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Re: ARTICLE : Hinduism and yoga
In Article<ghenDvCDtC.K81@netcom.com>, <l23@hopi.dtcc.edu> writes:
>
> Greetings all,
>
> There arose two posts on a different usegroup about Hinduism being a
> requirement for practicioners of yoga. The originator of the post was
> actually commenting (complaining) how yoga in the States is independant of
> Hinduism and commenting about Buddhist yoga. Their statement was
> essentially that all yoga was Hinduism and outside of Hinduism there was
> no yoga.
>
> Well, my former guru taught was Buddhist and taught yoga. Although he was
> quite exceptional, we had to part company. I went into a monologue
> discussing the three primiry segments of vedic yogas and raja-yoga. I
> further compared them to various religious beliefs and specified where
> yoga and those faiths contrasted.
>
> I know that the vast majority of yogi have been and always will be Hindu.
> I'd like to know, historically, how closely Hinduism and yoga have been.
> That is, in the past have there been a segment of yogis who were Hindu or
> if yoga existed before Santana Dharma or if they weren't orignally
> affiliated but only became such later in time. Is my question clear? Am
> I babbling to myself?
>
> Bests,
>
> Jay
> --
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> Mail posts to: ghen@netcom.com : http://www.hindunet.org/srh_home/
My two cents:
Yoga is independent of Hinduism. As I recall, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras does not
mention any Hindu Gods. The primary differences between Yoga and religion:
a. Yoga does not require you to believe in any dogma.
b. Anything talked about in Yoga can be experienced by the practitioner
following the rules and techniques provided by his/her teacher.
c. Yoga benefits the individual, not necessarily a society or
organization or a priest.
d. Yoga does not require any idols or temples.
Cheers
Mukti
