Yoga and christianity- trick or treat?

[Guest guest]

Namaskar Shri Ompremji,

 

thank you so much for directing me so graciously to the two links on

yoga and christianity... ...

 

here are my reactions...

 

was I in for a 'shock' or what? sure in one way it was a 'treat' ( i

liked parts of it made good reading where there was a description of

different types of yoga .... etc) .... but the rest of it was all

full of 'trick(s)' trying to portray Yoga as an occult science

and sorcery... ...

 

i was taken aback by the lop-sided presentation and false propoganda

against a time honored ancient spiritual practice which transcends

all religions!

 

these authors are not living in christ-consciousness - if they did,

they will not discredit a spiritual discipline which the son of god

HIMSELF WAS A MASTER OF!! ( JESUS CHRIST WAS A KRIYA-YOGI PAR

EXCELLENCE)

 

anyway, let me quote briefly from the first link that you have

posted so members here can judge for themselves...

 

In the first link, Yoga and Christianity: Are They Compatible?

Michael Gleghorn states...

 

" yoga is an ancient spiritual discipline whose central doctrines are

utterly incompatible with those of Christianity. Even hatha yoga,

often considered to be exclusively concerned with physical

development, is best understood as merely a means of helping the yogi

reach the goal of samadhi, or union with "God." Furthermore, we've

seen that all yoga, including hatha, has the potential to be

physically, mentally, and spiritually harmful."

 

He concludes ... (to add insult to injury)

 

"It seems to me that if someone wants an exercise program with

physical benefits similar to yoga, but without all the negative

spiritual baggage, they should consider low-impact aerobics,

gymnastics, or ballet. These programs can be just as beneficial for

the body, without potentially endangering the soul. In my opinion,

then, Christians would be better off to never begin yoga practice."

 

Now in the second link that ompremji has mentioned , the author calls

yoga an 'occult' science...

 

I quote...

 

" John Weldon and Clifford Wilson wrote in Occult Shock and Psychic

Forces that Yoga is really pure occultism. Hans-Ulrich Rieker, in his

book The Yoga of Light, also warns that misunderstanding the true

nature of Yoga can mean "death or insanity." Another little known

fact is that virtually every major guru in India has issued warnings

similar to these; i.e., deep-breathing techniques such as the ones

taught in Yoga are a time-honored method for entering altered states

of consciousness and for developing so-called psychic power. [Note:

Yoga is one of the basic means of reaching this altered state of

consciousness. And the altered state is the doorway to the occult.

Sir John Eccles, Nobel Prize Winner for his research on the brain,

said the brain is "a machine that a ghost can operate." In a normal

state of consciousness, one's own spirit ticks off the neurons in his

brain and operates his body. We are spirits connected with a body.

But in an altered state, reached under drugs, Yoga, hypnosis, etc.,

this passive but alert state, the connection between the spirit and

the brain, is loosened. That allows another spirit to interpose

itself, to begin to tick off the neurons in the brain, and create an

entire universe of illusion. You've then opened yourself up. It's

called sorcery. People are literally teaching themselves how to be

demonized, all in the name of developing one's full potential."

 

well, folks, what do you think?

 

Now contrast this with what shri swami chidananda says... in his

article entiteled "YOGA AND CHRISTIANITY"

 

 

"Yoga is a wonderful answer because the prime concern of Yoga is the

spiritual reality within you, the attainment of the spiritual goal

for which you have taken this human birth; that is the prime concern

of Yoga. Yoga is the path to God-realisation. Yoga is the path of

Divine Experience, and the Divine Experience is the heart of

religion. Trying to attain God-realisation is the very heart, the

very essence of religion."

 

Swamiji further says...

 

"Yoga can make religion alive for anyone, be he a Christian or a

Muslim, and it gives back to you the life within your religion. It is

the common experience of many people that after Yoga came to them

they started being really religious. After Yoga came to them a

Christian became a real devoted Christian, started going to Church,

started reading the Bible and trying to find out more interest in the

words of Jesus, began to understand the meaning of many things he is

now doing in the name of Christianity, which he otherwise stopped

doing because he found it to be meaningless" —'I find no meaning, it

is mechanical'. "

 

swamiji concludes...

 

"Yoga restores to people whatever religion they may belong to. It

restores to people the inner spiritual content of their religion. It

restores to people the spiritual life which is the centre of any real

religion, lacking which religion becomes merely an external facade.

Yoga restores, makes it alive, makes it green, brings it forth into

life. Yoga can be applied to Christianity and to any other religion."

 

to read the full article, go to ...

 

http://www.sivanandadlshq.org/religions/yogachristian.htm

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i do not know what christ conciousness is? but i know waht

god/ess consciousness is... if one cannot have a personal

relationship with god/ess what is the use of such a religion... Yoga

means just that- having a one on one relationship with god/ess the

higher power!

 

Hari AUM Tat Sat !

 

disclaimer- of course , hatha yoga or kundalini yoga should be

practiced only under the guidance of a Guru...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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