|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

Asparśa-yoga: A unique Vedantic technique of

Mindfulness
Nithin Sridhar
This paper was presented at the seminar on “Vedic Mindfulness” in July
2019 organized by Indic Academy and Indira Gandhi National Centre for
the Arts in New Delhi. It was later published in Indic Today magazine on
November 28, 2019.

ABSTRACT
Mindfulness is a very popular practice today in the West. While its origins in the
Buddhist meditation practices of Zen and Vipassanā are grudgingly acknowledged,
the rich traditions of meditation and mindfulness in the Vedic tradition, which forms
the basis of even the Buddhist practices are rarely written about. This paper
examines one such practice of Mindfulness—the asparśa-yoga—that has been
conceptualized and practiced in the tradition of Advaita Vedānta.
Asparśa-yoga is the yoga of non-contact which has its roots in the Upaniṣad-s but
finds an explicit mention and a crystal clear enunciation in the Māndukya Kārikā of
Ācārya Gauḍapāda. The term Asparśa primarily refers to the state of contact-less
existence, and secondarily to the means of attaining such a state, both of which will
be explored in the paper. It will further be shown how Asparśa-yoga can be
understood as a unique Vedantic practice of mindfulness.

Keywords: Asparśa-yoga, Māndukya Kārikā, mindfulness, Advaita Vedānta, Gauḍapāda,

Vipassanā, IAA axioms of mindfulness, intention, attention, attitude, meditation, yoga of non-
contact, jīvanmukti
|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

0. INTRODUCTION

Mindfulness is a very popular practice today in the West. It is often understood as

the psychological process of paying attention to and consciously experiencing each

moment in the present in a non-judgmental manner (Baer, 2003). It is considered as

a therapeutic process that involves among other things: mindful attention to one’s

sensations, thoughts, and feelings and being non-judgemental (Leary, M., & Tate, E.,

2007).

While its origins in the Buddhist meditation practices of Zen and Vipassanā are

grudgingly acknowledged, the rich traditions of meditation and mindfulness in the

Vedic tradition, which forms the basis of even the Buddhist practices are rarely

written about.

This paper examines one such practice of Vedic meditation—the asparśa-yoga or

the yoga of non-contact—that has been conceptualized in the Māndukya Kārikā of

Ācārya Gauḍapāda and practiced in the tradition of Advaita Vedānta.

In section one, I examine the definition of the term asparśa-yoga and trace its textual

origins. In section two, a detailed presentation of asparśa-yoga as a spiritual practice

is given. In section three, I examine the different models of mindfulness and compare

it with the spiritual practice of asparśa-yoga to establish asparśa-yoga as a unique

practice of mindfulness.

1. ASPARŚA-YOGA: DEFINITION AND ORIGINS

Though the concept of asparśa-yoga is quite old and can be traced back to the major

Upaniṣad-s, the phrase itself appears for the first-timei only in the Māndukya Kārikā
|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

of Ācārya Gauḍapāda (GK), wherein it is mentioned twice, first at 3.39 and then

again at 4.2.

The Yoga that is familiarly referred to as ‘contactless’ (asparśa) is

difficult to be comprehended by anyone of the Yogis. For those Yogis,

who apprehend fear where there is no fear, are afraid of itii. (GK 3.39)

(Gambhirananda (Tr.), 2012)

I bow down to that Yoga that is well known as free from relationships,

joyful to all beings, beneficial, free from dispute, non-contradictory, and

set forth in the scripturesiii. (GK 4.2) (Gambhirananda (Tr.), Eight

Upanishads with the Commentary of Shankaracharya (Vol. 1 & 2),

2012)

The term asparśa literally means without touch or contact. Sparśa or touch is one of

the five sensory organs of action and it defines an individual’s everyday sense of

selfhood. As Richard King (1992) notes: “one could lose any one of the other four

senses and yet still grasp the idea of 'externality'. However, if one had no sense of

touch it is doubtful that the boundary between 'self and 'other' would have developed

at all.” But, at a deeper level, asparśa implies being ‘contact-less’ in every sense of

the word- being devoid of all sensory contact and transcending the notion of duality

(King, 1992). As Ācārya Śaṅkara notes in his commentary on the GK 4.2, asparśa

means sparśaḥ sambandho na vidyate yasya yogasya kenacitkadācidapi- which has

no touch, no relationship, with anything at any time. GK 3.38 itself defines the state

as “where all mentation stopsiv”. In short, it refers to the state of non-duality, to the

state of jīvanmukta.
|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

Scholars have speculated regarding various connotations of the term asparśa.

T.M.P. Mahadevan (1960), for example, has expounded its correspondence to the

yogic practice enunciated in Yogasūtra of Patañjali. V. Bhattacharya (1943), on the

other hand, has equated it with the highest state of Samādhi. Hixon has understood

the term as a basis for GK’s theory of perception (King, 1992). While each of these

interpretations is quite useful and could be derived to some extent from the source

text, they do not represent the primary meaning of the term asparśa as used in GK

and as understood in the commentary tradition.

In GK 3.40, the state of asparśa is enunciated as the state of fearlessness, a state

without sorrow and with the knowledge of the Self and everlasting peacev. In GK 4.2,

it is described as the state full of joy, beneficial, non-contradictory, and free from

dispute. In his commentary on this verse, Ācārya Śaṅkara adds that asparśa-yoga is

of the “very nature of brahmanvi”. Further, in GK 3.31-32vii, asparśa-yoga is

described as the state wherein the mind becomes ‘no-mind’ and duality is no longer

perceived as a consequence of the realization of the Truth of the Self that follows

from the instructions of the teacher and the scriptures. It also terms such a state as

‘agraham’- free from all perceptions.

Thus, it is clear from GK that asparśa-yoga in its primary sense refers to the state of

non-duality, and abidance in such a state as a jīvanmukta arises consequent to one

attaining ātmajñāna. It is only in the secondary sense that asparśa-yoga can be

understood as a practical path that leads to the state of asparśa, but even here it is

different from both Patañjaliyoga and Nirvikalpa Samādhi (Comans, 2000, p. 144).

We will explore this secondary sense of asparśa-yoga as a practical path in detail in

the next section.

|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

On the question of the origins of asparśa-yoga, both GK and Ācārya Śaṅkara’s

commentary on it state that it is well known in the Upaniṣad-s. In 3.39, GK uses ‘vai’

alongside asparśa-yoga, which Ācārya Śaṅkara’s explains as denoting that the

concept is well known in the Upaniṣad-sviii. Further, GK 4.2 notes that asparśa-yoga

is set forth in the scriptures. While we do not find such a phrase anywhere in the

Upaniṣad, we find the term asparśa in Kaṭhopaniṣad 1.3.15 and many of its

synonyms spread across the Upaniṣad-s. Most notably, asaṅga which also means

‘contactless’ or ‘without any relation’ finds multiple mentions in Bṛhadāraṇyaka

Upaniṣadix. The state of ātmajñāna and jīvanmukti are well known and well-

described across Vedantic literature. The Īśopaniṣad has a particularly interesting

description of the state of jīvanmukta in verses 6-7 that clearly show the Upanishadic

basis of asparśa-yoga.

He who sees all beings in the Self itself, and the Self in all beings, feels

no hatred by virtue of that (realisation)x. (Īśopaniṣad verse 6)

(Gambhirananda (Tr.), Eight Upanishads with the Commentary of

Shankaracharya (Vol. 1 & 2), 2012)

When to the man of realisation all beings become the very Self, then

what delusion and what sorrow can there be for that seer of oneness?xi

(Īśopaniṣad verse 7) (Gambhirananda (Tr.), Eight Upanishads with the

Commentary of Shankaracharya (Vol. 1 & 2), 2012)

The Upaniṣad is describing the state of jīvanmukta as a state wherein the Self alone

is perceived without any perception of objects and is, in fact, a state that transcends

duality. This is very similar to the description of the state of asparśa in GK 3.31-32.

Further, by stating that for a “man of realization, all beings become the very Self” and
|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

he becomes the “seer of oneness”, the Upaniṣad is explicitly enunciating the state of

asparśa. For sparśa to happen, there must be duality. When one attains non-duality,

there can only be asparśa.

We find similar references to asparśa-yoga in Bhagavad-Gītā, most notably in

chapter 2 and chapter 5 with a specific allusion to the term ‘sparśa’ and how non-

attachment to it leads to bliss at 5.21.

One whose mind is unattached to external objects gets in the internal

organ that which is bliss. With his internal organ fixed in self-absorption

in brahman, he acquires undecaying Blissxii. (Bhagavad-Gītā 5.21)

(Gambhirananda (Tr.), 2013)

From this, it is clear that the origins of asparśa-yoga clearly lie in the earliest of the

Upaniṣad-s and fairly well-known across Vedic literature and as Comans (2000, p.

143) notes it is not “as mysterious as some would make outxiii.”

2. ASPARŚA-YOGA IN PRACTICE

We noted in the previous section that asparśa-yoga primarily refers to the state of

jīvanmukta and only in a secondary sense it refers to the path that leads one to that

state. GK from verse 3.40 to verse 3.46 provides a description of asparśa-yoga as a

spiritual practice leading to the ultimate state of non-duality. Ācārya Śaṅkara in his

commentary on GK 3.40 notes that the verses containing instructions about the

practice of asparśa-yoga (i.e. 3.40-46) are meant for those yogi-s who having inferior

or intermediate outlook think of the mind as being different from the Self and are

devoid of the Self-knowledgexiv.

|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

For all these Yogis, fearlessness, the removal of misery, knowledge (of

the Self), and everlasting peace are dependent on the control of the

mindxv. (GK 3.40) (Gambhirananda (Tr.), 2012)

Just as an ocean can be emptied with the help of the tip of a blade of

Kuśa grass that can hold just a drop, so also can the control of the mind

be brought about by absence of depressionxvi. (GK 3.41)

(Gambhirananda (Tr.), 2012)

With the help of that proper process one should bring under discipline

the mind that remains dispersed amidst objects of desire and

enjoyment; and one should bring it under control even when it is in full

peace in sleep, for sleep is as bad as desirexvii. (GK 3.42)

(Gambhirananda (Tr.), 2012)

Constantly remembering that everything is full of misery, one should

withdraw the mind from the enjoyment arising out of desire.

Remembering ever the fact that the birthless Brahman is everything,

one does not surely perceive the born (viz the host of duality)xviii. (GK

3.43) (Gambhirananda (Tr.), 2012)

One should wake up the mind merged in deep sleep; one should bring

the dispersed mind into tranquillity again; one should know when the

mind is tinged with desire (and is in a state of latency). One should not

disturb the mind established in equipoisexix. (GK 3.44) (Gambhirananda

(Tr.), 2012)
|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

One should not enjoy happiness in that state; but one should become

unattached through the use of discrimination. When the mind,

established in steadiness, wants to issue out, one should concentrate it

with, diligencexx. (GK 3.45) (Gambhirananda (Tr.), 2012)

When the mind does not become lost nor is scattered, when it is

motionless and does not appear in the form of objects, then it becomes

Brahmanxxi. (GK 3.46) (Gambhirananda (Tr.), 2012)

In its description asparśa-yoga as a spiritual practice, GK first lays out “control of the

mind” as the basic means to attain the state of asparśa that is described as the state

of fearlessness that is free from misery and is full of knowledge and everlasting

peace in verse 3.40. Then, in verse 3.41 it is noted that such ‘control of the mind’ is

only possible through diligence and untiring effort. After thus positing ‘control of the

mind’ that is achieved through untiring effort as the defining feature of the spiritual

practice of asparśa-yoga, GK now enunciates what exactly this spiritual technique of

‘control of the mind’ involves from the standpoint of practice in verses 3.42-43.

In verse 3.42, GK notes that the mind which either remains dispersed amidst objects

of desire and enjoyment, or remains absorbed in the state of sleep, must be brought

under control and discipline, and then in verse 3.43, it provides two staged technique

to be adopted to accomplish this:

Stage 1: Withdrawal of the mind from worldly objects and pleasures by constantly

fixing up the mind in the recollection (anusmṛti) of the fact that the empirical world is

full of misery.
|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

Stage 2: Refocussing the mind upon brahman, by recollecting (anusmṛti) the fact

that birthless brahman, who is non-different from ātma- the innermost Self is

everything.

While Stage 1 refers to what Vedānta literature calls as vairāgya and uparati, Stage

2 refers to what Vedānta literature calls nididhyāsa.

Then, in verses 3.44-45, GK describes what happens when the practice of asparśa-

yoga progresses, how one should wake up the mind absorbed in deep sleep, and

how one must be diligent and bring the mind to steadiness and tranquillity again and

again until the final goal is attained. GK verse 3.46 describes this ultimate goal of

asparśa-yoga as the mind ‘becoming brahman’ i.e. jīvanmukti.

A similar description of asparśa-yoga is found in GK 2.35-36 as well, where the

Stage-2 is explicitly highlighted.

This Self that is beyond all imagination, free from the diversity of this

phenomenal world, and non-dual, is seen by the contemplative people,

versed in the Vedas and unafflicted by desire, fear, and angerxxii. (GK

2.35) (Gambhirananda (Tr.), 2012)

Therefore, after knowing it thus, one should fix one's memory on (i.e.

continuously think of, smṛti) non-duality. Having attained the non-dual,

one should behave in the world as though one were dull-wittedxxiii. (GK

2.36) (Gambhirananda (Tr.), 2012)

A similar 2-staged practice to attain jīvanmukti is suggested in Īśopaniṣad verse 1 as

well.
|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

The Lord inhabits here everywhere, whatever is there, all the created

objects in this universe. Renouncing that (tyaktena), one must enjoy

(the Self) (bhuñjīthā). Do not covet anybody’s wealthxxiv. (Īśopaniṣad

verse 1)

It is interesting to note that the language of GK 2.35-36 is very similar to the

language of Īśopaniṣad verse 1, though the latter brings out both the stages more

explicitly in the same way that GK enumerates these stages in verse 3.43. The

Upaniṣad notes that a spiritual aspirant after knowing that Lord, who is brahman

alone pervades everything, should renounce worldly pursuits and instead enjoy the

bliss of Self by becoming steadfast in the Self. That is, the Īśopaniṣad posits

renunciation of worldly desires and enjoyment of the Self characterized by the terms

‘tyaktena’ and ‘bhuñjīthā’ as the two staged process to attain jīvanmukti. It is the

same two-staged technique that GK mentions in verse 3.43 as the practical process

involved in the practice of asparśa-yoga.

Similarly, verse 5.21 from the Bhagavad-Gītā quoted before mentions non-

attachment and absorption in meditation on brahman as two conditions giving rise to

‘undecaying bliss’.

Thus, GK, as well as older texts like Īśopaniṣad and Bhagavad-Gītā have clearly laid

out asparśa-yoga as a two-staged spiritual practice involving detachment from

worldly desires and uninterrupted recollection of the Self as a means to jīvanmukti.

3. ASPARŚA-YOGA AS A VEDANTIC TECHNIQUE OF MINDFULNESS

The term ‘mindful’ is defined as ‘inclined to be aware’ in Merriam-Webster’s

Dictionary. Mindfulness itself has been often described as “paying attention in a

|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally (Kabat-

Zinn, 1994)” or as “bringing one’s complete attention to the present experience on a

moment-to-moment basis (Marlatt, G. A & Kristeller, J. L., 1999)”.

Comparing the approaches to understanding mindfulness with the Indian proverb of

six blind men, Susan L. Smalley and Diana Winston write:

“Mindfulness is like the Indian proverb about the six blind men trying to describe an

elephant: As each one touches a different part, he describes the elephant differently.

If we look across the scientific literature, there are aspects of mindfulness described

in research on creativity, intuition, self-awareness, insight, and positive psychology,

to name only a few areas of focus. Yet to research mindfulness we must have a

working definition and then ways to measure it objectively. The working definitions of

mindfulness all include “an awareness or attention to present experience.” Added to

this basic definition are certain qualifiers describing the kind of attention or

awareness a person has (receptive, open) or his or her orientation during the

experience (impartial, curious, nonjudgmental, accepting) (Smally, Susan & Winston,

Diana, 2010)”.

Shapiro, Et al. (2006) have proposed a model of mindfulness where they identify

three components (called axioms) of mindfulness as (a) intention, (b) attention, and

(c) attitude (IAA). According to this IAA model, “Intention, attention, and attitude are

not separate processes or stages—they are interwoven aspects of a single cyclic

process and occur simultaneously (Shapiro, S.L., Carlson, L.E., Astin, J.A., &

Freedman, B.S, 2006, p. 375).”

Intention refers to the reason or motivation which drives one to practice mindfulness

and this intention has a significant impact on the outcome of the practice. Shapiro, Et

al. note: “Those whose goal was self-regulation and stress management attained
|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

self-regulation, those whose goal was self-exploration attained self-exploration, and

those whose goal was self-liberation moved toward self-liberation and

compassionate service (Shapiro, S.L., Carlson, L.E., Astin, J.A., & Freedman, B.S,

2006, p. 376).” Attention involves “observing the operations of one’s moment-to-

moment, internal and external experience (Shapiro, S.L., Carlson, L.E., Astin, J.A., &

Freedman, B.S, 2006, p. 376).” This is the heart of the mindfulness practice. Attitude

refers to the character or the attitudinal foundation of the practitioner. They are the

mental traits one bring to the act of paying attention. Shapiro, Et al. note that one

could approach mindfulness practice with a cold, critical attitude, or with a

compassionate, open-hearted attitude (2006, p. 376).

A similar model has been proposed by Mark R. Leary and Eleanor B. Tate (2007).

Instead of three, they propose five components of mindfulness: (a) mindful attention,

(b) diminished self-talk, (c) non-judgment, (d) non-doing, and (e) a particular set of

philosophical, ethical, or therapeutic beliefs. While, mindful attention and a particular

set of philosophical beliefs corresponds to Shapiro, Et al.’s axioms of attention and

attitude, respectively, Leary and Tate have highlighted three more aspects of

mindfulness practice. On diminished self-talk, they note that “only by quieting self-

chatter-the running flow of mental commentary, thoughts about the past and future,

self-evaluations, judgments, and other extraneous reactions-can people remain

highly attuned to their present experience (Leary, M., & Tate, E., 2007, p. 251).”

Similarly, mindfulness also involves reducing making judgments about one’s current

conditions or clinging to one’s present experiences, and preventing oneself from

making an attempt to do something or experience something particular during the

practice (Leary, M., & Tate, E., 2007, p. 252).

|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

Mapping asparśa-yoga using these two models of mindfulness would show that

asparśa-yoga is not merely a meditation or a spiritual practice, but is, in fact, a full-

fledged practice of mindfulness.

Consider Shapiro, Et al.’s model. Asparśa-yoga has all three axioms. GK 3.40 sets

out the intention, in fact, four motivation factors for undertaking the practice of

asparśa-yoga: fearlessness, removal of misery, knowledge of the Self, and

everlasting peace. Likewise, GK 3.46 posits ‘becoming brahman’ as the ultimate goal

of the practice of non-contact. Attention is, of course, the central element of asparśa-

yoga in both its stages as enunciated in GK 3.43. In the first stage, attention is

towards the fact that everything in the world is full of misery, and in the second

stage, attention is towards the fact that birthless brahman is the only reality. While

we have spoken of these two processes involved in asparśa-yoga as two stages, in

practice they may happen either successively or simultaneously. Also, the first stage

which involves complete detachment, renunciation, and withdrawal from worldly

desires acts as the attitudinal foundation for the second stage of asparśa-yoga. It is

through detachment and renunciation one must approach and practice asparśa-

yoga. Vedānta texts, in fact, provide a series of mental qualities and attitudes that

one must master before undertaking the pursuit of the ultimate goal of jīvanmukti or

asparśa. These are called sādhana-catuṣṭaya—four-fold qualities and include (a)

viveka (discrimination between real and unreal) (b) vairāgya (detachment,

dispassion, and renunciation) (c) A group of six qualities that include control of mind

and senses, forbearance, withdrawal from worldly desires, one-pointed

concentration, and faith. (d) mumukṣutva (burning desire for liberation). The last

tenet mumukṣutva corresponds to the Intention of Shapiro, Et al.’s model.

|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

Thus, asparśa-yoga perfectly fits in Shapiro, Et al.’s model. Likewise, it fits well into

Leary and Tate’s model as well. Withdrawing from worldly desires and actions

through dispassion and instead, paying attention to birthless brahman as the only

reality implies diminished self-talk, non-judgment and non-doing. The importance of

renunciation of all actions in Vedantic practice is well known and this corresponds to

the three components of non-self-talk, non-judgment, and non-doing. Moreover, the

very term asparśa or non-contact implies all these three components of mindfulness.

It is no surprise then that GK 2.36 and GK 3.43 uses the term smṛti (or anusmṛti)

while describing the practice of asparśa-yoga, the very same term or its Buddhist

equivalent sati from which the modern term ‘mindfulness’ as well as the practice of

mindfulness has been derived.

However, asparśa-yoga differs from both modern mindfulness practices developed in

the west and the traditional vipassanā practices of the Buddhists in significant ways.

Modern mindfulness techniques developed in the west are mostly aimed at deriving

medical and therapeutic benefits. The intention in such practices is mainly self-

regulation and stress-management. Attention is limited to paying attention to one’s

behaviours, feelings, thoughts, and present experiences. They have designed many

mindfulness practiced based interventions to cater to various medical and

therapeutic purposes. Mindfulness-based stress seduction, Mindfulness-based

cognitive therapy, Dialectical behavior therapy, Acceptance and commitment

therapy, Relapse prevention—these are some of the examples of mindfulness-based

interventions.

Asparśa-yoga differs from these modern techniques both in its intention as well as

attention components. The goal of asparśa-yoga is neither self-regulation nor stress-

|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

management. It does not aim at resolving any medical issue or providing any

therapeutic benefits. These could be, at best, considered as secondary unintentional

benefits that happen on their own. The primary and the only intentional goal of

asparśa-yoga is the attainment of birthless brahman and as such, the attention is

directed towards continuous recollection of the fact that brahman is everything as

noted in GK 3.43. Though in the first stage of the practice, a practitioner would start

by paying attention to one’s breath, feelings, and experiences, it does not stop there.

The purpose of the practice is to withdraw from the notions of duality and become

established in non-duality. So, contrary to modern techniques, one does not limit

oneself to witnessing the experiences as a subject that involves a firm identification

with oneself as a subject. But instead, in asparśa-yoga one seeks to go beyond the

duality of subject-object and attain the state of no-contact. Asparśa-yoga differs from

modern techniques with respect to attitude as well. It requires the practitioners to be

endowed with specific mental qualities like detachment etc. discussed before for

them to make progress in the practice, whereas these qualities may not be required

in many of the modern mindfulness-based interventions.

Though asparśa-yoga has many similarities with the Buddhist vipassanā practices,

especially regarding how both systems recognize that the empirical world is

impermanent, ever-changing and is the source of sorrow and hence, one must

withdraw from the worldly desires, there is one major difference between the two

systems as noted by Swami Sunirmalananda:

“The aim of both Buddhist and Vedantic techniques is the same: to see the ‘Player’

behind the play. But there is a crucial difference. As we saw above, the Buddhist

technique leads to viewing the void (sunnata) or emptiness. Behind this entire

enchanting scene that enamours us, there is nothing at all! The Vedanta is positive in
|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

approach. It doesn’t lead to sunyata but to purnata or fullness. So all Vedantic

methods of sadhana are aimed at attaining fulfillment or completeness or the

Absolute or Brahman. If there is no fulfillment already, how can it be discovered? So

the fundamental axiom of Advaita Vedanta is that this enchanting universe and our

body and mind are all false superimpositions on the eternal, positive Self- Atman of

Brahmanxxv (Sunirmalananda, 2005).” [Italics added].

Thus, Asparśa-yoga is a unique technique of mindfulness practice evolved in the

tradition of Vedānta that is aimed at attaining jīvanmukti or the state of asparśa.

4. CONCLUSION

This paper makes a significant contribution to understanding meditation and

mindfulness practices available in the Hindu Vedic tradition. It demonstrates with the

example of asparśa-yoga that meditation practices are as much rooted in the Vedic

tradition as they are in the Buddhist tradition. Asparśa-yoga is, in fact, traced back to

the earlier Upaniṣad-s like Īśopaniṣad that predates Buddhism.

The paper also examines the different meanings and connotations of the term

asparśa-yoga and shows how it primarily refers to the state of jīvanmukta and only in

a secondary sense, does it refer to the spiritual practices that lead one to jīvanmukti.

A detailed analysis of asparśa-yoga as a spiritual practice was also undertaken and

it was shown to be a two-staged spiritual process.

Two different models of modern mindfulness practices were examined and

compared with asparśa-yoga practice. It was demonstrated that asparśa-yoga

contains all the axioms of modern mindfulness practices like intention, attention, and

attitude, and hence must be understood as a mindfulness practice and not just as a

spiritual or meditation practice.

|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

However, it was also demonstrated that asparśa-yoga is a unique mindfulness

practice and it differs from both traditional Buddhist vipassanā and modern

mindfulness practices in significant ways, especially with respect to intention and

attention axioms.

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1.aspx
|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

End Notes

i
Though the term asparśa finds mention in Kaṭhopaniṣad 1.3.15, the phrase asparśa-yoga is
mentioned for the first time in GK.
ii
asparśayogo vai nāma durdarśaḥ sarvayogiṇām ।
yogino bibhyati hyasmādabhaye bhayadarśinaḥ ॥ 3.39 ॥
iii
asparśayogo vai nāma sarvasattvasukho hitaḥ ।
avivādo'viruddhaśca deśitastaṃ namāmyaham ॥ 4.2 ॥
iv
graho na tatra notsargaścintā yatra na vidyate ।
ātmasaṃsthaṃ tadā jñānamajāti samatāṃ gatam ॥ 38 ॥
v
manaso nigrahāyattamabhayaṃ sarvayogiṇām ।
duḥkhakṣayaḥ prabodhaścāpyakṣayā śāntireva ca ॥ 3.40 ॥
vi
saḥ asparśayogaḥ brahmasvabhāva eva vai nāmeti
vii
manodṛśyamidaṃ dvaitaṃ yatkiñcitsacarācaram ।
manaso hyamanībhāve dvaitaṃ naivopalabhyate ॥ 3.31 ॥
ātmasatyānubodhena na saṅkalpayate yadā ।
amanastāṃ tadā yāti grāhyābhāve tadagraham ॥ 3.32 ॥
viii
vai smaryate prasiddha upaniṣatsu
ix
Many verses like 3.8.8, 3.9.26, 4.2.4, 4.4.22, 4.5.15 etc. mention asaṅga in Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad
(Comans, 2000, p. 159). Most notable though is verse 4.3.15-16: “asaṅgo hyayaṃ puruṣa iti” that explicitly
describe puruṣa as being without any contact or relationship.
x
yastu sarvāṇi bhūtāni ātmanyevānupaśyati ।
sarvabhūteṣu cātmānaṃ tato na vijugupsate ॥ 6 ॥
xi
yasminsarvāṇi bhūtāni ātmaivābhūdvijānataḥ ।
tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ekatvamanupaśyataḥ ॥ 7 ॥
xii
bāhyasparśeṣvasaktātmā vindatyātmani yatsukham।
sa brahmayogayuktātmā sukhamakṣayamaśnute।।5.21।।
xiii
Many scholars have expressed doubt regarding the attribution of authorship of the commentary on GK to
Ācārya Śaṅkara because he mentions asparśa-yoga as being well-known in the Upaniṣad, yet not finding an
explicit reference to the exact phrase in the Upaniṣad-s. For example, Richard King notes “In the two instances
where the Gauḍapādiya-kārikā explicitly uses the term 'asparsayoga', it draws particular attention to the fact
that it is a specific, yet well known, designation. The commentator also mentions this fact, as we have seen
above, saying that the term is well known to the knowers of Brahman. This perplexity has cast doubt on
the authenticity of the commentary as one of Śaṅkara’s works for the term 'asparsayoga', far from being a
well-known Vedàntic term, is not to be found in any of the classical upanisads, nor, to my knowledge, can it be
found explicitly in any work prior to the Gauḍapādiya-kārikā (King, 1992, p. 99).” But, such speculations are
without basis as we find a wide prevalence of the concept of asparśa-yoga in the Upaniṣad-s and in Gītā as has
been illustrated in the paper. See also (Comans, 2000, p. 143)
xiv
ye tvato'nye yogino mārgagā hīnamadhyamadṛṣṭayo mano'nyadātmavyatiriktamātmasambandhi paśyanti,
teṣāmātmasatyānubodharahitānāṃ manaso nigrahāyattamabhayaṃ sarveṣāṃ yoginām
xv
manaso nigrahāyattamabhayaṃ sarvayoginām |
duḥkhakṣayaḥ prabodhaścāpyakṣayā śāntireva ca || 40 ||
xvi
utseka udadheryadvatkuśāgreṇaikabindunā |
manaso nigrahastadvadbhavedaparikhedataḥ || 41 ||
xvii
upāyena nigṛhṇīyādvikṣiptaṃ kāmabhogayoḥ |
suprasannaṃ laye caiva yathā kāmo layastathā || 42 ||
xviii
duḥkhaṃ sarvamanusmṛtya kāmabhogānnivartayet |
ajaṃ sarvamanusmṛtya jātaṃ naiva tu paśyati || 43 ||
xix
laye saṃbodhayeccittaṃ vikṣiptaṃ śamayetpunaḥ |
sakaṣāyaṃ vijānīyātsamaprāptaṃ na cālayet || 44 ||
xx
nā''svādayetsukhaṃ tatra niḥsaṅgaḥ prajñayā bhavet |
niścalaṃ niścaraccittamekīkuryātprayatnataḥ || 45 ||
xxi
yadā na līyate cittaṃ na ca vikṣipyate punaḥ |
aniṅganamanābhāsaṃ niṣpannaṃ brahma tattadā || 46 ||
|| Śrī Gurubhyo Namaḥ ||

xxii
vītarāgabhayakrodhairmunibhirvedapāragaiḥ |
nirvikalpo hyayaṃ dṛṣṭaḥ prapañcopaśamo'dvayaḥ || 35 ||
xxiii
tasmādevaṃ viditvainam advaite yojayetsmṛtim |
advaitaṃ samanuprāpya jaḍavallokamācaret || 36 ||
xxiv
īśāvāsyamidaṃ sarvaṃ yatkiñca jagatyāṃ jagat |
tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasyasviddhanam ||1||
The translation of this verse has been taken from author’s own yet-to-be published English translation and
commentary on Īśopaniṣad
xxv
While Swami Sunirmalananda does not specifically compare asparśa-yoga with the Buddhist vipassanā, his
comments on the difference between vipassanā and Vedantic practices equally applies in the case of asparśa-
yoga as well since, all Vedantic practices are based on same philosophical principles.