Is Yoga Hinduism?

Spirituality Religion
#141

OK here’s the deal with me. I am not well versed in ancient Hindu texts. That is a fact. So I cannot describe, transcribe or explain what I really don’t much about. HOWEVER…

The title of this thread is, ‘Is yoga Hinduism’. In that light I will share what I know. Most of it has already been shared. The following is from an article about the different views of yoga from Deepak Chopra and Prof. Aseem Shuhla.
First, yoga is a spiritual discipline in India, and always has been. The aim of the practice is liberation. When liberation occurs, the yogi is freed from the religious trappings that enclose Yoga. Those trappings have always been incidental to the deeper aim of enlightenment.

S

econdly, yoga did not originate in Hinduism as Prof. Shukla claims. Perhaps he has a fundamentalist agenda in mind, but he must know very well that the rise of Hinduism as a religion came centuries after the foundation of yoga in consciousness and consciousness alone. Religious rites and the worship of gods has always been seen as being in service to a higher cause, knowing the self.

Beneath Shukla’s complaints one detects the resentment of an inventor who discovered Coca-Cola or Teflon but neglected to patent it. Isn’t that a rather petty basis for drawing such a negative picture? Most Indians, when they contemplate the immense popularity of yoga in the U.S. may smile at the pop aspects of the phenomenon but feel on the whole that something good is happening. Shukla regards the same scene with a withering frown.

I will let the above speak for itself.

So again, I have no doubt that Yoga is more universal than what you want it to be. I know the ancient sages would be delighted, just as MOST Hindus are. We don’t know that other civilizations have not done this or used it, or for that matter, gave it to the ancients to use in the Vedas. WE JUST DON"T KNOW WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY.

The Hindus or Indians on this forum have disagreed with you Surya. They know yoga is not owned. And in the case of if you practice yoga you must be a Hindu or on you way to becoming one. No you don’t. Hinduism as a religion came centuries after the foundation of yoga as per Chopra. I honor both yoga and Hinduism. I, and many, have said this over and over again. We respect and honor both. In my eyes and mind I can without any guilt whatsoever practice yoga and be a Buddhist and know that the path I am on is the right one.

#142

Namaste Lotusgirl,

We have already covered Prof Shukla vs Deepak Chopra debate earlier.

You need to bring something new to the table.

It does not how matter how people of Hindu or Indian on this forum disagree with me, this does not change the facts. The official Hindu body of America has released an official statement, “Yoga is Hinduism” Every other official body of other religions have released a statement saying “Yoga is Hinduism” I just cited one of the first and foremost scholars of Yoga in the West who has confirmed that Yoga originated in the Vedas.

Hinduism is what we call the Vedic religion which is 10,000 years old. How then can Yoga possibly be older than Hinduism? Yoga and Hinduism are as old as each other, duh :smiley:

Face it you do not care what is true, you only care about what feels good.

#143

WE JUST DON"T KNOW WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY.

We know of it with as much certainty as we know the steam engine was invented in Europe.

I await your evidence that shows me the Chinese people invented it :wink:

If we were having this debate formally in an academic forum you would have lost a long time ago. Because you never give an argument based on reason or evidence, but only sentiment . For you something is true if it feels good :smiley:

#144

Even if Yoga is Hinduism, who care’s. You don’t need to start believing in magic just because you enjoy a Yoga class. I do non-religious Yoga.

#145

You do what is un-yoga according to the most respected Yoga teacher in the world and founder of Iyengar Yoga, B.K.S Iyengar and his son :smiley:

In a 2005 interview published in Namarupa magazine [3], Prashant Iyengar, son of B.K.S. Iyengar, clearly espouses a similar view when he said, “We cannot expect that millions are practicing real yoga just because millions of people claim to be doing yoga all over the globe. What has spread all over the world is not yoga. It is not even non-yoga; it is un-yoga.” The undue emphasis, particularly in the West, on asana as the crux of Yoga dilutes the essence of the spiritual practice and its ultimate goal of moksha.

B.K.S. Iyengar again reminds readers of the purpose of asanas in his Light on Yoga, when he states, "Their [Asanas] real importance lies in the way they train and discipline the mind...The yogi conquers the body by the practice of asanas and make it a fit vehicle for the spirit...He does not consider it [the body] his property...The yogi realizes that his life and all its activities are part of the divine action in nature" [4].

If you want to do a non-religious practice then go and do Pilates :wink:

#146

So here is what the official body of Hindus in America has to say:

Yoga, from the word “yuj” (Sanskrit, “to yoke” or “to unite”), refers to spiritual practices that are essential to the understanding and practice of Hinduism. Yoga and yogic practices date back more than 5,000 years — the Indus Valley seals depict figures in yoga poses. The term covers a wide array of practices, embodied in eight “limbs,” which range from ethical and moral guidelines to meditation on the Ultimate Reality. Yoga is a combination of both physical and spiritual exercises, entails mastery over the body, mind and emotional self, and transcendence of desire. The ultimate goal is moksha, the attainment of liberation from worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and rebirth.

With the popularity of Yoga skyrocketing throughout the world, particularly in the West, there arise two main points in need of clarification. First, that which is practiced as “Hatha Yoga” - a form of Raja Yoga - in much of the Western world is but merely a focus on a single limb of Yoga: asana (posture). From Yoga studios that recommend room temperatures to be maintained at 105 degrees to 90 minute Vinyasa flow classes that prescribe one Suryanamaskar (Sun Salutation) sequence after another, this “asana heavy” form of Yoga – sometimes complimented with pranayama (breathing) – is only a form of exercise to control, tone and stretch muscles. Ignored are both the moral basis of the practice and the ultimate spiritual goal.

Second, there is the concerning trend of disassociating Yoga from its Hindu roots. Both Yoga magazines and studios assiduously present Yoga as an ancient practice independent and disembodied from the Hinduism that gave forth this immense contribution to humanity. With the intense focus on asana, magazines and studios have seemingly "gotten away" with this mischaracterization. Yet, even when Yoga is practiced solely in the form of an exercise, it cannot be completely delinked from its Hindu roots. As the legendary Yoga guru B.K.S Iyengar aptly points out in his famous Light on Yoga, "Some asanas are also called after Gods of the Hindu pantheon and some recall the Avataras, or incarnations of Divine Power." It is disappointing to know that many of the yogis regularly practicing Hanumanasana or Natarajasana continue to deny the Hindu roots of their Yoga practice.

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) reaffirms that Yoga, “an inward journey, where you explore your mind, your awareness, your consciousness, your conscience” [12], is an essential part of Hindu belief and practice. But the science of yoga and the immense benefits its practice affords are for the benefit of all of humanity regardless of personal faith. Hinduism itself is a family of pluralistic doctrines and ways of life that acknowledge the existence of other spiritual and religious traditions. Hinduism, as a non-proselytizing religion, never compels practitioners of yoga to profess allegiance to the faith or convert. Yoga is a means of spiritual attainment for any and all seekers.

#147

Hey Yogiadam, next time you sit to do your Surya Namaksar, Hanumanasana or Natarajaasna and others, just remember you are doing the same practice Hindus do in order to prostate to the Sun God, Monkey god and Shiva :smiley:

#148

So your claiming Yoga has no benefits to your physical health?

#149

It absolutely does have benefits to your physical health. This is because Hindu practices work. If you practice the other practices such breath-control and mind-control(meditation basically) they will also produce great benefits. Again, because Hindu practices work.

I am not telling you to become Hindu(You only become Hindu when you accept all its beliefs) Just respect the fact that you are doing a formal Hindu practice.

#150

You mean like when I practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, respect that it’s Brazilian?

#151

The art began with Mitsuyo Maeda (aka Conde Koma, or Count Coma in English), an expert Japanese judoka and member of the then-recently-founded Kodokan. Maeda was one of five of Judo’s top groundwork experts that Judo’s founder Kano Jigoro sent overseas to demonstrate and spread his art to the world. Maeda left Japan in 1904 and visited a number of countries[2] giving “jiu-do” demonstrations and accepting challenges from wrestlers, boxers, savate fighters and various other martial artists before eventually arriving in Brazil on November 14, 1914.[4]

Jiu-jitsu is known as more than just a system of fighting. Since its inception in 1882, its parent art of judo was separated from older systems of Japanese jujutsu by an important difference that was passed on to BJJ: it is not solely a martial art: it is also a sport; a method for promoting physical fitness and building character in young people; and, ultimately, a way (Do) of life.[5][6]

Brazillian Jiu Jitsu is as much of an oxymoron as Christian Yoga is :smiley:

#152

BJJ is a fighting style… and a very effective one. You can call it what you like, but it will still do the job.

#153

Here is what a Christian publication has to say on this matter:

Question: "What is the Christian view of yoga?"

Answer: For many Christians in the West who don't understand the history behind it, yoga is simply a means of physical exercise and strengthening and improving flexibility of the muscles. However, the philosophy behind yoga is much more than physically improving oneself. It is an ancient practice derived from India, believed to be the path to spiritual growth and enlightenment.

The word "yoga" means "union," and the goal is to unite one's transitory (temporary) self with the infinite Brahman, the Hindu concept of "God." This god is not a literal being, but is an impersonal spiritual substance that is one with nature and the cosmos. This view is called "pantheism," the belief that everything is God and that reality consists only of the universe and nature. Because everything is God, the yoga philosophy makes no distinction between man and God.

Hatha yoga is the aspect of yoga which focuses on the physical body through special postures, breathing exercises, and concentration or meditation. It is a means to prepare the body for the spiritual exercises, with fewer obstacles, in order to achieve enlightenment. The practice of yoga is based on the belief that man and God are one. It is little more than self-worship disguised as a high level of spirituality.

The question becomes, is it possible for a Christian to isolate the physical aspects of yoga as simply a method of exercise, without incorporating the spirituality or philosophy behind it? Yoga originated with a blatantly anti-Christian philosophy, and that philosophy has not changed. It teaches one to focus on oneself instead of on the one true God. It encourages its participants to seek the answers to life's difficult questions within their own conscience instead of in the Word of God. It also leaves one open to deception from God's enemy, who searches for victims that he can turn away from God (1 Peter 5:8).

#154

Keep your posts short, and I’ll start reading them.

#155

What if I don’t care whether you read them or not :smiley:

The last few were pretty darn short. Maybe for your sake I should write in txt speak :wink:

#156

Just read your above link Surya. It sounds like a fundamentalist group within the christian faith. There are quite a few I’m afraid. They do not share the views of most christians about yoga. Heck, many of my students are christian. But they are open to talking about Hinduism, Buddhism (I hear you cringe) and the 8 fold path. They are very open and receptive. When I went through Teacher Training, we had a catholic priest come and we had a wonderful 3 hour discussion about yoga and Christianity. He saw no problem.

#157

Or...... perhaps the Christian faith at the majority level is fundamentalist. Perhaps you are the "isolated example", ever consider that?

Now here is the perspectrive of official body of Islam in Malasiya which has banned Yoga:

http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/03/16/yoga-as-blasphemy-muslim-clerics-ban-practice/

Most people tend to think of yoga as separate from religion, or at least non-dogmatic and non-denominational.

Not so to Islamic leaders in Malaysia: in November, 2008, Muslim clerics banned the practice of yoga by followers of the religion. The National Fatwa Council Abdul chairman Shukor Husin stated that:

“Many Muslims fail to understand that yoga’s ultimate aim is to be one with a God of a different religion.”

Indonesia leaders followed suit a month later.

Insiya Rasiwala-Finn, a yoga teacher based in Vancouver and a practicing Muslim, was appalled by this ruling, especially considering she watched her devout father practice yoga every morning while growing up.

Yet she understands that yoga was originally a Hindu practice, and Hindu philosophies still pervade the tradition.

Wow so it has now been banned officially in 2 Islamic countries :wink:

#158

An interesting article on Yoga, Hinduism and “Christian Yoga”:

The orgins of yoga reach all the way back to the Hindu religion, before Christ was even born. But many faithful churchgoers are chanting phrases from the Bible when they do their Downward Dog, and it’s causing yoga purists to lose their cool.

Susan Bordenkircher teaches a Monday night Christian yoga class called “Outstretched in Faith.”

“I approach each class as a way to share with people something great about their faith,” she said.

But which faith? Traditional yoga, with it’s roots in the Hindu religion, predates Christianity.

#159

Let me correct you…I was. I am no longer catholic. And no, based on my experience being raised catholic and staying in the catholic church until my early 20’s, I can tell you what I shared is not isolated. The catholic church is not fundamentalist.

I’m not doubting that yoga is a Hindu practice. I’m simply questioning who owns it. Proof of Hinduism’s ownership still has not been given. It is still owned by all.

Now, I’m off for the night. My son came for dinner and dinner is calling. Night

#160

I’m not doubting that yoga is a Hindu practice

Then we no longer have any more dispute lol

However, are you going to say that to your students who come to your class and let them know they can learn Yoga for free at a local Hindu temple? You don’t have to answer that question :wink: