Is yoga for fools?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#21

[QUOTE=Chitta Control;71163]

  1. worked for Gandhi, and all those Buddhist monks who’ve taken a vow of poverty. this is a very ironic comment from someone who claims to practice yoga. In fact, it’s precisely the material things that can get in the way of the yogic and spiritual path. Have you not heard of that?

[I]A lot majority of Indians are just worried about material advancement([/I]

2)well, their country is going thru an economic boom, much like America did after WWII, this doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten their religion, esp. a religion that’s lived every day by the individual like Hinduism is much more than Christianity. Ironic that a Westerner and most likely an american is accusing some people in a very poor country of being money obsessed. We wrote the book on “keeping up with the jones”

when an Indian looks at the sunrise, or a river there’s a much bigger connection to it and an acknowledgement of something greater than them, you don’t have too many people in america like that. When was the last time in America you saw someone ritually bathing in a lake or river and saying prayers? When was the last time you saw someone prostrating at the sunrise? This happens everyday, all over India.

how in the world can you say Indians aren’t more spiritually aware?

[I]The corruption of Yoga is present even in India[/I]

  1. but not nearly as much as in america, is this even debatable? The commercialization of yoga in the west is a uniquely american thing.[/QUOTE]

  2. AFAIK, Gandhi never claimed he is practicing Yoga. Buddhist monks are not the best examples of Yogic people and they do not know what is meant by poverty in the real world.
    I am not currently practicing Yoga. However, I used to do some asanas in the past and they really helped me in my career.
    There are many views related to materialism and Yoga interplay. Some say they are mutually exclusive and others say they compliment one another. To me, the important thing is that material welfare is given by God and hence there is no need to shun it.
    Most important thing is that non-attachment (the underlying thread of BhagavatGeeta and Vedanta) is the key. One should not have attachment/bonding to material things. And the key to non-attachment is the practice of Yoga/Spiritualism. For a person, this seems like a duality/contradiction. From the duality/contradiction comes the state of non-duality(Advaita)

  3. Hmm…!! I am not a westerner. I am an Indian, Hindu living in Bangalore. Rituals and religious practices are being done by Indians for ages. However, most of the people do it with attachment/desire towards material things. For example, there are stories I heard of where Indians do them seeking blessings of Gods to give them more money, power etc… They do it with attachment/bonding. Hence they are as much of Yogis as “most Americans”!!!

  4. My opinion, as regards commercialization of Yoga/Spirituality is to simplify the same as “obstacles in the path”. Yes, there is commercialization. Yes, there are constraints being imposed on the seeker of Yoga. Some of the constraints are related religion/language/“do this, then-you-will-get that syndrome”. They are like “hurdles” in the sprint of Yoga. One need to overcome the barriers. How one does that is their unique path.
    Marketing/Branding of material stuff is present everywhere on this planet. But when the same thing comes in spirituality, many will complain about the same thing.:slight_smile:

#22

I thought about your question and the answer I got is that the only fool who practices Yoga is me. If I am not comfortable with myself and with what I am doing, I see others as fools, especially those who do the same :stuck_out_tongue:

The discussion about West and East is interesting. Let me tell you a story which happened some years ago when I was a student. I am European and had an Indian friend who was having a beautiful wife and a super cute child. I considered him a good friend and was comfortable with him, as he used to call me a true friend as well. We had those East-West arguments a lot, and of course each side was soooo much smarter and superiour to the other. He used to argue a lot on the spiritual side and tell me that the Western values are degenerated (“In India, parents are sad when their children are sick”).

There was one point I had not seen. He was willing to cheat on his wife with me. I immediately stopped talking to him and was richer by one lesson. What you hate in others, might just be what you hate about yourself.

#23

[QUOTE=yoganewgirl;71118][B]
Is yoga for fools? [/B]

Does anyone have any comments about the opinion that the spiritual side of yoga is for for gullible, naive fools (not my opinion by the way)?

All thoughts and comments will be appreciated, thanks.[/QUOTE]

Of course yoga?s for fools; the Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras and Advaita Vedanta were attempts to help the duped fools, until then the insightful spiritual foundation of the Veda?s was eroding into the misconstrued formalistic ritualism of Vedic Hinduism, stupefying instead of liberating, filling heads with dogma and promises of automatic redemption through mindless murmuring, chants, prayers and offerings, increasing not closing the gap towards realization of one?s true inner nature, there are no paths to enlightenment since the ?I/SEEKER? is illusion to begin with, until this realization Truth will continually be clouded with veils of maya?even now the writer becomes entangled with the illusion of explanation.

#24

A fool who persists in his folly will become wise.

#25

[QUOTE=JSK;71210]A fool who persists in his folly will become wise.[/QUOTE]

agreed.

-dale

#26

[QUOTE=Chitta Control;71120]at least Anusara yoga is for naive, gullible fools. :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

:))

#27

“Does anyone have any comments about the opinion that the spiritual side of yoga is for for gullible, naive fools (not my opinion by the way)?”

To be a fool is a great possibility. In fact, without first being foolish, wisdom is not possible. If you are a fool, you have already fulfilled the basic requirement.

Naturally, whatever has not entered into one’s own direct experience can only be misunderstood, and must be misunderstood. I would say that one thing that is essential if you are interested in truly exploring the dimensions which are involved in yoga - is to enter into it with a scientific, committed attitude. When we are talking about “yoga” - we are not talking about bending and twisting the body in various different ways, or chanting mantras, or just sitting like a vegetable in one place. When we are talking about “yoga” - we are referring to a science and technology for the inner exploration of man. Outer science explores the outer world, inner sciences explore the inner dimension. When I say “inner dimension”, don’t think it is something mystical. I simply mean that right now, there are so many dimensions of your own being which you are unaware of, which are right now not in your experience. This is not an idea, belief, or theory - it is a scientific fact - that what you are usually aware of in your conscious mind, is just scratching the surface of who you are. Even what you are aware of in your conscious mind, that too is a limited aspect of what is happening in the conscious mind. And this sense of “identity” that you have - is just the various identifications of the mind which you have formed. Your likes, dislikes, attachments, belief systems, philosophies - all which are determined by the kind of society in which you live, and the information your mind has picked up from the outside world. So who you think you are - is largely just imagination, it is a self-image created by you - a mask. That’s the meaning of the word personality. It comes from the Greek word “persona”, which literally means a mask.

So if somebody is truly interested in exploring yoga - one has to begin from the very space in which one has been living. Forget about all this mystical nonsense. Just be down to earth and practical - look into whether who you think you are has really any substance and stability, or whether they are just mere concepts you have created about yourself in the mind. And being your inquiry from there.

#28

[QUOTE=AmirMourad;71295]"So if somebody is truly interested in exploring yoga - one has to begin from the very space in which one has been living. Forget about all this mystical nonsense. Just be down to earth and practical - look into whether who you think you are has really any substance and stability, or whether they are just mere concepts you have created about yourself in the mind. And being your inquiry from there.[/QUOTE]

I agree very much with your closing statement. If you feel interested, then simply seeking opinions and reading about your interest isnt going to do it. Jump in with both feet and see where it leads.

I wrote a blog article on this subject that eludes to how many people get into hatha without expecting anything other than a firm body. What they discovery is their true nature.

Its a long read, but if you need something to do while you’re finishing your morning coffe, you may enjoy. http://thoughtsonyoga.com/?p=197

#29

JSK - thank you for sharing your lovely thoughts on your blog. I thoroughly enjoyed reading that. Very thoughtful and gets right to the point of what we’re really doing anyway when we practice - what’s the big picture. I ask my students to consider that from time to time…

#30

[QUOTE=yogadealer;71297]JSK - thank you for sharing your lovely thoughts on your blog. I thoroughly enjoyed reading that. Very thoughtful and gets right to the point of what we’re really doing anyway when we practice - what’s the big picture. I ask my students to consider that from time to time…[/QUOTE]

It brings my ego much joy to hear that you enjoyed reading my blog. I often remind my peers when they get frustrated with yoga some of these points that I wrote about. Thank you once again for your encouraging words. Writing is tough sometimes… :slight_smile:

#31

Thanks for the continued replies. Certainly some varied views and perspectives. Yes, Gordon, you are right in that my BF’s view is a denial. He totally denies that anything spiritual exists in any way whatsoever. He thinks that if it seems to do someone good having spiritual ideas it is only a placebo effect, and that it’s not real.

What he says doesn’t stop me pursuing what I believe, but I wanted to read the opinions of people on this forum as many of you are very experienced in yoga and I want to learn more while I practise kundalini yoga. I started only a few months ago and it’s the mental and spiritual side that are the main things for me.

Yes, AmirMourad, it is a scientific fact that what we are aware of in our conscious minds is just scratching the surface and there is so much we are not aware of. In fact I think I would be a fool [U]not[/U] to explore the possibilities that yoga can bring with regard to the mind. However, I do also believe there is a spiritual side, and while it might be wishful thinking on my part, it’s something that just feels real and right to me.

#32

Leave your boyfriend to his opinion.

Somebody once remarked to Sir Isaac Newton regarding astrology, “Why do you believe in such nonsense” and Newton replied, “Sir, I have studied astrology and you have not”

Continue your study of Yoga and its spiritual dimensions will start to unravel themselves. Your boyfriend, will never know, because he is not studying it. So ultimately the fool here is your boyfriend himself.

#33

I do not know whether yoga is for fools or not, but yoga is mostly used for fooling :slight_smile:

#34

[QUOTE=Sahasrara;71331]I do not know whether yoga is for fools or not, but yoga is mostly used for fooling :)[/QUOTE]

best quote so far!

#35

[QUOTE=Chitta Control;71163]The commercialization of yoga in the west is a uniquely american thing.[/QUOTE]

Hardly!

It’s become pretty heavily commercialized everywhere these days, unfortunately… the US, Europe, India… everywhere.

#36

[QUOTE=present perfect;71336]Hardly!

It’s become pretty heavily commercialized everywhere these days, unfortunately… the US, Europe, India… everywhere.[/QUOTE]

I like this users name; it reeks of clarity.