskrit Texts

r e l i g i o u s t h e r a p e u t i c s

175

191

201

211

217

221

1.1 4.1

F IGURES

Åyurveda’s threedh¯atusordoÓsas Ír¯ıYantra

T ABLES

Major dimensions of religious therapeutics Branches of religious therapeutics The eight branches of Åyurvedic medicine The four branches of Åyurvedic medical knowledge Six phases of the day according to Maharishi Åyurveda Branches of religious therapeutics based on classical Yoga’s eight limbs The fivev¯ayusor vital forces The eight stages ofsam ¯adhi The four stages ofsamprajñ¯ata sam ¯adhi Yoga’s therapeutic paradigm in theayogYhb-asÓa¯ Yoga’s therapeutic paradigm in theYoga-s¯utras The sevencakras

ix

43 143

1–2 8, 167 37 46 81

84 120 127 129 132 134 148