Patanjali's Yoga Sutras

Īśvara-praṇidhāna – Parallels Across Traditions: I am Italian, raised as a Christian and later transitioning to Buddhism. I practiced Kung Fu for about eight years and am now a practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga. From my experience, the concept of acceptance of the divine, the supreme, or the ultimate reality is not foreign to any of these disciplines or religions I have studied, and I am certain it holds true in many others as well.

The 3 Bowings of Kung Fu: I remember that in Kung Fu practice (influenced by Buddhism and Taoism), each session began with all practitioners lined up in order of seniority, performing three bowings in reverence and gratitude towards three entities:
✔ The sky: a higher entity (at the time not well defined, in this context we could call it Īśvara)
✔ The ancestors: those through whom we are present in this moment, first and foremost our parents
✔ The ancient masters: those through whom the practice and tradition we are following have reached us

The 3 Prostrations of Buddhism:
Perhaps one of the most distinctive practices of Tibetan Buddhism is the prostration, particularly the three commonly performed before and after teachings. These are divided into three levels, each linked to an aspect of devotion:
✔ Prostration of the body: The practitioner bows down until the hands, knees, and forehead touch the ground, symbolizing humility and physical respect towards the Buddha and his teachings. This gesture represents the recognition of one’s smallness in the face of the spiritual dimension.
✔ Prostration of the word: While performing the prostration, mantras or prayers are recited, offering words of reverence and transforming language into a means of connection with the divine.
✔ Prostration of the mind: The practitioner keeps the mind focused on faith and inner surrender, avoiding distractions and cultivating a pure intention. This level represents the abandonment of the ego and total openness to the ultimate reality.

The Offering of Will in Christianity: In Christianity, the concept of surrendering to the divine will is central to spiritual practice. Before the crucifixion, Jesus prays, saying: “Not my will, but yours be done.”
This act of inner surrender, in which the believer fully trusts in God, represents a profound act of humility and submission to the divine will.

Kneeling is also a symbolic gesture in the Christian tradition. Often performed before the tabernacle or during solemn moments in the liturgy, it expresses respect towards God and acceptance of His supremacy:
✔ Physical act of humility – kneeling symbolizes the recognition of divine greatness.
✔ Accompanied by prayer – often, those who kneel recite a prayer, making the act an expression of inner devotion.
✔ Sign of spiritual surrender – it represents placing oneself in God’s care with faith and humility.

These devotional gestures in the traditions of Kung Fu, Buddhism, and Christianity reflect an integrated dimension of spiritual practice.
Just as in Buddhist prostrations and Christian kneeling, where body, speech, and mind are involved in an act of surrender and faith, in Īśvara Praṇidhāna in Yoga, the practitioner progressively surrenders every part of themselves, both physically and mentally, to entrust themselves to the will of the divine. In all these traditions, the practice aims to purify the practitioner, developing humility, faith, and union with a higher reality. This parallel emphasizes a universal principle: the recognition and surrender to something greater, which transcends cultures and spiritual disciplines, with the goal of letting go of the ego and the sense of control to unite one’s will with the divine.