Ecstatic Spontaneity: Saraha's Three Cycles of Doha - Motilal Banarsidass #author

Ecstatic Spontaneity: Saraha's Three Cycles of Doha

Author(s): Herbert V. Guenther
Publisher: Asian Humanities Press
Language: English
Total Pages: 241
Available in: Paperback
Regular price Rs. 2,500.00
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Description

Ecstatic Spontaneity: Saraha's Three Cycles of Doha" refers to a work or study that explores the teachings of Saraha, a legendary figure in the history of Indian Buddhism, particularly within the context of Madhyamaka and Tantric Buddhism. Saraha was a great Buddhist yogi and poet, and he is considered one of the Mahasiddhas (great accomplished ones) of the Indian Tantric tradition. His teachings were transmitted through his verses, known as doha (songs or couplets), which express profound wisdom and ecstatic spontaneity in spiritual practice.

Saraha and the Doha:

Saraha’s doha are mystical poems that express deep spiritual insight, often in a paradoxical and non-conceptual style, encouraging direct realization. His poetry touches upon profound Buddhist concepts, including emptiness (Shunyata), non-duality, and the nature of mind, while often emphasizing the importance of direct experience over intellectual analysis.

The phrase "Ecstatic Spontaneity" likely refers to Saraha’s approach to spirituality, which celebrates uncontrived and direct experience of reality, without relying on rigid doctrines or formal practices. For Saraha, spiritual awakening is not about gradual development but about an immediate, spontaneous realization of the nature of the mind and reality.

The Three Cycles of Doha:

Saraha's teachings can be organized into three primary cycles or categories of doha, which could refer to:

  1. The First Cycle: This would typically involve the foundational teachings of Saraha, focusing on the nature of mind and the concept of emptiness. In this cycle, Saraha encourages practitioners to understand that the self, as well as the world, is empty of inherent existence. He often points out the illusory nature of all phenomena.

  2. The Second Cycle: In this cycle, Saraha’s teachings would likely emphasize the nature of direct experience and the realization of non-duality. The focus may shift from intellectual understanding to direct, unmediated experience of the present moment. Saraha’s approach invites practitioners to go beyond the ordinary conceptual mind, opening up to spontaneous wisdom and compassion.

  3. The Third Cycle: The final cycle of Saraha’s teachings would highlight liberation and spontaneous action in the world. This cycle encourages a more embodied experience, where realization does not lead to renunciation but to a life of engaged wisdom and compassionate action. Saraha’s teaching suggests that ultimate realization is not confined to meditative states but extends into everyday life.

Ecstatic Spontaneity:

The term "ecstatic spontaneity" refers to the emotional and spiritual state that arises from the direct experience of realization. Saraha’s teaching is often ecstatic in nature, as he emphasizes the profound joy and freedom that comes from direct contact with the ultimate truth. This state is spontaneous, meaning it arises naturally when one is free from conceptual thinking, attachment, and fixation on dualities.