Hinduism practices yoga for centuries and yoga is a source of Hindu religious spirituality. As an Indian christian I don’t have anything to do with yoga because it is more than a physical exercise. As a christian grown-up in the Indian context I can firmly say it is a way to invite spirits or in the christian understanding demonic spirits into our spirit or soul. Yoga can be only understood fundamentally from a Hindu religious practice. There is no way to differentiate between yoga and Hinduism. Yoga is secularized to blindfold the western christian followers who don’t understand the Indian philosophy or the philosophy of Indian religion.
I will use one simple example of danger even deeply buried in the Indian way of greetings called Namaste. This word is basically rooted in Sanskrit. The word ‘NAMA' means ‘bow', ‘AS' means ‘I' and 'TE' means you. Therefore Namaste literally means "bow me you" and "I bow to you." This is rooted in the Pantheistic belief in the view that God is everything and everyone and everyone and everything is god. Pantheism is similar to polytheism (the belief in many gods), but goes beyond polytheism to teach that everything is god. I hope now you understand the significance of non-violence and Ahimsa.
I have seen yoga initially and then followed with an establishment of Hindu temples even in Christian countries like Bahamas, and many nuke and corner of United States of America. I have even seen the board on the church bulletin advertising about yoga. I wish they know the trick of satan and his demons.
Even if we can Christianize our spiritual understanding with yoga it is a grave insult to the religion of Hinduism. Therefore there is no christian yoga and it has nothing to do with the Judeo-christian world or philosophy. The philosophical root comes from the sanskrit understanding of the word yuj, which means unit, link, bind. The question comes to our mind is unit with what? link with what? or bind with what? Our individual spirit with the supernatural spirit or individual soul with the super-soul. The original true understanding is not different from the Hindu way of attaining salvation or nirvana.
Yoga builds self confidence, strength, emotional, physical and spiritual stabilization, which is the secondary benefit of practicing yoga. The primary practice is to achieve harmony with your world and your union with god. This is achieved through the profound transformation of your transcendence of ego. Yoga is truly a Hindu way of converting people to their religious way of thinking. Yoga is more than breathing, it is rooted in the Hindu religion and it is a multi-million dollar business. The popularization of yoga comes mostly from the new age spiritual cultic groups and self proclaimed incarnations of avatars.
From a very spiritual advice as an Indian christian I may say the energy of yoga is related with a serpent that lies coiled at the base of one’s spine. The serpent energy released will help the person to become energetic, illuminated and reunited. There is a reference about a serpent in the Judeo-christian tradition. Please close the door for any spirit to enter into your spirit or soul and free from any demonic influences.
1.Timothy 4: 1 says: Now the spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teaching of demons. It will be great to know and learn more about the different type of yogas and the meaning connected with the different yoga postures. I am sure this will open your eyes and will be a spiritual awakening.
2 comments:
this is wrong information. Ancient people who did yoga were not Hindu.Yoga started way before the birth of any religion. Yoga and Hinduism are hence not synonymous.
Dear Darrell,
First of all, thanks for the comments.
How far you are willing to go back in the history to find your argument. The beginnings of Yoga were developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization arguably in Northern India over 5,000 years ago according to some sources.(I don't know if there is anything to support that argument). Technically it is hard to differentiate the origin from the Brahmanic religion.
The word yoga was first mentioned in the oldest Hindu text called the Rig Veda. As you know Vedas were a collection of texts containing mantras and rituals to be used by the so-called Brahmans or the Vedic priests. The historic period might have been during the 12- 10 century BC. Again this has the serious connection with the popularized yoga of today.
Yoga was not in any way related with the ancient people of the land (India), it is related to the Brahmanic religion. If there is any relationship between religion and Yoga it has everything to do with Hinduism and Hindu way of life (Brahmanic religion).
There is no Judeo-Christian thinking or philosophical rootedness. My argument in this article is all about pointing that connection to my western Christian readers. Many of them are being blindfolded to practice yoga, thinking that it is a physical exercise. Yoga can't be limited to a physical exercise it is a spiritual practice. The spiritual practice is connected with Hinduism, the modern Brahmanic religion. This is again rooted in the Brahmanic religion just like castism or cast discrimination.
Hope I made my argument clear. Please let me know what you think.
Yoga is a wolf in sheep cloth.
Be careful.
Binu Peniel
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