본 연구는 현대요가의 선구자 중의 한 사람인 쉬리 요겐드라가 현대요가에 끼친 영향을 고찰하였다. 그의 일생을 연대기적으로 서술하면서 요겐드라에게 있어 요가의 의미, 요겐드라에게 미친 서구사상의 영향, 요겐드라 요가가 전통요가를 왜곡한 점과 발전시킨 점, 요겐드라가 현대요가에 미친 영향을 고찰하였다. 이를 통해 현대요가의 발전적 방향을 모색해보고 제안해 보았다.
요겐드라는 요가를 인류의 유전적인 발전에 복무할 수 있는 인도 고대 과학의 기법으로 인식했다. 이를 증명하기 위해 요가의 치유적 효능에 대한 과학적 근거 마련에 힘쓰고, 대중적인 요가 수련의 보급에 앞장섰다. 이런 활동을 통해 그는 인도 전통요가의 신비주의적 관점을 일반 대중의 눈높이로 끌어내렸다. 그러나 그는 19세기와 20세기 초의 사회진화론과 우생학에 깊은 영향을 받아 유전적인 진화를 진보로 이해하는 서구적 진보의 개념에서 벗어나지 못했다. 이런 사회진화론과 우생학적 관점의 진보 개념은 제국주의자들이 식민지 획득을 정당화하고 독일 3제국이 게르만 제일주의를 내세우는 논리의 기초가 되었다. 개별적 자아라는 망상을 벗어나 참나를 찾으려는 전통 인도요가의 관점에서 본다면 만인 대 만인의 투쟁을 기초로 하는 사회진화론이나 우생학적 사고는 요가의 이념과는 상반된 것이다. 이런 점에서 요겐드라의 요가적 관점은 비판받을 수 있다. 그러나 전통요가의 신비주의를 대중의 눈높이로 끌어 내린 점, 그리고 요가를 전인적(全人的)인 관점에서 바라본 점은 그의 현대요가에 대한 공헌이며, 오늘 날 현대요가 수행자들도 깊이 고려해야 할 문제이다.
The aim of this study is to consider Shri Yogendra’s effect to modern yoga. Yogendra is one of the pioneers of modern yoga. Writing his biography chronologically in five chapters, this study considers several problems as like what is yoga to Yogendra?, what western thoughts effected to Yogendra?, what are the developmental aspects and distorted sides of Yogendra yoga to the traditional Indian yoga?, what is the effect of Yogedra yoga to modern yoga?, and what is a desirable direction for the development of modern yoga for future? Yogendra thinks that yoga is the holistic technic for the genetic development of humankind. His thought is effected from the theory of social evolution and eugenics in the 19th and early 20th century. Considering the aim for mokṣa of the traditional yoga as like classical yoga and haṭha yoga, we may say that Yogendra’s yoga deviates from the traditional yoga. But, on the other hand, he takes the mysticism of the traditional yoga down to the viewpoint of the general public, it is this that is a his great contribution to modern yoga. Modern yoga is a fruit of the unity between the traditional Indian yoga and modern western physical culture. Both all are good to man. But, these days, we see that the importance of physical culture is growing more than the holistic feature of the traditional Indian yoga. If the holistic feature of yoga would be removed, we could not say modern yoga as yoga any more. In his later life, Yogendra worried about the loss of the holistic feature of modern yoga. And this problem is the biggist one of modern yogin.
The aim of this study is to consider Shri Yogendra’s effect to modern yoga. Yogendra is one of the pioneers of modern yoga. Writing his biography chronologically in five chapters, this study considers several problems as like what is yoga to Yogendra?, what western thoughts effected to Yogendra?, what are the developmental aspects and distorted sides of Yogendra yoga to the traditional Indian yoga?, what is the effect of Yogedra yoga to modern yoga?, and what is a desirable direction for the development of modern yoga for future? Yogendra thinks that yoga is the holistic technic for the genetic development of humankind. His thought is effected from the theory of social evolution and eugenics in the 19th and early 20th century. Considering the aim for mokṣa of the traditional yoga as like classical yoga and haṭha yoga, we may say that Yogendra’s yoga deviates from the traditional yoga. But, on the other hand, he takes the mysticism of the traditional yoga down to the viewpoint of the general public, it is this that is a his great contribution to modern yoga. Modern yoga is a fruit of the unity between the traditional Indian yoga and modern western physical culture. Both all are good to man. But, these days, we see that the importance of physical culture is growing more than the holistic feature of the traditional Indian yoga. If the holistic feature of yoga would be removed, we could not say modern yoga as yoga any more. In his later life, Yogendra worried about the loss of the holistic feature of modern yoga. And this problem is the biggist one of modern yogin.
