My introduction & posting to your mailing list.

[Guest guest]

Dear fellow seekers of the Light,

 

Thankyou, Gordon, for setting up an online yoga site. I am sure it would prove a

great blessing to all who have the will but not the means to find lessons on

Kundalini Yoga. I am glad I found your site. There are only 2 locations in NJ

that offer classes. They are both too far away from my house or work, to make

regular trips.

 

My name is Raj. I am a 27 year old immigrant Indian living in Ridgewood, NJ. I

have lived in US for 15 years. My spiritual search began 17 years ago! My

mother claimed visions of Christ. I have been curious to explore and discover

ever since. I never had a first hand experience of God. Born as a Hindu and

raised as one till my mother's conversion to Christianity, I joined her too.

Shortly afterward, we immigrated to US.

 

I read and studied the Bible with passion. I admit that I couldn't understand

everything. Jesus' teachings were the hardest to understand. I would take the

words superficially and try to apply them to life. It didn't seem practical. One

day I was asked by an atheist, what evidence I had for the existence of God. I

didn't know how to answer in a real, logical and factual manner. That's when I

decided, I wouldn't call myself a christian, till I have understood the

teachings and properly apply them to my life.

 

To this day, I have been reading and studying. I turned to the teachings in

Hinduism where I started. I began to read the speeches of Swami Vivekananda.

Light shone on me. The teachings of Christ are becoming clearer.

 

I practiced meditation twice a day. I fast to cleanse my body. I observe Mouna

everyday. I am slowly phasing out meat from my diet. My health overall improved

because of this. A measurable difference was that my blood pressure used to be

180/101 pulse 80. Now its only 128/85 pulse 70.

 

I am not satisfied yet, because I still cannot answer that atheist. I must

experience God first hand. That's when I will be able. I hope to achieve that

through the practice of Pranayama, meditation and finally the state of

Kundalini.

 

Shepard

[Guest guest]

Hi Shepard,

 

I can give you my perspective on your atheist's question because I was one

once.

 

When I became an atheist, I studied physics. In this part of my life, I

eventually chose to invent a different definition for God than the one I had

been taught in U.S. culture. I decided that I would call 'God' everything

that was in and of the universe. Afterall, as an atheist, the universe was

my creator. The reason physics interested me so much is that it seemed the

only way to really know God.

 

One day I read a small little book called 'Mere Christianity' by C.S. Lewis.

This book describes the difference between the modern Christian/western

transcendent God and the modern Buddhist/eastern pantheistic (not pagan)

God. This was the first time I had seen reference to different definitions

of God.

 

As an atheist turning agnostic, it was easier for me to believe in a

pantheistic God that is of the universe than a transcendent God that exists

outside the universe. This simple definition change influences the nature of

evil and whether man is a part of God or separate.

 

I'm not quite sure how I made the leap from believing in a God that *is* the

universe to believing there must be some way to experience God other than

studying physics. Perhaps it was just curiosity.

 

I can tell you that I have been practicing Kundalini yoga as taught by 3HO

for many years now and have had many very interesting experiences. Whether I

have simply hallucinated or actually experienced God on some occasions isn't

important. What is important is what *I believe* to have happened.

 

If you do study Kundalini yoga by a 3HO teacher, you will inevitably find a

lot of Sikh influence. For me, the most important thing I have learned from

Sikhism was the one time I read the English translation of their morning

prayer, Jap Ji. It taught me that God is both pantheistic and transcendent

at the same time. It took me some time to realize that this isn't a

contradiction. Now, it is a relief. I think all religions have aspects of

both. In their pure forms, I think they have more similarities than

differences.

 

As to what to say to your atheist, don't expect to convince them to believe

in God. I try on occasion and have come to the conclusion that beliefs are

very strong and something best changed through experience rather than

argument. Convince yourself and then try to experience God if you wish. Set

an example.

 

Eric

yogieric

 

 

-

Shepard <aeugius

<Kundaliniyoga >

Saturday, July 31, 1999 7:34 AM

My introduction & posting to your mailing list.

 

 

> "Shepard" <aeugius

>

> Dear fellow seekers of the Light,

>

> Thankyou, Gordon, for setting up an online yoga site. I am sure it would

prove a great blessing to all who have the will but not the means to find

lessons on Kundalini Yoga. I am glad I found your site. There are only 2

locations in NJ that offer classes. They are both too far away from my house

or work, to make regular trips.

>

> My name is Raj. I am a 27 year old immigrant Indian living in Ridgewood,

NJ. I have lived in US for 15 years. My spiritual search began 17 years

ago! My mother claimed visions of Christ. I have been curious to explore

and discover ever since. I never had a first hand experience of God. Born as

a Hindu and raised as one till my mother's conversion to Christianity, I

joined her too.

> Shortly afterward, we immigrated to US.

>

> I read and studied the Bible with passion. I admit that I couldn't

understand everything. Jesus' teachings were the hardest to understand. I

would take the words superficially and try to apply them to life. It didn't

seem practical. One day I was asked by an atheist, what evidence I had for

the existence of God. I didn't know how to answer in a real, logical and

factual manner. That's when I decided, I wouldn't call myself a christian,

till I have understood the teachings and properly apply them to my life.

>

> To this day, I have been reading and studying. I turned to the teachings

in Hinduism where I started. I began to read the speeches of Swami

Vivekananda. Light shone on me. The teachings of Christ are becoming

clearer.

>

> I practiced meditation twice a day. I fast to cleanse my body. I observe

Mouna everyday. I am slowly phasing out meat from my diet. My health overall

improved because of this. A measurable difference was that my blood pressure

used to be 180/101 pulse 80. Now its only 128/85 pulse 70.

>

> I am not satisfied yet, because I still cannot answer that atheist. I must

experience God first hand. That's when I will be able. I hope to achieve

that through the practice of Pranayama, meditation and finally the state of

Kundalini.

>

> Shepard

>

> [Attachments have been removed from this message]

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