The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali: A Biography (Lives of Great Religious Books, 19) Hardcover – Box set, May 25, 2014

The "Yoga Sutra" of Patanjali, written between the second and fourth centuries CE, is considered to be the classic yoga text. There are numerous translations and editions that include also the main commentaries written in the last 16 centuries. This excellent book is part of a new series called Lives of Great Religious Books, and Professor White presents a critical biographical account of this masterwork through the years; each one of its 16 chapters is a gaudy historical tableau. The author has the best credentials to deal with such a difficult subject, as he is the J. F. Rowny Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is the author of various stimulant works, including "The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India" (1996), "Kiss of the Yogini. `Tantric Sex' in its South Asian Context," (2003), "Sinister Yogis" (2009); he is also the editor of "Yoga in Practice" (2012).The book uses a clear and crisp language and many of the statements are provocative and controversial. Such an approach is explained by his declaration that "the task of the religious studies scholar is not only to make the strange seem familiar, but also to make the familiar seem strange ... our goal is both to reorient and to disorient" (this quote comes from his article "Yoga, Brief History of an Idea," included in his book "Yoga in Practice," mentioned above). Prof. White highlights the impenetrability of the "Yoga Sutra" as the text was composed in a cryptic language, intended to be used for easy memorization and for oral transmission and he reminds us that the 195 aphorisms which contain around 1,200 words, have only four verbs.His main thesis is that the generalized idea that the "Yoga Sutra" is part of a long unbroken tradition initiated long time before Patanjali, which has been linking gurus, students, commentators and copyists from those early times to the present, is incorrect. Prof. White puts into question many things, including the relevance and irrelevance of the Sutra for modern yoga, and the identity of Patanjali as the author and Vyasa as the main commentator. He raises the issue that the Sutra could be the result of mixing the first three chapters, which have a Buddhist tone, with a fourth chapter that provides a Hindu expression. He develops the idea that the "Sutra" was ignored in India for centuries and that it was rediscovered by the British Orientalists in the 18th century and that the work acquired its modern reputation after it was recognized a masterpiece by Vivekananda a century later and then became part of the marketing of the "Modern Postural Yoga" boom. He traces the links between the "Sutra" and the rise and fall of the Theosophical movement. One of the most debatable chapters has the title "The Strange Case of T. M. Krishnamacharya;" Krishnamacharya (1888-1989) is considered the father of modern yoga. After long well-documented detours, using a long list of notes and references, many of which are accessible only online, Prof White simply concludes his deconstructive analysis indicating that the yoga that we practice today, particularly in the US, is completely different from the yoga of past India.One of the critics of this book is the yoga teacher and co-founder of "Yoga Community Toronto," Matthew Remski, who wrote a very challenging review comparing Prof. White's biography with the story in the film "The Red Violin," where the final message is that what really counts is the recognition of the power of great music (this article can be seen at the site http://matthewremski.com/wordpress/the-yoga-sutras-and-the-red-violin-a-review-of-david-gordon-whites-new-book). In a similar vein, we may conclude that whatever is the real story, the "Yoga Sutra" remains a great source of inspiration.

David Gordon White has a rare talent in explaining intricate historical facts or complicated philosophical doctrines in such a manner that they can be easily understood by the general reader, and not trivialize the content. That is the characteristic of every book he has written, and his new book, The Yoga Sutras, A Biography, is no exception.The undercurrent of White's book is that the Yoga Sutras have been the subject of many commentaries, used as a model of personal and professional conduct, and critiqued by a host of philosophers and pandits, but rarely understood. White documents how since its "discovery" the sutras have been more the reflection of the persons who popularized its teachings, and a reflection of their times, rather than understood (or misunderstood) on their own merits. Historical events since its revival has indicated that all who have read, studied or practiced its teachings have done so for their own purposes, regardless to what the sutras do or do not represent.This is a "biography" of the sutras, however, so it traces how its teachings were used and abused over the centuries, until they drifted into abject obscurity. It was at that time that they were "discovered" by H.T. Colebrooke, an accountant working for the India East Company. All this may sound like Euro-Centrism, but White provides hard data on how unpopular the text was by the number of manuscripts -- or lack thereof -- found by Colebrooke. Colebrooke's discovery in turn began a round of use and abuse, a slew of commentaries and identification with the sutras.White dispels myths and explains how yoga arrived at its present form. The yoga we all know, love, and practice bears little, if any, resemblance to the Yoga Sutras. White describes the yoga of Patanjali as "Buddhism with Isvara." The yoga of Patanjali owed more to the Samkhya philosophy, where the goal of yoga was not union with the Supreme Self -- that was another construct from Vedanta -- but the isolation of the Spirit, purusa, from nature. The yoga of asanas and postures is a mixture of tantric techniques and practices. The contemporary practice of yoga is the creation of Sri Krishnamacharya.One point needs clarification. White indicates that the first English translation of the sutras, by Rajendralala Mitra, and featuring the commentary of Bhoga Rajas, both of which are discussed in this book, is "long out of print" and he had to obtain a copy from the inter-library system of Calcutta to discover its contents. Actually, this title is indeed in print and is readily available from a book company specializing in reprints of out-of-print titles, and can be luckily be found on this website. The translation and commentary is as good as White indicates in his book.White can be forgiven for this oversight. His book is thoroughly enjoyable. It doesn't matter how many times you have read the Yoga Sutras or any of its many commentaries, White's book will expand your knowledge and appreciation of this small but mighty work.

A very useful book if your interested in Yoga beyond the postures. In today's modern approach to Yoga it's amazing how much is a case of repeating information 'parrot' fashion especially with the Sutras and this books will really open your mind to history of the text and how it developed through the ages. Great research by DGW and it would be useful for this book to be mandatory on teacher trainings.

All yoga teachers and scholars should read it.

Nicely written, very enlightening. Worth a read if you want to get more under the skin of where perceptions in the West of what Yoga is, really come from

essential addition for anyone interested in erudite, unbiased history of yoga.

I am not sure if it is the popularity of weekend teacher trainings that are contributing to a superficial knowledge of the key texts of yoga, but I am getting weary of people quoting tidbits of the Sutras as if those snippets are black and white...and not aphorisms which are by nature subject to further context/discussion/translation. David Gordon White explores whether the Sutras should be given such high status as yoga "gospel" at all...very compelling! Well-researched...there are so many end-notes/references that they could not be contained in the book and I had to download them from the publisher's website. The author was certainly thorough.