Yoga

by Ian Whicher and David Carpenter

The Indian tradition of Yoga,first codified in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali in the third or fourth century CE,constitutes one of the world's earliest and most influential traditions of spiritual practice.It is a tradition that,by the time of Patanjali,already had an extensive (it obscure) prehistory and one that was to have,after Patanjali,an extraordinary rich and diverse future.The essays collected here provide a sense of the historical emergence of the classical here provide a sense of the historical emergence of the classical system presented by Patanjali,a careful examination of the key elements,overall character and contemporary relevance of that system,as found in the Yoga Sutra,and a glimpses of some of the tradition's many important ramifications in later Indian religious history. About The AuthorIan Whicher is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religion at the University of Manitoba,Canada.His areas of specialization are Hinduism,the Philosophies of India,and yoga theory and practice.He is the author of The Integrity of the Yoga Darsana:A Reconsideration of Classical Yoga (1998). His current research interests include an exploration of Indic notions of spiritual liberation and their ethical implications and the relationship between yoga and Buddhism.Since completing graduate studies in Theology and the History of Religions at the University of Chicago,David Carpenter has taught at St Joseph's University in Philadelphia,where he is currently Associate Professor of the History of Religions.He is the author of Revelation,History,and the Dialogue of Religions:A Study of Bhartrhari and Bonaventure (1995).His research interests include the history of ancient and medieval Indian religions and the comparative study of spiritual practice.