[Advaita-l] How My "Yoga is not Yoga" Title Led to Ādi Śaṅkara's Purvapaksha

[Sundar Rajan]

How My "Yoga is not Yoga" Title Led to Ādi Śaṅkara's Purvapaksha

I recently posed a quirky question to an AI: Do these provocative post
titles— *"Yoga is not Yoga"* or *"Meditation is Not Golf"*—echo anything
from ancient philosophy?

The response? A gem from Vedantic tradition: *Purvapakṣa*.

Sounds like clickbait, right? But actually, this little hook carries a
wisdom technique that’s over a thousand two hundred years old.

AI Discovery: The Modern Hook is an Ancient Tool

The common social media "hook" is designed to create a pocket of tension,
challenging a surface-level assumption to make you stop scrolling.

   -

   *The Hook:* "Yoga is not yoga."
   -

   *The Conflict:* The common view (yoga as exercise) versus the hidden,
   deeper truth (Yoga as spiritual union).

It turns out this structure is the core of *Pūrvapakṣa* (pronounced
*Poor-va-pak-sha*), which literally translates to *"The Prior Side"* or *"The
First View."* This formal intellectual method was perfected by *Ādi Śaṅkara*,
as evidenced in many of His commentaries.

A little dive into Purvapaksha

Pūrvapakṣa is not about attacking an opponent; it's an exercise in *systematic
clarity*. The goal is first to validate the common or opposing view so that
when the deeper truth is presented, the contrast is undeniable and
persuasive.

Śaṅkara used this method extensively in his famous debates, respectfully
laying out his rival's entire position before dismantling it and revealing
the non-dual reality.

The Three-Step Blueprint

Śaṅkara’s technique provides a timeless blueprint that moves communication
from surface-level understanding to profound insight:

   1. *Pūrvapakṣa (The Common View):* *State the assumption.* This is the
   popular, often incomplete, understanding that needs to be acknowledged
   first.
      - *Example:* *Yoga = exercise class with mats.*
   2. *Utarapakṣa (The Counter-Argument):* *Introduce the challenge.* This
   is where you bring in the deeper truth that questions the validity of the
   first view.


   - *Example:* **That’s not the whole story.**


   3. *Siddhānta (The Established Conclusion):* *Present the profound
   insight.* This is the "Aha!" moment—the final, settled truth.
      - *Example:* * *Yoga = union, a spiritual path .**


https://youtu.be/hJCAExApsiM?si=QuEMZ0DsrWotcMHb

Blog Post:
https://quantumviewpoint.blogspot.com/2025/10/methodological-discussion-applying.html

On Fri, Sep 26, 2025 at 3:48 PM Sundar Rajan <godzillaborland at gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>
>> Here is the corrected YouTube link:
>> https://youtu.be/XcGf7lQJzUA
>>
>
>  This question has come up in the past: "When you say you had a good
> meditation session, how do you know that? What do you mean 'good'?"
>
>> This got me thinking, so I brainstormed. I used the Vedantic method of *Neti,
>> Neti* ("not this, not this") to strip away what meditation *isn't*:
>>
>>    - -- Not just sitting for 30 minutes
>>    - -- Not perfect posture
>>    - -- Not suppressing all thoughts
>>    - -- Not seeing lights or colors
>>    - -- Not physical stillness
>>
>>  Three measures finally emerged after reflecting upon my own experience
>> :
>>
>>    - *Absorption* — Was I truly focused and engaged?
>>    - *Peace* — Did (some) genuine tranquility arise?
>>    - *Bliss* — Did some pleasantness emerge naturally?
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> *Ancient Wisdom Meets AI Validation*
>>
>> With these measures in hand, I asked ChatGPT a challenging question:
>>
>> *"If absorption, peace, and bliss were on the y-axis, and meditation
>> methods or stages were on the x-axis, how would the chart look—using
>> Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita as a framework?"*
>>
>> I knew that modern methods like app-based meditation, mindfulness, or TM
>> don't appear in the Gita—but I asked ChatGPT to include them anyway,
>> alongside the classical yogic stages.
>>
>> ChatGPT autonomously created this progression, integrating modern methods
>> with classical yogic stages:
>>
>>    1. *App-based meditation* → mild relaxation
>>    2. *Mindfulness* → steady peace
>>    3. *Breath practices (Art of Living)* → higher absorption
>>    4. *Transcendental Meditation* → deeper bliss
>>    5. *Classical stages (Dharana → Dhyana → Samadhi)* → complete
>>    fulfillment
>>
>> The AI mapped the entire inner journey—bridging 3,000-year-old wisdom
>> with modern approaches—completely on its own.
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> *The Three Measures: Supported by Scripture and Science*
>>
>> The framework held beautifully across both ancient scriptures and
>> contemporary research:
>>
>>    - *Absorption:*
>>       - *Classical:* Bhagavad Gita 6.19 describes the steady mind like
>>       "a lamp in a windless place." The Yoga Sutras call it a continuous,
>>       unbroken stream of awareness. That is the ultimate benchmark. While it
>>       seems unreachable, even a stretch of steadiness, with less flickering and
>>       distraction, is a good sign.
>>       - *Modern:* TM shows measurable brain coherence; psychology
>>       recognizes *"*flow states*."*
>>    - *Peace:*
>>       - *Classical:* Gita 6.15 states the yogi attains supreme peace (
>>       *śā**nti*). That is the ultimate yardstick. Even small glimpses of
>>       soft calm point to a good session.
>>       - *Modern:* Harvard Health studies on mindfulness; research on Art
>>       of Living's stress reduction.
>>    - *Bliss:*
>>       - *Classical:* Gita 6.20-22 speaks of "supreme joy beyond the
>>       senses.". That is the ultimate pinnacle to aim for. Even if the goal isn't
>>       reached, a subtle, unprompted sense of joy or calm that emerges naturally
>>       indicates progress.
>>       - *Modern:* TM's *"*bliss consciousness*"* neuroscience on gamma
>>       waves; *Psychology Today*'s "blissful awareness."
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> *Insight*
>>
>> The AI recognized these authentic patterns, creating a map of the inner
>> journey that bridges three millennia of wisdom.
>>
>> Blog post :
>>
>> https://quantumviewpoint.blogspot.com/2025/09/what-makes-good-meditation-session.html
>>
>> or a playlist:
>> https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLPA2J3pvHbj6sjlz7O3gOK-jAhCqWkJjY/videos
>>
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