The Two Haribhadras in the Jain Yoga Tradition

Jain philosophy has been shaped by several influential figures, among whom Haribhadra holds a particularly significant place. Paul Dundas (2020) identifies two key figures by that name: Haribhadra Virahāṅka, who is traditionally dated to the 6th century CE, and Haribhadra Yākinīputra, active in the 8th century CE. These two figures are distinguished both by the periods in which they lived and by the focus of their philosophical contributions, focusing on two hagiographical strands which started to develop in the late 13th century CE (Dundas 2020, p. 887). 

Haribhadra Virahāṅka (circa 6th century CE), the earlier of the two, played a major role in the development of Śvetāmbara Jainism as a structured religious system in the first millennium CE. His work focused on core Jain issues, and his writings have influenced both monastic and lay practices. He is traditionally remembered for emphasizing a strict adherence to Jain ethical principles, particularly the renunciatory path. This strand of the Haribhadra tradition emphasizes his intellectual humility and commitment to the Jain monastic path.

Haribhadra Virahāṅka is remembered for his seminal contributions to Jain philosophy, particularly his work on yoga systems in Yogabindu and Ṣaḍdarśanasamuccaya. Haribhadra Virahāṅka's Yogabindu emphasizes Jainism's independent and systematic approach to yoga, differentiating itself from other Indian traditions, such as Vedānta and Buddhism.

In contrast, Haribhadra Yākinīputra flourished in the 8th century CE and is noted for his engagement with broader philosophical systems, including Buddhism and Vedānta. His works include commentaries and treatises that bridge Jain thought with other Indian traditions. Haribhadra Yakini-putra’s engagement with Buddhist philosophy, in particular, marks a distinction from his predecessor. This second Haribhadra's contributions often deal with wider Indian philosophical discourse, integrating Jain teachings into conversations that transcend the confines of Śvetāmbara Jainism.

Haribhadra Yākinīputra is primarily known for works like the Yogadṛṣṭisamuccaya. His contributions focus on bridging Jainism with broader philosophical systems of the time, including elements of Buddhism and Vedānta, unlike Haribhadra Virahāṅka, who sought to assert Jainism's distinct identity.

The Role of Patañjali's Yoga in Jain Thought

Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras, a widely influential text in Indian philosophy, form the foundation of classical yoga. The most well-known maxim from the Yoga Sūtras is yogaś cittavṛttinirodhaḥ (YS 1.2), which translates to "yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind." This foundational principle of Patañjali’s system emphasizes that yoga is about controlling mental activities and thought processes. The cessation of mental fluctuations is achieved through two primary means: practice (abhyāsa) and dispassion (vairāgya) (O’Brien-Kop 2023).

The Yoga Sūtras outline various methods to reach this goal, with the first chapter focusing on different forms of mental concentration (samādhi), which are divided into cognitive and non-cognitive techniques. The second chapter introduces kriyā yoga, or the yoga of action, composed of three elements: austerity (tapas), Vedic recitation or study (svādhyāya), and contemplation on īśvara (a higher principle or being). This form of yoga is designed to reduce or eliminate mental afflictions (kleśas) that prevent one from attaining samādhi (O’Brien-Kop 2023).

Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras are also known for presenting aṣṭāṅga yoga, or the eightfold path, in chapters 2 and 3. This method describes eight limbs or auxiliaries, which consist of:

1. Yama (ethical restraints) (YS 2.30–31): These are social or relational practices, including ahiṃsā (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacārya (celibacy or continence), and aparigraha (non-grasping) (O’Brien-Kop 2023).
2. Niyama (ethical observances) (YS 2.40–45): These are about self-discipline and include śauca (purity), saṃtoṣa (contentment), tapas (austerity), svādhyāya (recitation or study of scripture), and īśvarapraṇidhāna (contemplation on īśvara) (O’Brien-Kop 2023).
3. Āsana (seat/posture) (YS 2.46–48): This refers to sitting postures for meditation, with the instruction that the posture should be steady and comfortable (O’Brien-Kop 2023).
4. Prāṇāyāma (breath-control) (YS 2.49–52): This involves regulating the breath and practicing breath suspension after inhalation or exhalation (O’Brien-Kop 2023).
5. Pratyāhāra (sense withdrawal) (YS 2.53–55): This is the withdrawal of the senses from external objects to facilitate mental focus and detachment from the material world (O’Brien-Kop 2023).
6. Dhāraṇā (mental concentration) (YS 3.1): Here, the mind is fixed on a single point of focus, either internal (such as the navel or heart) or external (O’Brien-Kop 2023).
7. Dhyāna (meditation) (YS 3.2): Concentration extends over time, allowing the mind to remain undisturbed and focused (O’Brien-Kop 2023).
8. Samādhi (perfect concentration) (YS 3.3): In this final stage, the mind achieves crystal-clear, one-pointed perception, leading to the highest realization (O’Brien-Kop 2023).

Haribhadra Virahāṅka was deeply familiar with the Yoga Sūtras, and although he respected Patañjali’s methods, his Yogabindu does not simply replicate this system. Instead, Haribhadra sets out a fivefold path tailored specifically to Jain practices. While Patañjali's system draws heavily from Sāṃkhya, with its dualistic cosmology of puruṣa (consciousness) and prakṛti (matter), Haribhadra’s focus is more aligned with the Jain understanding of karma and the soul's entanglement in the cycle of rebirth. The body, in Haribhadra’s worldview, is a site of karmic bondage that must be purified through ethical discipline, meditation, and asceticism (Chapple 2015).

Soul and Karma in Haribhadra's Yogabindu

Central to Haribhadra Virahāṅka’s yoga system is the concept of the soul (jīva) and its interaction with karma. In Jainism, karma is not merely a mental affliction but a physical substance that binds the soul, prolonging the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra). Haribhadra's Yogabindu emphasizes the importance of controlling the activities of the body, speech, and mind (what earlier Jain texts such as: Tattvārtha Sūtra refer to as "yoga”) to prevent the influx of new karma and to reduce the accumulation of existing karma.

The fivefold path of yoga which Haribhadra outlines comprehends:

1. Self-reflection (adhyātma): This involves linking oneself to appropriate actions, contemplating truths, and practicing virtues such as loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.
2. Cultivation (bhāvanā): Repeated merit and mindfulness strengthen this practice, reducing impurities and fostering a purer mind. This leads to greater focus and the practice of meditation.
3. Meditation (dhyāna): Meditation is characterized as a state of mind that resides in purity, akin to a steady lamp, enabling detachment from worldly fluctuations.
4. Equanimity (samatā): Achieving equanimity involves overcoming likes and dislikes, thus abandoning desires and expectations, which further destroys subtle karma.
5. Quieting of fluctuations (vṛtti śamkṣaya): In this final stage, all fluctuations caused by karma are quieted or destroyed, leading to the state of śaileśī and thus liberation from karmic bondage and total freedom.

This path is aimed at purification and self-restraint, focusing on detaching from karmic influences that obscure the soul’s true nature. Haribhadra differs from Patañjali in that the primary goal of yoga, according to Jainism, is not just mental clarity or absorption in samādhi, but the complete eradication of karmic bonds, leading to liberation (mokṣa).

Differences from Vedānta and Buddhism

Haribhadra Virahāṅka's Yogabindu sets itself apart from both Vedānta and Buddhism in significant ways. Vedānta, particularly Advaita Vedānta, posits that all individual souls are ultimately expressions of a single, universal consciousness, brahman. For Advaitins, the ultimate goal is realizing the non-dual nature of the self (ātman) and brahman, leading to liberation through knowledge (jñāna). Haribhadra, on the other hand, emphasizes the eternality of individual souls (jīva) and the need to eliminate karmic matter that binds them to the cycle of rebirth. The Jain notion of liberation is not about merging with a universal self, but about the soul achieving its own intrinsic purity, free from all karma.

Buddhism presents another contrasting viewpoint. While Jainism upholds the existence of an eternal soul, Buddhism rejects the notion of a permanent self (anātman). Haribhadra critiques the Buddhist concept of anātman, affirming instead that the soul is real and capable of experiencing both suffering and bliss as a result of karmic interactions. In this way, the Yogabindu aligns with the Jain insistence on the reality of the soul and its journey towards liberation, while critiquing the Buddhist denial of a permanent self.

Haribhadra’s Yogabindu acknowledges shared ethical practices, such as the brahmavihāra virtues of maitrī (loving-kindness), karuṇā (compassion), muditā (sympathetic joy), and upekṣā (equanimity), which are found in both Buddhist and Jain traditions. However, Haribhadra maintains the distinct Jain emphasis on karma theory, ethical conduct, and ascetic discipline as essential for liberation.

Conclusion

Haribhadra Virahāṅka’s Yogabindu offers a detailed interpretation of yoga as a practical way leading to liberation that is deeply rooted in Jain ethics and cosmology. While drawing from and engaging with other Indian philosophical systems, Haribhadra's approach to yoga remains distinctly Jain, centering on the purification of the soul through ethical discipline and meditation. His work underscores the uniqueness of the Jain path to liberation by emphasizing the need to eliminate karma and reject external theological dependencies in favor of self-reliant spiritual practice.

Arihanta Institute is pleased to welcome Corinna May Lhoir, a PhD student from the University of Hamburg, to Professor Christopher Jain Miller’s MA - Engaged Jain Studies "Jain Yoga" graduate seminar. Lhoir is currently working on an innovative dissertation translating the medieval Jain text, Yogapradīpa. Throughout the semester, she will share her insights from Dr. Miller's seminar in a series of articles. Read Lhoir's first two articles here:

• Jain Yoga – An Introduction
• Exploring Yoga in the Tattvārthasūtra

Bibliography

Chapple, Christopher Key. "The Jaina Yogas of Haribhadra Virahāṅka’s Yogabindu." In Yoga in Jainism, edited by Christopher Key Chapple, 71–86. London: Routledge, 2015.

Dundas, Paul. "Haribhadra." In Brill’s Encyclopedia of Jainism, 887–897. Leiden: Brill, 2020.

O’Brien-Kop, Karen. The Philosophy of the Yogasūtra: An Introduction. Bloomsbury Academic, 2023.

Tatia, Nathmal. That Which Is: Tattvārtha Sūtra of Umāsvāti/Umāsvāmī. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1994

To learn more about the MA in Engaged Jain Studies check out our webpage or email study@arihantainstitute.org for application and admissions information.