<i>Amṛtasiddhi</i> <i>A Posteriori</i>: An Exploratory Study on the Possible Impact of the <i>Amṛtasiddhi</i> on the Subsequent Sanskritic Vajrayāna Tradition

Recent research into source materials for <i>haṭhayoga</i> (Birch, Mallinson, Sz&#225;nt&#243;) has revealed that the physical techniques and esoteric anatomy traditionally associated with Śaiva practitioners likely found a genesis within Vajrayāna Buddhist communities. The physi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Religions
Main Author: Samuel Grimes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-03-01
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/3/140
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Summary:Recent research into source materials for <i>haṭhayoga</i> (Birch, Mallinson, Sz&#225;nt&#243;) has revealed that the physical techniques and esoteric anatomy traditionally associated with Śaiva practitioners likely found a genesis within Vajrayāna Buddhist communities. The physiology and practices for longevity described in the 11th-or-12th-century <i>Amṛtasiddhi</i> are easily traced in the development of subsequent physical yoga, but prior to the discovery of the text&#8217;s Buddhist origin, analogues to a <i>haṭhayoga</i> esoteric anatomy found in Vajrayāna sources have been regarded as coincidental. This paper considers both the possibility that the <i>Amṛtasiddhi</i>, or a tradition related to it, had a lasting impact on practices detailed in subsequent tantric Buddhist texts and that this <i>haṭhayoga</i> source text can aid in interpreting unclear passages in these texts.
ISSN:2077-1444