Truth about yoga (a article for discussion)

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#61

This thread was started in 2005. In other words even before I got here this issue was being raised on these forums. It would have made no difference whether I came here or not to this issue constantly cropping up here, because clearly it is a major political and religious issue in the Western appropriation of Yoga.

As long as there are Christians and Hindus, this issue will keep coming up. Yoga is not compatible with Christianity and Yoga is indeed a Hindu religious practice and everything about Yoga bears the stamp of Hinduism. These are simply inescapable facts.

#62

Facts are like trees ; it takes a larger view to see the forest

#63

Whether it is hindus or christians…it is all man-made religion. (mythology)

I practice yoga for health.

Suggest you do as well and leave all the fantasy and wishful thinking behind.

#64

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;57498]Yoga is indeed a Hindu religious practice and everything about Yoga bears the stamp of Hinduism. These are simply inescapable facts.[/QUOTE]

Why does it matter the origins of yoga, besides it’s common knowledge from respected historian’s the gift of yoga cannot be traced.

#65

[QUOTE=slackercruster;58974]

I practice yoga for health.

[/QUOTE]

You practice yoga asana for physical health; you practice yoga (scientific 8 limbed system) for self awakening.

#66

Christians will eventually meet a conundrum with yoga and their own religion. Awakening kundalini, reaching samadhi, self realisation, none of these are valid methods within the Abrahamic faiths to “save their soul” or are even recognised as steps on that road. Even the concept of a soul that has been created and given to you by God is foreign in Hinduism. Krishna clearly states in the Bhagavad Gita, there was never a time when I did not exist, nor was there a time when you did not exist.

There is no reincarnation in Christianity, you either accept the lord Jesus in this life and follow his commendments or you will suffer in hell for the rest of eternity. A devout Christian can only partake in yoga as a curiousity, but not as a path towards liberation in the Christian vision of the word. Not if he is being true to his own faith. It is possible though that with practice of authentic yoga, which is just another way of saying practicing of Hinduism, a Christian will gradually move away from his abrahamic belief system and realise Brahman.

The Christian in this thread says, he does not want to honour hindu gods. One may not realise, but by practicing yoga one is honouring the lineage of teachers which goes back to adinatha or Shiva himself according to the yoga tradition, while the practice of hatha yoga itself is a worship of Shiva and Shakti.

#67

Extremely well said Sarva.

I would add, but I have mentioned this before in the past, the a Christian practicing Yoga, even Hatha Yoga is going to find it difficult to remain loyal to their faith when they start experiencing things like prana, chakras, kundalini awakenings, astral travel, past life memories, hearing AUM, and getting visions from deva etc.

A Christian will basically discover in the end that Hindu dharma was correct all along and reject their faith.

#68

It’s good I made it to the online Yoga Forum because I was thinking the pursuit of yoga leads to no religion, rather the truth…

#69

I don’t know what truth you are talking about. If you are talking about academic/scientific knowledge, you should go to a university, instead of looking at a yoga practice. Yoga will lead to the truth of seeing Brahman directly.

#70

Born and raised in Pennsylvania, never was Christian rather found great interest in eastern religions especially Buddhism, for 30 plus years I?ve worked side by side with Hindus born in India, 4 or more at a time, they gave me a totally different feel about Hinduism than those on this forum, they were more Gandhi like. I have problems digesting beliefs, faith, gods and mysticism although it did all lead me to yoga.

#71

[QUOTE=Sarvamaṅgalamaṅgalā;59012]I don’t know what truth you are talking about. If you are talking about academic/scientific knowledge, you should go to a university, instead of looking at a yoga practice. Yoga will lead to the truth of seeing Brahman directly.[/QUOTE]

I?m talking about self awareness, awakening to see everything as is, not as I believe them to be from the illusion imbedded in my mind.

#72

Traditional yoga is not defined through picking and choosing and personal likes and dislikes. Just as an example, I wouldn’t go to a Christian and say I like the sermon on the mount, but I don’t like the book of Matthew and then proceed to give my own definition of what Christianity is based on my preferences.

You are free to practice whatever part of yoga you want, there is no problem with it. I also see no problem with people practicing yoga chikitsa (yoga therapy) for their health combined with ayurveda or even physical therapy. I was only talking about the the philosophical and religious aspects of yoga which are rooted in Hinduism.

#73

[QUOTE=ray_killeen;59014]I?m talking about self awareness, awakening to see everything as is, not as I believe them to be from the illusion imbedded in my mind.[/QUOTE]

Yes this is a practice in yoga, abiding in the self which will lead to kaivalya. This is defined in the sacred traditions of Bharata Dharma, not in Christianity where this type of achievement means squat.

#74

[QUOTE=Sarvamaṅgalamaṅgalā;59017]Traditional yoga is not defined through picking and choosing and personal likes and dislikes. Just as an example, I wouldn’t go to a Christian and say I like the sermon on the mount, but I don’t like the book of Matthew and then proceed to give my own definition of what Christianity is.

You are free to practice whatever part of yoga you want, there is no problem with it. I also see no problem with people practicing yoga chikitsa (yoga therapy) for their health combined with ayurveda or even physical therapy. I was only talking about the the philosophical and religious aspects of yoga which are rooted in Hinduism. That is what this thread is about.[/QUOTE]

I have no intentions of picking and choosing, rather practicing all comprehensive 8 limbs, however somewhat confused as to why you believe yoga came from Hinduism and not that Hinduism incorporated yoga?

#75

[QUOTE=Sarvamaṅgalamaṅgalā;59018]Yes this is a practice in yoga, abiding in the self which will lead to kaivalya. This is defined in the sacred traditions of Bharata Dharma, not in Christianity where this type of achievement means squat.[/QUOTE]

No doubt yoga is a hard fit for Christians since they have as many beliefs, faith and mysticism as all religions.

#76

Ray, come on now we had this discussion on this forum innumerable times now. We have repeatedly seen that Yoga originated in Hinduism, and the philosophy and practice of Yoga is Hinduism in a nut shell. If you are practicing all 8 limbs of Yoga you are practically a Hindu already. Those 8 limbs encompass pretty much the entire gamut of Hindu morality, purification practices and spiritual-religious practices.

#77

[QUOTE=ray_killeen;59019]I have no intentions of picking and choosing, rather practicing all comprehensive 8 limbs, however somewhat confused as to why you believe yoga came from Hinduism and not that Hinduism incorporated yoga?[/QUOTE]
No, actually I believe yoga was invented by the British and was brought to India by the East Indian Company.

No doubt yoga is a hard fit for Christians since they have as many beliefs, faith and mysticism as all religions.
I have already explained why yoga is incompatible with Christianity, it is because the ultimate purpose of yoga has no value to a Christian and the belief system of Christianity is a lot different than the faith yoga is rooted in. Christians may even consider it sacriligious to practice yoga that comes from any authentic sampradaya of Bharata Dharma, hence this thread was opened by a concerned Christian. Watered down yoga is a different thing.

#78

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;59023]Ray, come on now we had this discussion on this forum innumerable times now. We have repeatedly seen that Yoga originated in Hinduism, and the philosophy and practice of Yoga is Hinduism in a nut shell. If you are practicing all 8 limbs of Yoga you are practically a Hindu already. Those 8 limbs encompass pretty much the entire gamut of Hindu morality, purification practices and spiritual-religious practices.[/QUOTE]

For whatever reason, this subject is a heated debate well beyond this forum, listening to both sides provides no answer? Believe what you want, I?m trying to eliminate beliefs, besides what value in determining the origins?

I agree that Hinduism, Buddhism and Yoga have much similarity, I can?t understand why more of the population does not grasp the obvious improvement these practices would have for humanity.

#79

[QUOTE=Sarvamaṅgalamaṅgalā;59027]No, actually I believe yoga was invented by the British and was brought to India by the East Indian Company.

[/QUOTE]

Before some self proclaimed yoga scholar will quote me here, I was being sarcastic.

#80

I am not hindu or christian. In fact I don’t belong to any kind of religion but who are they to say that the hindu god is a false god? What if in fact their christian God is a false god? In my opinion and im sorry if this offends anyone this article is just another example of religious fanatics. To me that woman is nothing but a bible thumper that thinks she’s better then other people because she’s chrisitian. I have no problem with religion and people’s religious beliefs but I hate how judgmental certain religious people are. This article brought up all kinds of emotions in me but I tired to keep it as polite as possible lol.