The Debate over Yoga & Christianity - The Radio Interview with Shakta Kaur Khalsa (recorded)

[Guest guest]

I saw an amazing bumper sticker one morning that woke me up in a hurry. It said "Stop using Jesus as an excuse for being a narrow minded bigot". As a teacher Jesus would not ever have wanted to have been used this way.

 

D h a r a m <pran.108 (AT) sahej (DOT) com> wrote: [From Shakta Kaur]

 

On Tuesday night, I was a guest on a live national radio talk show.

I was invited by the co-ordinator of the Alan Colmes Radio Show to

discuss yoga with Mr. David Hunt. Mr. Hunt is vehemently opposed

to yoga, and in fact considers it satanic and occult.

 

During the interview I tried to keep things on track by speaking to

the truth of what yoga is (a friend, a tool for growth) and is not

(a religion), but predictably Dave Hunt (who is 80 years old and it

shows) tried to attack me, starting off with saying I have a "hindu"

name, making it sound like my name is about worshipping the Shakti

deity etc.

 

I felt frustrated that we couldn't really discuss yoga. He wanted

to talk about the dangerous Kundalini energy and constantly was

quoting on-line sources about people who have gone mentally off with

so-called Kundalini experiences, none of which I've ever known in 30

years of teaching tens of thousands of people. And I said as much.

 

The host, Alan, really questioned him and pressed on him. He was

great. I was grateful, because it is really not my style. I was

glad I did it, and I was glad when it was over.

 

To go into the mindset of these people means you have to believe

that you are not a spiritual being, that you cannot open yourself up

or the devil will take over your mind and you will be lost in

illusion. So they say they are all about Jesus. But this fear-

based, narrow-minded way of thinking is not at all what Jesus was

about. It is very illogical and puzzling how these people have

deluded themselves into thinking this is reality. I think this man

felt he had to constantly attack with sensational pieces of

misinformation in order to keep the fear-fire stoked in those

vulnerable enough to be taken in by his tirade. It is sad really.

 

I, of course, thought of many perfect things to say after I hung up

the phone.... But I guess I did all right. People who heard it said

that we "won". And I really appreciated the callers, who were for

the most part very supportive of yoga.

 

One thing came clear--these people need a lot of prayer/good energy,

because their lives are pretty hellish.

 

What they really need is yoga.

 

Shakta

 

For those of you that are interested....Gurumustuk recorded the radio broadcast

last night and cut out most of the commercials so you can listen to it

if you like.

 

Download or listen to the audio file at:

 

http://mrsikhnet.com/temp/Shakta%20Kaur%20on%20ABC%20Radio%20about%20Yoga.mp3

 

--------------------

 

Gurumustuk,

 

Blessings to you for posting the Alan Colmes

Radio Show interview between KISS Guide to Yoga author Shakta Khalsa

and the Reverend who thinks meditation opens the psyche to invasion by

demons.

 

I just listened to your link below and want to commend

Shakta for maintaining a calm, direct demeanor while listening to the

fear-based hyperbole of the Preacher.

 

A good point I thought was

Shakta's showing how yoga and kundalini predate Hinduism, and thus

predate religion; and, as one can find by googling kundalini and yoga

and ancient cultures, they are terms common to every ancient culture.

Saying she had "seen the yoga postures" in the ruins of the Maya was a

great point (Mayans are renowned Hindus, I think ;-)).

 

Joseph

Campbell was excellent on this, showing how the serpent (life) energy

at the root of the tree of life, with the lotus fruit at the top, was a

myth found all over the world.

 

Also, with Alan Colmes' help, the

Minister was put on the defensive when even callers were saying

meditating, to find "one's center," was even HELPFUL to one's Christian

practice.

 

Great job Shakta.

 

Amar Atma Singh