I think it is time for another Amir-Buster 
First, I think we should all be aware of how sane Amir is. He claims to be a Buddha - because he can cut a slice of bread and make toast - but more effortlessly than anybody else because he is awake. He claims all other great spiritual masters Patanjali, Yogananda, Vivekananda, Aurobindo are all lying. He claims to have reinvented meditation by himself. He claims all his knowledge he shares is his direct truth emanating from his being and NOT from books, though his fav hobby is reading tons of books(especially on Zen) and then regurgiating that information on this forum. He claims he has no opinions and everything he says is an emanating from absolute truth.(Even though many on this forum have corrected him on many things before :D)
So with this in mind try not to take anything he says anymore seriously than say conversing with somebody who claims they are Napolian.
Now that said, Amirbusting time:
- Yoga is based on Hindu philosophy(Samkhya-Yoga)"
This statement is absolutely meaningless, as what you are calling “Hindu” is not a fixed, static thing. There are as many different belief systems and philosophies in what you are calling “Hinduism” as possible, none of which have been capable of transmitting the Truth. .
I said Yoga is a Hindu philosophy and Amir said the term is meaningless. Let us consult an encyclopedia of philosophy shall we:
Hindu philosophy is the longest surviving philosophical tradition in India. We can recognize several historical stages. The earliest, from around 700 bc, was the proto-philosophical period, when karma and liberation theories arose, and the proto-scientific ontological lists in the Upaniṣads were compiled. Next came the classical period, spanning the first millennium ad, in which there was constant philosophical exchange between different Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina schools.
The central concerns of the Hindu philosophers were metaphysics, epistemological issues, philosophy of language, and moral philosophy. The different schools can be distinguished by their different approaches to reality, but all considered the Vedas (the sacred scriptures) authoritative, and all believed that there is a permanent individual self (ātman). They shared with their opponents (Buddhists and Jainas) a belief in the need for liberation. They used similar epistemic tools and methods of argument.
Because these views of the world differed, they had to be proved and properly established. Accordingly, logical and epistemological tools were developed and fashioned according to the needs and beliefs of individual philosophers. Most agreed on two or three sources of knowledge: perception and inference, with verbal testimony as a possible third. In this quest for philosophical rigour, there was a need for precision of language, and there were important philosophical developments among the grammarians and the philosophers who explained the Vedas (the Mīmāṃsakas). A culmination of these linguistic efforts can be seen in the philosopher of language Bhartṛhari. One of his greatest accomplishments was the full articulation of the theory that a sentence as a whole is understood in a sudden act of comprehension.
It is customary to name six Hindu schools, of the more than a dozen that existed, thus lumping several into a single school. This is particularly the case with Vedānta. The six are listed in three pairs: Sāṅkhya–Yoga; Vedānta–Mīmāṃsā; Nyāya–Vaiśeṣika. This does not take account of the grammarians or Kashmir Saivism.
http://www.rep.routledge.com/article/F002
Ah, so there is indeed something called Hindu philosophy and my statement that Yoga is based on Hindu philosophy is indeed true 
- Yoga originated within Hinduism in Vedic times"
The above.
Here are the facts:
The saying, “What’s in the past, should stay in the past” - doesn’t work here.
We might already have an idea of what Yoga is but to understand it better, we have to know what it has become as well as its roots and beginnings. A quick look at the history of Yoga will help us appreciate its rich tradition and who knows, it might help us incorporate Yoga into our lives.
Although Yoga is said to be as old as civilization, there is no physical evidence to support this claim. Earliest archaeological evidence of Yoga’s existence could be found in stone seals which depict figures of Yoga Poses. The stone seals place Yoga’s existence around 3000 B.C.
For a better discussion of the history of Yoga, we could divide it into four periods: the Vedic Period, Pre-Classical Period, Classical Period, and Post-Classical Period.
Vedic Period
The existence of the Vedas marks this period. The Vedas is the sacred scripture of Brahmanism that is the basis of modern-day Hinduism. It is a collection of hymns which praise a divine power. The Vedas contains the oldest known Yogic teachings and as such, teachings found in the Vedas are called Vedic Yoga. This is characterized by rituals and ceremonies that strive to surpass the limitations of the mind.
During this time, the Vedic people relied on rishis or dedicated Vedic Yogis to teach them how to live in divine harmony. Rishis were also gifted with the ability to see the ultimate reality through their intensive spiritual practice. It was also during this time that Yogis living in seclusion (in forests) were recorded.
http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/beginnersguide/yogahistory.asp
My statement was indeed true: Yoga originated within Hinduism in Vedic times.
- Hindu religious practices are Yoga(yamas, niyamas, asanas, pranyama, dharana, dhyana)"
Concentration is a certain mental state, as is meditation - and pranayam is just control of the breath and it’s energy. There is nothing Hindu about any of these things. The various “yamas” and “niyamas” such as non-violence, truthfulness and non-stealing - are not “Hindu” either, almost every society on the Earth since man’s beginning has spoken of such things. As long as your speaking of the matter is coming from your own deeply rooted identification of being a Hindu, it is impossible to see into the essential matter.
Indeed breathing and concentration are not Hindu, they are natural activities. However, techniques to work with them to lead to samadhi are certainly Hindu.
Let us look at original author of the Yoga sutras Patanjali on what he has to say on pranayama and dharana:
Pranayama: breath control
2.49 Once that perfected posture has been achieved, the slowing or braking of the force behind, and of unregulated movement of inhalation and exhalation is called breath control and expansion of prana (pranayama), which leads to the absence of the awareness of both.
(tasmin sati shvasa prashvsayoh gati vichchhedah pranayamah)
2.50 That pranayama has three aspects of external or outward flow (exhalation), internal or inward flow (inhalation), and the third, which is the absence of both during the transition between them, and is known as fixedness, retention, or suspension. These are regulated by place, time, and number, with breath becoming slow and subtle.
(bahya abhyantara stambha vrittih desha kala sankhyabhih paridrishtah dirgha sukshmah)
2.51 The fourth pranayama is that continuous prana which surpasses, is beyond, or behind those others that operate in the exterior and interior realms or fields.
(bahya abhyantara vishaya akshepi chaturthah)
2.53 Through these practices and processes of pranayama, the mind acquires or develops the fitness, qualification, or capability for true concentration (dharana), .
(dharanasu cha yogyata manasah)
Dharana: concentration
3.1 Concentration (dharana) is the process of holding or fixing the attention of mind onto one object or place.
(deshah bandhah chittasya dharana)
3.2 The repeated continuation, or uninterrupted stream of that one point of focus is called absorption in meditation (dhyana), and is the seventh of the eight steps.
(tatra pratyaya ekatanata dhyanam)
3.3 When only the essence of that object, place, or point shines forth in the mind, as if devoid even of its own form, that state of deep absorption is called deep concentration or samadhi, which is the eighth rung.
(tad eva artha matra nirbhasam svarupa shunyam iva samadhih)
3.4 The three processes of dharana, dhyana, and samadhi, when taken together on the same object, place or point is called samyama.
(trayam ekatra samyama)
3.5 Through the mastery of that three-part process of samyama, the light of knowledge, transcendental insight, or higher consciousness (prajna) dawns, illumines, flashes, or is visible.
(tad jayat prajna lokah)
3.6 That three-part process of samyama is gradually applied to the finer planes, states, or stages of practice.
(tasya bhumisu viniyogah)
Now that is a very formal and technical description explaining the science of pranayama and concentration. You are fond of claiming the Gnostics, Greeks, Egyptians and shamans knew this and practiced similar things. Then show me the proof - cite their texts that mention it and lets compare.
That is what it means to be dogmatic. And that one is thinking of oneself as a “Hindu” still reflects that one continues constructing masks over one’s true nature.
I think of myself as Hindu as much as you consider yourself to be the Buddha
Again, the word yoga just means Union. It has been spoken of time and time again by the Hindus - that everything in existence arises out of “Brahman”. If everything arises out of Brahman and is Brahman, then what are you doing discriminating between this and that, between what is “Hindu” and what is not ?
If you did not discriminate between this and that you would not be able to discriminate between your mouth and your ass Amir, is your mouth and your ass the same?
That is not a philosophy - that is a penetrating insight which arises from seeing into things as they are. To see into one’s own true nature is a living experience - and to say that this is a philosophy is just like saying that gravity is a philosophy. Philosophy is entirely different, the approach of the philosopher is to think about Truth. And in one’s thinking about it, one has gone dimensions away from the reality. The whole approach of the yogic sciences is not to think about it, but to see the Truth, and the transformation that arises out of direct seeing. That is why Patanjali has said it quite simply that “Yoga” is bringing the activity of the mind to a stillness. Vyasa has said that “Yoga is Samadhi”. What have said has nothing to do with philosophy - but with a certain state of consciousness. Any method that leads towards this is a method towards Yoga. A person who practices the method is a yogi. Yes, even Gautama Buddha who was not a Hindu was a yogi, as was Mahavira.
The Routlege encyclopedia of philosophy disagrees Amir
As for gravity - is it a force, a depression in space-time, a quantum effect, a dimensional distortion? It depends on who you ask. Therefore even a scientific fact like gravity has a theory behind it. Just as Yoga does - Samkhya.
Yes, there should be tremendous doubt about it. Whatever has not entered into your own direct perception should not be accepted, it does not matter who says it.
Now tell us earlier your statements that “Untouchables came from the dirty feet of Brahmin” and “India was always materially poor” - which were disproven - did they come from your direct perception?
But while the universe is unity it is also diversity"
These are all one-sided interpretations of the intellect. Existence is neither “dual” or “non-dual”, it is simply inexpressible. In fact they cannot exist without each other - the very idea of unity exists because of multiplicity, the very idea of the “non-dual” exists because of the dual, they cannot be separated.
If existence is not expressed then what we are doing here? Looks pretty expressed to me
You say that the idea of unity depends upon non unity. In logic we can represent the element unity as U.
The compound non-unity is the function NOT U. Therefore unity actually comes before non unity. As unity is a pure element, non unity is compound of unity + the operator NOT, there unity comes before non unity. Just as one comes before two. Therefore, while two depends on one, one does not depend on two.
Hence unity can exist without duality, but duality cannot exist without unity. A simple logic really. Should be no problem to follow by a Buddha
“we do not live in a world where everyone believes in universalism.”
One either knows or does not know, there can be no room for belief.
Do you know every statement you make on the forum. Did you know for example, “Untouchables came from the dirty feet of Brahman” Please answer
It seems one has trouble being mindful while reading messages. Buddhists have used yoga, Hindus have used yoga, Jains have used yoga, Sikhs have used yoga, and their philosophies are different. What you are referring to as the “philosophy” of yoga is not yoga - but organized religion. Because organized religion in the East has been combined with methods for transformation, it becomes very natural for many to come to the misunderstanding that the methods belong to the organized religion.
Africans have used steam engines, Indians have used steam engine, Chinese have used steam engines - does that mean the steam engine is not a Western inventon born out of the Western empirical and capitalist tradition?
The moment you start clinging to knowledge, you have become dogmatic - a veil has been raised over one’s eyes in such a way that one cannot see anything else beyond it. That can be seen in the history of science itself - time and time again the scientists had been forced to change their views because they had grown comfortable with certain assumptions and ideas for centuries. The scientists in this way have been just as dogmatic as the organized religions.
Ah, wise words Amir. So tell me are you clinging to your knowledge that “time and time again the scientists had been forced to change this views, because they had grown uncomfortable with certain assumptions and ideas for centuries” and “You must come to a direct awakening of your truth” and “You know yourself through and through” and “Nothing that has not entered your exprience should be accepted” and “You have no opinions” and “Untouchables were born from Brahmans dirty feet” and “India was always a materially poor country” and “Yoga does not have philosophical roots - it has it’s roots in direct experience of Truth. Out of direct experience, certain masters and sages started speaking about their own discoveries according to their interpretation”
You joker
