Guest guest Posted August 15, 2002 Report Share Posted August 15, 2002 http://pub42.ezboard.com/fyoga84291frm4.showMessageRange ?topicID=197.topic&start=41&stop=60 is this true!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 15, 2002 Report Share Posted August 15, 2002 This link is not working. Perhaps you could supply another link, or cut & paste the comments?. Om Shanti ... Yogini Shakti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 15, 2002 Report Share Posted August 15, 2002 Here is the post he was referring to: At the risk of REALLY getting in over my head here, I just want to correct a misperception many make about Guruji. Just this past May, in conference Guruji shared his opinions about Muslims and then stated unequivocally, "I will not teach a Muslim yoga. Many have come to my doors over the years and I have turned them all away. I will teach a German, I will teach Australian, I will teach Japanese, but I will not teach a Muslim." There was one young woman from New York whose father was Muslim, and she got up and very generously said to Guruji, "Guruji, I have to leave. I am very upset by what you just said. My father is a Muslim and is a kind, peaceloving man. Not all Muslims are as you describe them, and the statements that you made are incorrect. I don't think you should have said what you said, so I have to leave now. I think today is a very sad day." After she left, there was silence in the room for a few minutes during which no one could look at each other, and a few people cried. Even Guruji looked troubled. Then, students started asking him questions about slokas from the Gita and what they should eat and how they should sleep again without anyone addressing what he had just said. As you can imagine, this was a very damaging experience for the woman affected most directly and for many of us present. Several people stopped practicing with him that day. So, I can't say with any firsthand knowledge what Guruji would do if an untouchable wanted to have yoga classes from him, but I think it is definitely inaccurate to say that now anyone can do it regardless of whatever, etc. There is definitely prejudice in Pattabhi Jois's shala, a prejudice which is freely expressed should the subject come up. Whether you choose to call him a bigot or not is probably a personal matter. Guruji may be a loveable man, but he is not a perfect being, he is just like the rest of us. Also, one argument that was made while I was there was that this was India and that "we" should respect the difficulties that indigenous people experience there, that this conflict is thousands of years old and that we just need to accept it. However, I can say, as an Indian and as one who discussed this incident with my family there, that no, not all Indians share Guruji's views about Muslims, and that many believe that such views should not be put forward in the context of teaching others. --- The link does work, it was just cut in the middle, simply put them together Sis. Brother Brahman-Atmananda http://www/angelfire.com/yt/kr ashtangayoga, "yogini_shakti" <Yogini_Shakti> wrote: > This link is not working. Perhaps you could supply another link, or > cut & paste the comments?. > > Om Shanti ... > Yogini Shakti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 15, 2002 Report Share Posted August 15, 2002 Dr Daryl .. thank you for responding in such an equinimous fashion. Your words are both wise & judicious. Om Shanti ... Yogini Shakti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 2002 Report Share Posted August 16, 2002 yogini shakti, i'm trying it without text wrap, i hope it works. http://pub42.ezboard.com/fyoga84291frm4.showMessageRange ?topicID=197.topic&start=41&stop=60 ashtangayoga, "yogini_shakti" <Yogini_Shakti> wrote: > This link is not working. Perhaps you could supply another link, or > cut & paste the comments?. > > Om Shanti ... > Yogini Shakti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 2002 Report Share Posted August 16, 2002 Mr. Grenouille wrote [[ .. i'm trying it without text wrap, i hope it works.]] ** It did. Thank you. I read all the posts listed there, on subject & off. To me this boils down to: Are we trying to 'be' the method or the teacher? I am who I am. I can not be any one or anything else. Guruji is simply who he is. His life circumstances are not my own. Whether I agree or disagree with him is relevant only to my own growth. It appears that in Yoga the guru IS the system, but is this really the case? Let me relate a similar circumstance. I trained personally with Swami Vishnu-devananda of the Sivananda Vedanta Society. I was one of his senior disciples. As much as I loved Swamiji, I could not adhere to everything he did or said. Case- in-point: His approach & philosophy regarding Hatha Yoga was "no pain no gain." He pushed us to push ourselves physically, to the point of pain. I saw many students hurt themselves to make Guruji happy. I was not one of these. I refused to then - & still do today - to push myself into a zone that causes physical malady & undue stress. The foundational premise of Hatha Yoga, IMO, is the care & nurturing of the body, not the break-down of it. Afterall, Yoga is chikitsa. Does this make me 'unloyal', 'unfaithful', 'untrue' to my guru? I have been accused of such. But let us bear in mind who the REAL guru is ... God. A human guru is but a spokesman for God, so to speak. Gurus & yogins are individuals who have dedicated their lives to a particular path of wisdom. But it is neither the guru or yogin who has the 'power' or 'ability' to do anything other than what God allows. When we see gurus do great things, bear in mind, what you are truly seeing is God's work. As such, we are ALL working to express God's will, hence the injunction of the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." .. a spiritual maxim found in every world faith. Bottom line: Take what you need & leave the rest. Om Shanti ... Yogini Shakti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2002 Report Share Posted August 20, 2002 Well said yogi! Your such a ray of light! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 22, 2002 Report Share Posted August 22, 2002 !!! drdaryl. that is the best response yet!!!! thanks for that amazing insight. ashtangayoga, drdaryl <no_reply> wrote: > Why do you call him "Guruji" and yet you are all so quick to judge > him? I am neither a follower nor an admirer of Jois but as your guru > you should always give him the benefit of the doubt or try to find out > why he did that seemingly prejudicial act. Guru means "dispeller of > darkness" (gu "darkness" + ru "that which dispels") ji is a suffix of > respect similar to "revered". Jois is a respectable man, he have done > so much to bring yoga to the mainstream, he is one of the heroes of > yoga, so the title Guruji suits him well, but more so if it is spoken > by "real" disciples. If you have truly accepted him in your heart as > your guru and not just any other gymnastics or fitness "instructor" > then you have admitted your own lack of knowledge or development and > have seen him as the person who could provide you with them. And yet > coming from this admittedly underdeveloped state you are here > criticizing him, your mentor. That doesn't make much sense, dear > friends. Don't be critical of him, this is a public forum, don't do > that to your guru. If ever it is true that he has a weakness or flaw > in his character either accept it or leave the guru-disciple > relationship entirely. People are not like stones, they progress. And > to the extent of what Jois have already proven to have done to > actualize the summit of human development, it is a surety that he will > sooner or later lose this hang-up. > > ashtangayoga, "Gearhart, Margee" <mgearhart@s...> wrote: > > "if a blind man follows a blind man, they will both fall" > > > > Take what you need and leave the rest. amen. > > > > I still believe it is his responsibility as such a great teacher to > all to > > practice what he teaches. > > Margee > > > > > > > > Demian Meyer [sMTP:dmeyer@s...] > > > Friday, August 16, 2002 11:17 AM > > > ashtangayoga > > > Re: ashtanga yoga Re: guruji won't teach muslims > > > > > > "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they > > > sought." > > > > > > Basho > > > > > > > > > - > > > "yogini_shakti" <Yogini_Shakti> > > > > > > > To me this boils down to: Are we trying to 'be' the method or the > > > > teacher? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sponsor > > > > > > > > > > <http://rd./M=231283.2257957.3692387.2197213/D=egroupweb/S=17 0506 > > > > 0955:HM/A=1196107/R=2/id=noscript/*http://geocities./v/p/feat ure. > > > html> > > > > > > > > > ashtangayoga- > > > > > > > > > > > > Terms of Service > > > <>. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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