American Academy of Religion

Review
Author(s): Frank R. Podgorski
Review by: Frank R. Podgorski
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Jun., 1978), pp. 216217
Published by: Oxford University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1462235
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216

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Journal of the American Academy of Religion

American

Academy

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Religion

the lab had to be oriented to the universal order-the cardinal points of the compass.

In performing their experiments, the Chinese alchemists were not interested in

properties and the interactions of specific substances per se. Rather, if their
manipulations succeeded, they could view changes in the material that lead to a
heightened awareness of cosmic order, resulting in the benefits of health, wealth, and

most important, immortality. The pleasurability of the reactions-sensations-were

noted as the significant laboratory results.
Throughout the analysis the reader is not only induced to become aware of
cultural differences between West and East but is also encouraged to reflect how in our

own day such differences are intertwined. Taken as a whole, the entire collection of
essays is similarly conducive to thought and speculation in many disciplines, and thus
transcends the narrow bounds of specialized description.
Herbert Winnik

St. Mary's College of Maryland

Yoga and the Hindu Tradition. By Jean Varenne. Trans. by Derek Coltman. Chicago,
London: The University of Chicago Press, 1976. 253 pages. $12.95. ISBN 0-22685114-1.

Yoga has frequently been described as mankind's oldest known yet stillcontinuing spirituality. Scores of recent books testify to contemporary interest in
Yoga; few, however, attempt to explore the religious and metaphysical roots of this
ancient tradition. The French edition of Jean Varenne's Yoga and the Hindu Tradition
was first published in 1973; it marked an effort to understand the importance of Yoga
spirituality within the total thrust of the ancient Hindu tradition. Derek Coltman's
translation now makes this work available to a wider audience.

The principal value of Yoga and the Hindu Tradition lies in the dimension and
perspective it adds to understanding Yogic sprituality. It illustrates how all-pervasive
Yoga theory and practice actually was and is. Drawing on the Upanishads, the Tantras
and the Bhagavad-Gita as well as the Shiva-Samhita, the Hatha- Yoga Pradipika and
the Gheranda-Samhita, Professor Varenne amplifies and expands the understanding
which has traditionally been gleaned from the aphoristic Yoga-Sutras. His translation

of the Yoga-Darshana Upanishad succinctly summarizes and convincingly

underscores his major point. Varennes's thesis is of major importance for interpreting
the Hindu tradition; it is fundamentally an explicit espousal of the traditional Vedantic
stance.

Yet one must wonder and question how Professor Varenne can simply choose to
ignore other critical texts such as those of the Samkhyan tradition. Does not the
Samkhya-Kirika, for example, shed light on our understanding of the liberation of
purusa (spirit, consciousness)? Is it fair for Varenne to select only those texts which
support his case? Should not the position of those darshanas which dispute Vedanta
also be acknowledged?
Notwithstanding the Vedantic emphasis, Professor Varenne's work may be
judged as a major contribution to appreciation of the dominating influence of Yoga on
all of Hinduism. Yoga and the Hindu Tradition is subdivided into four parts. Part One
is an excellent presentation of the Hindu Weltanschauung. Drawing on the Vedas and
Upanishads, Varenne adds context, depth, dimension, and elucidation to the classical

formula of "Brahman-param-atman." Part Two makes an excellent case for

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217

Book Notices

identifying Patanjali's liberated "purusa"with the salvific "atman "of the Upanishads.

The religious milieu of the wandering samnyasa and the psycho-spiritual journey
proposed by the Yogi are studied in Part Three. Part Four explores kundalini Yoga,
Tantrism, and other mystical practices.
In summary, Yoga and the Hindu Tradition is a work of profound and broad
scholarship. The wealth of material gathered within this slim volume is truly
remarkable. Drawing on texts favorable to Vedanta, Professor Varenne illustrates well
how Yoga theory and Yoga and Yoga techniques have dominated and influenced all of

Hindu thinking on "salvific liberation." His exploration of Tantrism and his

explanation of the kundalini expands our appreciation of this obscure area.
Frank R. Podgorski
Department of Asian Studies
Seton Hall University

Crystal Mirror (Journal of the Tibetan Nyingma Meditation Center). Edited by

Tarthan Tulku. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing, 1977. 408 pages,

appendices, index, bibliography. $9.95. ISBN 0-913546-47-X.

The present issue of the Crystal Mirror is numbered fifth in the series. The
objective of this publication is to introduce the vast body of knowledge and wisdom of

Tibetan Buddhism to the West. Being a journal of the Tibetan Nyingma Meditation
Center, it demonstrates undisguised missionary zeal which appears to obscure the
academic emphasis.
This issue contains three articles, the main contribution being Tarthang Tulku's
"A History of the Buddhist Dharma," consisting of four divisions: 1)the early
development of Buddhism in India, 2) the later development of Buddhism in India,
3) the development of Buddhism in Tibet, and 4) the Vajrayana Lineage in Tibet. It has
monopolized 80% of the entire space of 400 pages. The other two are "Now that I come
to Die" and "How Samsara is Fabricated from the Ground of Being," writings of
Klang-chen-pa which are translated into English by Herbert V. Guenther and Kennard
Lipman respectively. In addition the appendices contain a list of about 1,216
monasteries with the number of monks and a chronological table of important events
of Western and Buddhist history. It has been profusely illustrated with colored plates,
photographs, and line-drawing portraits of renowned personalities, although
imaginary in nature. The printing and production are carefully executed.
Owing to a paucity of authentic historical material, it is rather difficult to write a
history of Indian Buddhism. It is true there are allusions associated with the Buddhist
councils, the activities of eminent teachers of leading schools, such as the Yogacara and
Madhyamika and other matters, but the dates for these events are in no way certain.
In describing the activities of Nagarjuna, the author seems to believe that the
founder of the Madhyamika schools was born between the first and second century
A.D. (p. 59) and lived for 600 years (p. 66). In addition, he states that Padmasambhava
was a contemporary of King Khri-srong-lde'u-btsan (c. 760) of Tibet, and was invited
to visit Tibet by the same king for the purpose of subduing the demons there (pp. 13940). Consequently, the construction of the bSam-yas Monastery was through his effort
(p. 141). This may be a factual occurrence if he did not link up Padmasambhava with
Nagarjuna and say that the former was a teacher of the latter (p. 60). If this statement is

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