➥ yogakkhema:

• for yogakkhema:
  • safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence]
• for yogakkhemin:
  • one who has reached safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence]
• for khemin:
  • one who has reached safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence]
• for khemattaṁ:
  • one who has reached safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence]

Yoga: states of bondage [to individual existence]

In relation to yogakkhema, yoga means the four states of bondage [to individual existence]. These are listed in the Yoga Sutta (AN ii 10), as follows:

1) the bondage [to individual existence] that arises from [attachment to] sensuous pleasure

2) the bondage [to individual existence] that arises from [attachment to] states of individual existence

3) the bondage [to individual existence] that arises from dogmatism

4) the bondage [to individual existence] that arises from uninsightfulness into reality

This issue is discussed sv Yoga.

Khema: safety

Khema means safe or safety (see sv Khema).

• Those are not safe refuges. Those are not the supreme refuge.

Netaṁ kho saraṇaṁ khemaṁ netaṁ saraṇamuttamaṁ. (Dhp 189)

• In a time of peril, people migrate to places of safety

Bhaye kho pana sati manussā yena khemaṁ tena saṅkamanti. (AN iii 104)

Safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence]

Bondage [to individual existence] (yoga) is a danger because it involves being tethered to unvirtuous, spiritually unwholesome factors. The unpleasant consequences of this are described in the Yoga Sutta, as follows:

• He is tethered to unvirtuous, spiritually unwholesome factors that are defiling and which lead to renewed states of individual existence, suffering, unpleasant karmic consequences, and future birth, old age, and death. Thus he is called one who has not reached safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence].

Saṁyutto pāpakehi akusalehi dhammehi saṅkilesikehi ponobhavikehi sadarehi dukkhavipākehi āyatiṁ jātijarāmaraṇikehi tasmā ayogakkhemī ti vuccati. (AN ii 11)

Therefore yogakkhema does not mean safety from bondage [to individual existence], but safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence].

Yogakkhemī = ‘one who has reached safety’

One who realises yogakkhema is called yogakkhemī which could mean either:

• one who is safe from the danger of bondage [to individual existence], or,
• one who has reached safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence]

But yogakkhema occurs in the phrases with the verbs ārādhayanti and nānupāpuṇāti, which indicates that yogakkhema is something one attains, but does not become:

• They fathom the true teaching; both attain unsurpassed safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence].

ārādhayanti saddhammaṁ yogakkhemaṁ anuttaraṁ. (Iti 111)

• He does not reach unsurpassed safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence]

anuttaraṁ yogakkhemaṁ nānupāpuṇāti. (MN i 105)

Therefore yogakkhemī means one who has reached safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence]. One does not oneself become absolutely safe. Being yogakkhemī is not a personal attainment.

Khemī and khematta: abbreviations for yogakkhemī

Khemī and khematta occur in verses and by implying yogakkhemī, they can be taken as such because the Buddha offers no other safety.

• Not apart from enlightenment and austerity, not apart from restraint of the sense faculties [from grasping, through mindfulness], not apart from relinquishing all, do I see any safety for living beings.

nāññatra bojjhā tapasā nāññatra indriyasaṁvarā
Nāññatra sabbanissaggā sotthiṁ passāmi pāṇinanti. (SN i 53-4)

Khematta occurs just once in the scriptures; khemī occurs twice. The words occur as follows:

• May all creatures be happy and safe [from the danger of bondage to individual existence]. May they be happy.

Sukhino va khemino hontu sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā. (Snp 145)

• One who has reached safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence], and who is unhating and fearless is called wise.

Khemī averī abhayo paṇḍito ti pavuccati. (Dhp 258)

• Though they seek him everywhere, Māra and his army do not find him, one thus unattached, who has reached safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence], who has transcended all ties to individual existence.

Evaṁ virattaṁ khemattaṁ sabbasaṁyojanātigaṁ
Anvesaṁ sabbaṭhānesu mārasenāpi nājjhagāti. (SN i 112)

➥ yogakkhemino: (main article see: yogakkhema)

Illustration: yogakkhemino, reached safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence]

Beings who are tethered [to individual existence] by the tie of craving, whose minds are attached to various states of individual existence, are tethered [to individual existence] by Māra’s tie. They have not reached safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence]. [Such] beings follow the round of birth and death, and go to rebirth and death.

Taṇhāyogena saṁyuttā rattacittā bhavābhave
Te yogayuttā mārassa ayogakkhemino janā
Sattā gacchanti saṁsāraṁ jātimaraṇagāmino. (Iti 50)

➥ yogakkhemaṁ: (main article see: yogakkhema)

Illustration: yogakkhemaṁ, safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence]

Householders and ascetics alike, each supported by the other, both fathom the true teaching; both attain unsurpassed safety from [the danger of] bondage [to individual existence].

sāgārā anagārā ca ubho aññoññanissitā; ārādhayanti saddhammaṁ yogakkhemaṁ anuttaraṁ. (Iti 111)