Fwd: Looking at Yoga, Buddhism and Christianity

[Guest guest]

onsriyantra , " John C. Kimbrough "

<johnckimbrough> wrote:

 

 

Looking at Yoga, Buddhism and Christianity

:

: Our interest and quest for a religious or spiritual

: path and presence seems like a noble one, though at

: times we may not be fully mindful about what it is

: that we want from it.

:

: In other words, what we get from seeking out and

: practicing or following such a way may not be truly

: noble, spiritual or religious at all.

:

: Examples of this would be that we want to feel like we

: are special, better or more enlightened and wise then

: others.

:

: This is nothing more then a reinforcement of

: unskillful aspects of our current ego and being and

: will not result in us being more mindful about others

: and how we react to them and treat them.

:

: It can result in nothing more then having a path and

: practice that results in one having more of a closed

: and less tolerant and patient mind, consciousness and

: being.

:

: And it happens among practitioners of all paths and

: religions.

:

: With continued practice and understanding, plus

: walking down the path of life with the changes and

: challenges that it can bring, we can get away from

: this way of thinking and feeling and start to see that

: the most worthwhile thing to do is to look at others

: with patience, understanding and kindness.

:

: We can not say for sure that if one practices Yoga, or

: one practices Buddhism, or if one practices

: Christianity or any other path or way, that that will

: be the way that will bring them to this state.

:

: This writer has, as I am sure you have, met intolerant

: Buddhist, Yoga and Christian practitioners at one time

: or another.

:

: All of these paths and ways have elements and

: teachings within them that teach us the same thing.

:

: Sometimes it is not easy to search them out or

: comprehend them on our first exposure to them or if

: our exposure is more of a superficial one or if we are

: doing nothing more then looking for a way to feel

: special about ourselves or think that we are better

: then others.

:

: One of the great similarities among Yoga, Buddhism and

: Christianity is that we are looking at ourselves and

: working on ourselves, not preoccupied with the

: thoughts, attitudes, feelings and actions of others.

:

: This process of looking at and working on ourselves

: can be at times an almost ruthless one, or at the very

: least, challenging.

:

: It is hard to see clearly how we are and how we can

: and should be.

:

: Perhaps Yoga and Buddhism, with their emphasis on

: regular meditation practice, give us a way to do this

: looking in a way that is not overly harsh, self -

: critical or self - demeaning, allowing us to learn and

: grow in a way that is joyful and enlightening, as we

: cast off the old and put on the new.

:

: Some have thought and stated that Christianity, with

: its emphasis on teachings of the Bible, which are

: many, and prayer and belief in Christ, may ask too

: much of a person, and instead of giving them a path to

: self - acceptance and understanding, lead to

: confusion, guilt and shame in dealing with and

: understanding their past and present actions and

: experiences.

:

: The idea of thinking of oneself or others as being a

: sinner may not always be a helpful one in getting to a

: better understanding of oneself and others.

:

: In Yoga and Buddhism, states that are causing problems

: are clearly stated and spelled out, these being the

: mental defilements and hindrances, and ways of

: bringing about change are given clearly, these being

: things such as posture practice, breathing techniques,

: morals and ethics, healthy habits as regards diet,

: sleep and leisure activities and meditation.

:

: In addition, what we achieve and the changes that come

: about are also clearly stated. These are that we come

: to a sattvic state, which is according to Yoga, a

: state of mental and physical being where we are calm

: and focused, while in Buddhism, we cultivate and

: develop what are known as The Factors of

: Enlightenment. These are mental and physical states

: built on mindfulness, concentration, joy, and energy

: and effort, among others.

:

: Though some teachings and practices may differ among

: Yoga, Buddhism and Christianity, they all put an

: emphasis on loving kindness and compassion to others.

:

: It is just that the paths and ways on both the

: intellectual and behavioral level between them may

: differ slightly.

:

: A healthy and skillful ascension on the religious and

: spiritual ladder leads us to understand the universal

: values and states of mankind and living, not to think

: that our way or path or practice is the best.

:

: ©2004 John C. Kimbrough

:

: (John lives and teaches in Bangkok, Thailand. He can

: be reached at johnckimbrough)

:

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