Critique of HAF article on the 'Theft of Yoga'

April 22, 2010

Namaste, one and all.

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/aseem_shukla/2010/04/nearly\

_twenty_million_people_in.html

or

http://tinyurl.com/y2a8mvl

There are some assumptions in this article which create false assumptions.

The author [Aseem Shukla, co-founder Hindu American Foundation] has a particular

dogmatic point to make, following his intent to further " Hinduism. "

>Arrayed in linear

> patterns, they stretch, bend, contort and control their respirations as a

> mentor calls out names of Hindu divinity linked to various postures:

Actually, many teachers never use any Sanskrit names for postures.

> It would seem that yoga's

> mother tradition, Hinduism, would be shining in the brilliant glow of

> dedicated disciples seeking more from the very font of their passion.

The practice of yoga, as shown in images dating back to the Harrapan

civilization, pre-dates Hinduism.

Calling the numerous faiths with some similarities " Hinduism " presents a

misrepresentation of the reality. It makes Hinduism appear to be a united,

single system. Rather, it consists of a magnificent panoply of faiths and

beliefs, more accurately called Sanatana Dharma.

> Yoga, meditation, ayurvedic natural healing,

> self-realization--they are today's syntax for New Age, Eastern,

> mystical, even Buddhist, but nary an appreciation of their Hindu

> origins.

Their origins are certainly Indian, as are martial arts, feng shui, acupuncture,

cupping, astrology, astronomy, advanced mathematics, and many other scientific

and spiritual practices. However they all have sources that pre-date Hinduism.

> It is not surprising, then, that Hindu schoolchildren complain

> that Hinduism is conflated only with caste, cows, exoticism and

> polytheism--the salutary contributions and philosophical underpinnings

> lost and ignored. The severance of yoga from Hinduism disenfranchises

> millions of Hindu Americans from their spiritual heritage and a legacy

> in which they can take pride.

The ignorance taught in American schools includes comparative religion and world

history. It is an embarrassment created by morbid xenophobes and ranting

religious extremists attempting to make their world views part of mass culture.

They have succeeded quite well, and I would respectfully suggest that your

foundation would be better served by helping Americans learn the truth of Indian

history and religions.

>

> Hinduism, as a faith tradition, stands at this pass a victim of overt

> intellectual property theft, absence of trademark protections and the

> facile complicity of generations of Hindu yogis, gurus, swamis and

> others that offered up a religion's spiritual wealth at the altar of

> crass commercialism.

Hinduism is NOT a single tradition. It is a wide group of faiths with

similarities.

As to the Sanatana Dharma's spiritual wealth being offered up to the altar of

crass commercialism, welcome to America! Welcome to a country where there are

drive-in churches for people to lazy to get out of their cars, where preachers

give away blessed 2 " squares of " sacred " cloth for a " free will donation, " and

you can buy a genuine cross filled with water from the Jordan or a crystal with

the Lord's Prayer etched on it.

> The American Yoga Association, on its Web site, completes

> this delinking of yoga from Hinduism thusly:

>

> " The common belief that Yoga derives from Hinduism is a

> misconception. Yoga actually predates Hinduism by many centuries...The

> techniques of Yoga have been adopted by Hinduism as well as by other

> world religions. "

I would consider this accurate.

> So Hinduism, the religion that has no known origins or beginnings is

> now younger than yoga? What a ludicrous contention when the Yoga

> Sutras weren't even composed until the 2nd Century BCE.

I respectfully disagree. Your unwritten contention, here, is that Yoga was

INVENTED by Patanjali, not merely codified in the Sutras. Obviously, this is not

true. Yoga is far older than Patanjali just as the spiritual practices that were

often simplified and bowdlerized in the various Hindu traditions are far older

than the Sanatana Dharma.

> These

> deniers seem to posit that Hinduism appropriated yoga so other religions

> may as well too!

Again I would respectfully disagree. There is no doubt that the practice of Yoga

was nurtured and expanded by those following the Sanatana Dharma, just as the

system of energy paths in Ayurveda was nurtured and expanded by those practicing

acupuncture in China. It is not appropriated saying " we invented it. " It is

simply evolved and adapted. Things which do not evolve and adapt die out.

>Hindus can only sadly shake their heads, as by this

> measure, soon we will read as to how karma, dharma and

> reincarnation--the very foundations of Hindu philosophy--are only

> ancient precepts that early Hindus of some era made their own.

And yet, that's exactly what has happened. All of those concepts were practiced

before and by other cultures with no contact to India. Indian culture, and the

magnificence of what you lump together as Hinduism, took those concepts and

expanded them and nurtured them, but they are part of " Eternal Law " (the exact

English translation of Sanatana Dharma).

> The Hindu American Foundation (Disclosure: I sit on the Foundation's

> Board) released a position paper

> on this issue earlier this year. The brief condemns yoga's

> appropriation,

As I wrote earlier, your efforts would be better spent helping Americans improve

their educational system especially when it comes to world history and

comparative religion. This is just a petty, minor issue. You might as well

complain about people chanting " Om. " You're trying to hold back the tides of the

ocean with nothing but a bucket.

> but also argues that yoga today is wholly misunderstood.

> Yoga is identified today only with Hatha Yoga, the aspect of

> yoga focused on postures and breathing techniques. But this is only one

> part of the practice of Raja Yoga that is actually an

> eightfold path designed to lead the practitioner to moksha, or

> salvation. Indeed, yogis believe that to focus on the physicality of

> yoga without the spirituality is utterly rudimentary and deficient.

> Sure, practicing postures alone with a focus on breathing techniques

> will quiet the mind, tone the body, increase flexibility--even help

> children with Attention Deficit Disorder--but will miss the mark on

> holistic healing and wellness.

I mostly agree with this. I would suggest, therefore, that your foundation focus

on sharing the spiritual aspects of Hatha Yoga rather than complaining about the

tides.

>

> But be forewarned. Yogis say that the dedicated practice of yoga

> will subdue the restless mind, lessen one's cravings for the mundane

> material world and put one on the path of self-realization--that each

> individual is a spark of the Divine. Expect conflicts if you are sold

> on the exclusivist claims of Abrahamic faiths--that their God awaits the

> arrival of only His chosen few at heaven's gate--since yoga shows its

> own path to spiritual enlightenment to all seekers regardless of

> affiliation.

Again, this speaks to the lack of comparative religion here in the West. In

Judaism, ALL who live good lives, not a " chosen few, " reach heaven. I agree that

Westerners, especially Americans, know little about the Sanatana Dharma, but

really, you can't complain about that while making denunciations of other

religions and indicate your own ignorance.

Well, people can do that and actually do that, but it's called hypocrisy.

> Hindus must take back yoga and reclaim the intellectual property of

> their spiritual heritage--not sell out for the expediency of winning

> more clients for the yoga studio down the street.

And yet, you haven't given one reason why " Hindus must " do this. Why not simply

spread the wisdom and spirituality without being so strongly and egotistically

attached to claiming its origin?

Perhaps you should practice a little Yoga==of any kind--yourself. It may help

you break through those kleshas, karma, and conditioning.

Namaste!

April 23, 2010

Om Namah Shivaya

Sri Matre Namaha

Its very interesting reading the squabble of these two great souls! How much

time and energy is spent here.

Hey guys! couple of anulom vilom and bhastrika pranayama should help you

both. What you are doing here is not leading to any yoga as there is going

to be much divide, if this attitude continues.

Were you there when the Yoga philosophy originated? Enlightened Sanadana

Dharma says: yes you were- as your soul is eternal. But are you in a

position to see where you were in your birth no. X when the philosophy was

evolving? SDs say through yoga, you can see past, present and future - as

Yoga is Union and once this individual soul unites and is in unison with the

divine soul, time is transcended.

Now, you come to that stage and say with authenticity when yoga evolved, we

will accept pre-harappan or post-harappan times. Otherwise, this discussion

seems only academic.

But, all said and done, it is common knowledge that while you can assign

dates for origin of Christianity or Islam, no one could exactly date this

magnificent Hinduism aka Sanadhana Dharma. When you agree that yoga,

meditation, ayurvedic natural healing, martial arts, feng shui, acupuncture,

cupping, astrology, astronomy, advanced mathematics, and many other

scientific and spiritual practices originated in India, why don't you also

see that only Sanadhana Dharmis existed at that time? Let American Yoga

Association also accept this instead of saying contrary to " common belief " .

While the cycle of life is Kama, Artha, Dharma & Moksha, yoga studios aim at

Artha aspect- they do not mind calling Yoga Asanasa as Yoga and commercially

exploit it. So, resting on SD, we have to agree that this is also His will.

So, lets do some yoga...........asanas..........not

me............mediatation.........yes............pranayama..........yes.........\

....tantra...........yes...........bliss...........yes.......yes.....

Yoga.........Hey I am with him.......I am in him.. ..........Hey........I am

Him............So I can see some old sadhus ...........telling about

Yoga..........is it pre or post harappan....

Pranam!

On Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 1:50 PM, Donald Michael <don wrote:

>

> Namaste, one and all.

>

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/aseem_shukla/2010/04/nearly\

_twenty_million_people_in.html

> or

> http://tinyurl.com/y2a8mvl

>

April 23, 2010

HI there,

I thought it would be appropriate to study Naasadiya Suktam of Rig Veda since

there were some interesting theories and notions about origin of things such as

yoga, rajayoga, patanjali, sanatana dharma, harappan age etc., all of which go

much above my head.

I can make an interesting observation here. Patanjali yoga sutras were taught to

me in the traditional manner by my guru who was quite ignorant of what the

western world thinks of these things. You see he had no english Education; but

purely the traditional one.

A translation of the NÃ¢sadiya-Sukta, Rg-Veda, X. 129. by svami Vivekananda

Existence was not then, nor non-existence,

The world was not, the sky beyond was neither.

What covered the mist? Of whom was that?

What was in the depths of darkness thick?

Death was not then, nor immortality,

The night was neither separate from day,

But motionless did That vibrate

Alone, with Its own glory one â€”

Beyond That nothing did exist.

At first in darkness hidden darkness lay,

Undistinguished as one mass of water,

Then That which lay in void thus covered

A glory did put forth by Tapah!

First desire rose, the primal seed of mind,

(The sages have seen all this in their hearts

Sifting existence from non-existence.)

Its rays above, below and sideways spread.

Creative then became the glory,

With self-sustaining principle below.

And Creative Energy above.

Who knew the way? Who there declared

Whence this arose? Projection whence?

For after this projection came the gods.

Who therefore knew indeed, came out this whence?

This projection whence arose,

Whether held or whether not,

He the ruler in the supreme sky, of this

He, O Sharman! knows, or knows not He perchance!

Â

JR

________________________________

Ravi Iyer <iyerlaw

Fri, April 23, 2010 4:22:05 AM

Re: Critique of HAF article on the 'Theft of Yoga'