본 논문의 목적은 인도 수행전통의 세 축이라 할 수 있는 아유르베다(āyurveda)-요가(yoga)-딴뜨라(tantra)에서 몸의 구원론적인 의미를 규명하는 것이다. 요가-아유르베다-딴뜨라는 상호 유기적인 관련을 지니며, 또한 육체-마음 연속체로서의 몸(śarīra)을 강조한다는 점에서 동일하지만, 그럼에도 이 세 전통은 몸의 구조나 몸과 영혼의 관계에 대한 견해에서 상당한 차이를 보인다. 요가-아유르베다-딴뜨라에서 몸의 구원론적인 의미가 다르게 나타나는 것은, 이 세 전통에서 몸 자체뿐만 아니라, 몸과 영혼의 관계에 대한 이해의 차이와 관련된다. 아유르베다에서는 마음의 존재론적 위상이 미미하며, 관심의 초점은 지수화풍공 5종 조대요소로 이루어진 육체에 있다. 이에 비하여 요가에서는 육체-마음 연속체로서의 몸을 인정하며, 요가수련의 목적은 육체의 건강보다는 마음작용의 억제에 있다. 요가는 육체와 마음의 존재론적 연속을 인정하지만, 그럼에도 육체-마음 연속체와 영혼의 절대적인 차이를 강조한다. 이에 비하여 딴뜨라에서는 몸과 영혼의 존재론적 경계조차도 부정된다. 아유르베다에서 몸은 건강과 웰빙의 토대라는 의미를 지니며, 요가에서 몸은 진아의 해탈을 위한 도구로서의 성격이 강하다 이에 비하여 딴뜨라에서 몸은 그 자체로 '해탈 가능한 몸'이다. 요가에서 해탈은 몸을 '통하여' 일어나는 사건이지만, 딴뜨라에서 해탈은 몸을 '통하여' 그리고 몸 '안에서' 일어나는 사건이다.
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the salvational meaning of the śarīra represented in āyurveda-yoga-tantra, three mainstays of Indian traditional practice. It is used to be said that “In the spiritual evolution of man, āyurveda is the foundation, yoga is the body and tantra is the head”. What we can infer from this words is that these three traditions are connected with one another. Yoga and āyurveda have been developed continuously influencing each other. They are both based on the cosmology of Sāṃkhya, and in a broad sense, yoga is included in āyurveda. Traditionally, yoga as a therapy was considered one of the fields of āyurveda. Āyurveda and yoga is both concerned with Tantra. Tantra is a practical system which boosts all the human’s physical-spiritual aspects. The āyurveda, a therapy of healing a soul includes Tantra. And Yoga, especially Haṭha yoga is closely connected with Tantra.
While yoga-āyurveda-tantra have a similarity in that they consider the śarīra as a continuum of physical body-mind, these three traditions show a considerable difference on the opinion on the structure of śarīra and the relationship between śarīra and soul. Āyurveda considers the śarīra as doṣa-dhātu-mala made of five gross elements (pañca-mahābhūta), whereas yoga think the śarīra as five covers (pañca-kośa) surrounding the true self (Ātman). While the śarīra is considered as a parallel structure of five gross elements (ākāśa, vāyu, tejas, ap, pṛthvī) in the former, it is understood as a multi-layer structure consisted of five covers in the latter. In addition, in tantra, the śarīra is considered as a bipolar structure of śiva-śakti in an integral view. In this paper, I studied the relationship between the salvation and the śarīra which is understood as a parallel, multi-layer and bipolar structure in āyurveda, yoga and tantra respectively.
The reason why the salvation meaning in āyurveda, yoga and tantra is represented differently is related to not only the śarīra itself, but also the understanding difference on the relationship between śarīra and soul. Āyurveda which focuses on the physical health and well-being regulates the śarīra as a parallel complex of five gross elements, and does not think that the soul and śarīra body are separated. It is different from the view of the Upaniṣads and classical yoga focusing on the soul. To put it extremely, the soul represented in the āyurveda is only one of human consisting elements like other five gross elements. In the classical yoga, the śarīra is understood as five covers surrounding the soul, and the complete separation of śarīra and soul is considered as a mokṣa. In the classical yoga, the śarīra of five covers reflects the practice starting from the tough physical body to the purification of breathing and mind, and the aṣṭāṅga (eight branches) of the Yoga Sūtra correspond with it. Meanwhile, in tantra, the śarīra is considered as a 'condensation of śiva (citi, consciousness)'. Like Śiva is the citi, the śarīra and the world are also citi. In āyurveda and classical yoga, it is considered that the consciousness of the śarīra is derived from the ātman or puruṣa, whereas in tantra, it is originally built in the śarīra.
In āyurveda, the soul’s ontological status is insignificant, and the attention is focused on the physical body consisted of the five gross elements. On the contrary, classical yoga recognizes the śarīra as a continuum of physical body-mind, and the purpose of practicing yoga is to control the modification of the mind, rather than keep the physical body healthy. Though classical yoga recognizes the ontological continuity of physical body and mind, it also emphasizes the absolute difference between the continuum of physical body-mind and the soul. On the other hand, tantra even denies the ontological border of śarīra and soul. In āyurveda, the śarīra is considered as a base of health and well-being, whereas yoga think it as a tool to get to the mokṣa. On the contrary, the śarīra in tantra is a 'śarīra that can reach to mokṣa'. While the mokṣa in yoga is an event occurred 'through the śarīra, it is occurred 'through' and 'in' the body in tantra.