Toh 1367Six-Branched Yoga
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ṣaḍaṅgayoga
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Exposition of the Scripture on Six-Branched Yoga (Ṣaḍaṅgayoga)
Background
The Scripture on Six-Branched Yoga (Ṣaḍaṅgayoga) is an important exegetical work belonging to the Tengyur, the Northern Transmission canon, describing a system of yogic practice with an apparatus of six branches for carrying out the bodhisattva path, with the aim of attaining buddhahood. This method was developed in the Northern Transmission tradition, especially in the Gelug, Kagyu, and Nyingma schools, taking as its basis the tantric scriptures and the commentaries of Indian noble beings such as Nāropā and Marpa.
Six-Branched Yoga is one of the most advanced methods of realization and aspiration, combining practice related to the body, winds (prana), and mind (citta). It is regarded as a swift path to attaining buddhahood, based on the principle that body, winds, and mind are three inseparable factors. By regulating these three factors in a systematic way, the practitioner can transform the nature of consciousness and discover the buddha nature within oneself.
Main Contents
Six-Branched Yoga is composed of six successive branches of practice, each branch resting upon the foundation of the one before it. These six branches are:
One, Meditative Wisdom (dhyāna) — focusing the mind upon an object of Dharma, often the image of the Buddha or a tantric deity. This is the foundation for purifying and stabilizing the mind.
Two, Posture (āsana) — practicing special bodily postures in order to regulate the winds and the mind, especially the winds within the principal energy channels.
Three, Regulation of the Breath (prāṇāyāma) — controlling and directing the flow of vital wind (prāṇa) through the energy channels, in order to refine the winds and weaken the instincts of ignorance.
Four, Withdrawal of Attention (pratyāhāra) — withdrawing the senses from external objects and concentrating all attention inwardly.
Five, Holding the Mind (dhāraṇā) — maintaining the mind in a calm, unwavering state, with the object of practice clearly present.
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