Dear Yong Peng.



Thanks for your reply.

YP>First of all, we have to understand that while both Hinduism and
YP>Buddhism are from India, there are significant differences between the
YP>two. Only in this way, we can appreciate both without confusion.

Yes, that is true. I agree with you.
But just because Buddha's teachings was considerably different from the
Hinduism, that doesn't mean that the religious habits and culture did change
too.
I believe that Buddha deal in some way with this religious culture. Actually
we see in his teachings, the use of Vedic terms where he just gave a deep
meaning to the same already existent words.
Probably he also gave a different meaning or usage to the already existent
words "guru" and "yogi". I believe also that the laity (maybe not all) would
call him a guru or an accomplished yogi.
So how Buddha himself dealed with this is my question. There is any mention
in the pali canon about that?

How this words are used in the pali canon? Maybe if somebody have a
reference where I could check would be really helpful.

YP>The word 'guru' simply means 'teacher'. It is common in Tibetan
YP>Buddhism to address a monk (or even a lay teacher) as a guru. Still,
YP>Tibetans themselves don't use the word as often as we think. The word
YP>is really 'popularized' by Western Buddhists, as a result of the
YP>influence of the New Age movement. The word is, after all, an Indian
YP>word. So, beyond what has been said, 'guru' finds little usage in
YP>Buddhist circles, since these are today mainly non-Indian cultures.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the word "guru" was translated as "lama". The word in
this days includes a wide variety of usages that was modified during the
centuries in Tibet.
According with Tibetan texts "lama" is a teacher of the tantric method, the
vajrayana.
The word used to indicate a teacher of the sutrayana or Mahayana method in
Tibetan is "Geshe" or in Sanskrit kalyanamitra, a virtuous friend.

As in ancient teachings of the pali canon the Buddha's method didn't include
the tantric teachings I wonder how the word guru would be used at all in the
pali canon.
How was called the teachers in the pali canon? There is different degrees of
teachers? Does the word guru appears applying for this teachers in the pali
canon?

YP>As for yogi, if you refer to a person almost naked, who keeps a long
YP>beard and buns his long hair. [see
YP> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Yogisculpture.JPG>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Yogisculpture.JPG%5d Then, there is
YP>no such a figure in Buddhism.

It seems that In the Tibetan commentaries a yogi is defined as someone
abiding in samata and cultivating vipassana.
It yogi by definition must be someone that has accomplished samata and
vipassana according with Tibetan Buddhism.
Here too there is different degrees of yogis according with their
accomplishment and the distinction of their method of practice

What would be the definition of a yogi according with the pali canon. In
which context the word is used?
Does the word was applied to the Buddha himself, and to the monks practicing
samata and vipassana?

YP>If, by yogi, you mean someone practicing yoga, then it really depends
YP>on the definition of yoga. In America, some 30 million people practice
YP>yoga, so they are yogis in a way.

The yoga that is a fashion in the western world is hatha yoga.
In the four main yoga of Hinduism - Bhakti yoga, Raja yoga, Jnana Yoga and
Karma Yoga, the word yogi is used meaning two aspects:
The yogi by definition is someone that has accomplish yoga - the union with
God (in their many senses according with the different philosophical
schools) - through the practice of one of this four methods just mentioned.
The second use of the word is called a yogi "in the general sense", not by
definition, where means someone practicing one of this methods. Thus we find
a Bhakti-yogi, a Raja-yogi, a Jnana-yogi and a Karma-yogi.

So does in the pali canon the word yogi appear in one of this contexts?

YP>In Buddhism, the experience that one acquires in even the deepest
YP>trance is impermanent.

Yes, it seems that is called a dharma arisen through dependent origination,
therefore based on causes and conditions, thus subject to change and
cessation.
That is a good point regarding a difference between Hinduism yoga practices
and the Buddhist yoga practices. Could we say that: Buddhist yoga practices,
according with the pali canon?

I am very thankful for any help or reading suggestions.
With regards,
Gabriel





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