Yoga is now explained.

According to contemporary scholarship, this Sanskrit classic, and foundational text for many contemporary Yogis, was originally written in the Fifth Century CE with more Buddhist ideas than “Hindu” ones, pace the protestations of later pundits and, indeed, most modern translations.

This new translation of Patañjali’s text presents it through Buddhist eyes, without recourse to its traditional, Hindu commentaries. It presents a fascinating snapshot of early, medieval Indian religion and shows how hegemonic (yet increasingly contested) Buddhist soteriology was. Yet its value is not strictly historical, as the text remains an inspiring guide to spiritual development and practice today.