Religious Therapeutics: Body and Health in Yoga, Ayurveda, and Tantra

by Fields, Gregory P.

• ISBN13: 9780791449165
• ISBN10: 0791449165
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: STATE UNIV OF NEW YORK PRESS

Author Biography

Gregory P. Fields is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
Symbols and Notes on Sources	xiii
Abbreviations	xv
Introduction The Idea of Religious Therapeutics	1	(1)
Religion and Medicine	2	(4)
A Model of Religious Therapeutics	6	(5)
Body and Philosophies of Heading	11	(34)
Body in Western Philosophy of Medicine	11	(10)
Presuppositions about the Body	11	(3)
Descartes on Body and Medicine	14	(3)
Body in the History of Western Medicine	17	(4)
Iconoclastic Concepts of Body in Yoga, Tantra, and Ayurveda	21	(24)
Traditional Indian Views of Person and Body	21	(6)
Yoga's Use of the Body to Transcend Itself	27	(2)
Tantra's Enlightenable Body	29	(7)
Body as the Ground of Well-being in Ayurveda	36	(9)
Meanings of Health in Ayurveda	45	(38)
Inquiry into Health	47	(3)
Determinants of Health	50	(28)
Biological and Ecological Determinants	50	(8)
Life, Development, and Longevity
Equilibrium
Adaptation
Non-susceptibility
Vitality, Endurance, and Relaxation
Medical and Psychological Determinants	58	(11)
Normality
Freedom from Pain
Wholeness and Integration
Awareness and Mental Clarity
Socio-cultural and Aesthetic Determinants	69	(6)
Relationality
Creativity
Generativity
Enjoyment
Metaphysical and Religious Determinants	75	(3)
Self-identity
Freedom
Ayurvedic Religious Therapeutics	78	(5)
Classical Yoga as a Religious Therapeutic	83	(56)
Meaning and Forms of Yoga	85	(9)
Meanings of 'Yoga'	85	(2)
Yoga in the Vedas, Upanisads, and Bhagavadgita	87	(4)
Yoga in the Vedas
Yoga in the Upanisads
Yoga in the Bhagavadgita
Traditions of Yoga Practice	91	(3)
A Matrix of Classical Yoga as a Religious Therapeutic	94	(37)
Metaphysical and Epistemic Foundations	94	(5)
Yoga's Therapeutic Paradigm
Yoga's Diagnosis of the Human Condition
The Yogic Remedy
Soteriology	99	(6)
Self-realization by Healing the Afflictions (Klesas)
Value Theory and Ethics: Health and the Good in Yoga	105	(7)
First Limb: Moral Self-restraints--Yama
Second Limb: Moral Commitments--Niyama
Physical Practice: The Soteriological Role of Body and Health in Yoga	112	(10)
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)	122	(9)
Sixth Limb: Concentration--Dharana
Seventh Limb: Meditative--Dhyana
Eight Limb: Meditative Trance--Samadhi
Liberation as Healing in Classical Yoga	131	(8)
Healing and Yoga's Therapeutic Paradigm	131	(3)
Wholeness and Holiness	134	(2)
Identity and Freedom	136	(3)
Tantra and Aesthetic Therapeutics	139	(28)
Body and Tantric Yogas	140	(13)
Features of Tantric Practice	140	(3)
Sexuality in Tantra	143	(3)
Kundalini Yoga	146	(3)
Mantra Yoga	149	(4)
Aesthetic Therapeutics in Tantra	153	(4)
Therapeutic Elements of Tantra	154	(1)
Sacred Music	155	(2)
Sacred Music as a Religious Therapeutic	157	(10)
How Is Sacred Music Therapeutic?	159	(1)
Breath, Music, and Healing	160	(1)
Body as Instrument of Sacred Music	161	(2)
Elements of Healing in Sanskrit Chant	163	(1)
Healing in Identification of Self with Cosmos	164	(1)
Sound as a Bridge Between Substantial and Non-substantial Being	165	(2)
Conclusion COMUNITY: RELATIONALITY IN RELIGIOUS THERAPEUTICS	167	(8)
Notes	175	(16)
Sources	191	(10)
Indices
Subject Index	201	(10)
Sanskrit Terms	211	(6)
Index of Names	217	(4)
Sanskrit Texts	221