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Hinduism Under Assault: Appropriation and a New Search for: Search

Model for Conversion.


Guest Author January 15, 2017
Analysis/Insights, Archives, The Yoga Snatchers
Comments Off on Hinduism Under Assault: Appropriation and a New Model for
Conversion.

The growing phenomena of Christian yoga is not only


cultural appropriation, it reveals more serious
considerations for Hinduism and Sanatana Dharma.
While it is certainly true that Christians can practice
yoga, I am not aware of any Christian theology
regarding yoga. Yoga, as a word or practice, has no
etymology in the Judeo/Christian tradition. Yoga, as
a word or practice, does not appear with the
reformation movement or Martin Luthers rejection
and subsequent break from the Catholic Church,
Martin Luther lending credence to the somewhat obvious fact that
yoga, as word, is not a doctrine of any protestant
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teachings. But lets ask, What do the Christian texts say? My Tweets

Yoga, as a word, is not found within the King James Version of the
Bible.[i] Nor are the key concepts essential to many yoga
traditions such as liberation, self-realization, the self-illumination
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of the soul, or the expansiveness of Purusha as outlined in the
Purusha Suktam of the Rg Veda. To contrast the two traditions,
yoga/Hinduism has no concept of hell, eternal damnation or Book Review : Jihadist
concept of a savior, to name but a few major differences. Threat to India by Tufail
Ahmad Reviewed by Dr
While one might argue that the term naraka is in fact hell, and it David Frawley
would be true to say that it is commonly translated as hell, this is April 30, 2016
actually an erroneous and misleading translation. As the Vishnu
Purana[ii] is quite clear that naraka is refers to an incarnation
Meenakshi Jains book
with a tamasic mind. In fact, one can compare and contrast the
Sati : Reviewed By Dr
examples cited and quickly realize that the traditions of Yoga and
Koenraad Elst
Christianity are quite different.
March 27, 2016

Yoga is a Sanskrit word, and is a term that appears in


a broad array of different and related traditions that
Film Review : Baahubali
comprise and fall under the expansive umbrella of
A Very Good Beginning,
Hinduism. Yoga, the word and various aspects of its Indeed
practice, appears as early as the Vedic traditions, and
August 6, 2015
it appears within a variety of very old Vedic texts and
teachings such Jyotish (a Vedanga) or Vedic Astrology
(of course within jyotish, yoga often refers to a union
of planets or combination of planets).
INDIGENOUS/PAGAN VOICE
Yoga also appears within Ayurveda (an upaveda), and
is specifically mentioned within the Charaka Samhita
which proclaims yogo mokshapravartakah, ( yoga
causes liberation).[iii] These examples demonstrate
that yoga, the word, is sown into the fabric of the most ancient teachings of the Vedic tradition.
So how did we get this Christian Yoga?

There is little doubt that this is a complex issue at first, but upon examination of the history of
Christianity, one can see a somewhat rich and robust history of suspected cultural appropriation.
As an example, many have suggested that Easter is actually modeled after pagan holidays.
Catholicism attempted to override a pagan holiday with All Saints Day birthing what we now call How the Patriarchy Stole Friday
Halloween or Hallows Eve. the 13th from Women and Made
Some scholars have claimed that Jesus is modeled
It Evil
after the Egyptian Horus. Even the Christian Posted On January 13, 2017 | Comments Off
concept of hell is a strange mixture of Judaism and on How the Patriarchy Stole Friday the 13th

the Greek concept of Hades to form the later from Women and Made It Evil

Christian motif of hell. Scholars do acknowledge Before patriarchal times, Friday the 13th
that appropriation did exist, as Ritch confirms was considered the day of the Goddess.
philosophical appropriation stating that It was considered a day to worship the
Historically, the Christian tradition has heavily Divine Feminine that lives in us all and to
relied on Aristotles ethical philosophy to provide a honor the cycles of creation [...]
conceptual basis for the articulation of its own
ethical doctrines[iv] Therefore, the debate regarding legitimacy of appropriation is simply a
moot point. Why Hindus SHOULD
One can hypothesize that the modern manifestation of Christian Yoga is rooted in several
support Native Americans
possibilities or unique combinations relative to each individual: October 31, 2016 | Comments Off on
Why Hindus SHOULD support Native
A continuing process of appropriation that is intrinsic to the nature of Christianity. Americans
Christianity is threatened by yoga and is attempting to influence, modify or simply take over a
system that is perceived to disrupt the religious economy of Christianity.
Members that self-identify as Christian are subconsciously attempting to return to the spiritual Native Americans Face
roots of civilizationthe Vedic civilization (the oldest remaining dharma tradition), but are More Persecution
conflicted due to perceived conflicts between Hinduism and church dogma.
August 15, 2016 | Comments Off on
Native Americans Face More
There is little doubt that there is an aspect of
Persecution
appropriation with the emergence of Christian Yoga.
This appropriation often has manifested as somewhat of
a whitewashing of the roots of yoga/Hinduism.

There are likely multiple rationales behind this, one


HINDU WISDOM
example being a global Hindu cultural devaluation that is
epidemic within many western yoga teacher training
programs.

In one sense, the appropriation of yoga has been little


more than the appropriation of sana which manifests
as a cultural devaluation, meaning that there has been a
conscious removal of key yogic/Hindu concepts while
exploiting the popularity of the word. This is likely
rooted in the old Christian desire for the local church to
be the cultural hub of the community. Modern Upholding Dharma
adaptations of this cultural hub ideology would include the proliferation of daycare centers, Posted On June 14, 2016 | 0 Comments
exercise classes, movie nights etc. that commonly appear within the business models of the The Kurukshetra war was on in full
modern U.S. church. swing, and as it progressed, the losses
for the Kauravas increased. Duryodhana
There is growing evidence of a desire to appropriate and redefine the meaning of the yoga, the
began to suspect that Bhishmas loyalty
word. A recent manifestation of this is a company/organization known as Yoga Faith their 200
to the Pandavas had resulted in his
hour certification program does not include a single Yoga Shastra or any book aligned with India or
fighting half heartedly. [...]
Hindu philosophy. [v]

In fact, their 300 hour program does not include a single


Yoga Shastra or any book aligned with India or Hindu The Symbolism of the
philosophy. [vi] The absence of critical yoga texts such as Churning of the Ocean
the Hatha Yoga Pradipka or the Yoga Sutras of Patanjal
September 2, 2015 | Comments Off
among others is concerning, as this is simply the bold and
on The Symbolism of the Churning of
disrespectful appropriation of yogathe word, and has little the Ocean
to no resemblance to actual historical yoga in any of its
multitude of forms, but it colors the publics understanding
of yoga-the word. Emptying the Sea to fulfill
It is reasonable to suggest that the adaptation rates of
Ones Divine Task
Christian Yoga programs are to combat dwindling March 30, 2015 | Comments Off on

membership in the church, while significant numbers of the Emptying the Sea to fulfill Ones
Divine Task
U.S. population still self-identify as Christian, their
participation in church has lessened considerably. This has
likely manifested due to a growing movement known as
Divinity lies within us all
radical universalism, which is prevalent among new-age adherents and middle aged adults.
April 24, 2014 | Comments Off on
Most concerning is that it is highly likely that this whitewashed yoga will be imported to India, as Divinity lies within us all

this is already happening on the small scale with a model immerging in India that akin to western
yoga and its sana obsession, replete with the yoga selfie that was quite popular in western
society.
Shape Shifting World of
Maya
The greater concern is that this re-importation of
December 14, 2013 | Comments Off
westernized yoga will eventually manifest with the
on Shape Shifting World of Maya
explicit purpose of being used to convert. While
some might argue this subversive movement does
not exist, a quick examination of Holy Yoga[vii], a s
an example, and their mission statement reveals this
is simply not the case. DHARMIC ECOLOGY
The mission statement reads: Holy Yoga exists to
carry the gospel to the ends of the earth through the
modality of yoga.[viii] India is taking rapid and bold
steps to stop this process prior to it becoming firmly
established within the homeland of yoga. But, if this
Christian Yoga becomes seen as a powerful tool for
conversion in India, it will be difficult to stop. It would
be somewhat horrific if the seat of yoga were to
become the seat of whitewashed yoga and
Meet Eco Baba who cleaned 100
appropriated yoga.
miles of river all by himself
The previous paragraph did address the second point-to a degree. By appropriating yoga, the
Posted On April 10, 2016 | Comments Off on
word, and placing an increasingly strong focus on sana, churches and teachers in essence Meet Eco Baba who cleaned 100 miles of
reduce the need of its membership to be introduced to foreign religious concepts. Whereby, river all by himself
preserving membership, introducing potential new membership and reducing loss of membership
One of the most renowned
due to exposure to dharma/Hinduism.
environmentalists of Punjab, the man
who has been actively creating
Additionally, this process works on subtle and
awareness among people regarding
subconscious levels to devalue the deeper teachings of
environment protection, the ECO Baba,
yoga and the various traditions found under the umbrella
Balbir Singh Seechewal is the new talk
of yoga/Hinduism, allowing a foreign culture and religion to
of the town [...]
present itself as an authority and in essence present itself
as an Adhikara of yoga with little to no understanding of
yoga beyond the pop usage of the word.
Hinduism and Climate
While the openness of Hinduism is clearly appealing to the
Change
western mind, as well as the presence of a multitude of
March 14, 2016 | Comments Off on
traditions, in essence, there is something for everyone
Hinduism and Climate Change
verses the more dogmatic traditions commonly found in the
world.

Video : Bears Visiting


It is likely that those that become teachers of Christian
Yoga have been touched by the shakti (power) of yoga Chandi Mata Temple at
sana. Yet, some Christians have expressed conflict Aarti
between the religious/dharmic aspect of yoga and their
September 30, 2014 | Comments Off
Christian belief. While this has presented the opportunity
on Video : Bears Visiting Chandi Mata
to grow, stretch (no pun intended), and transform ones consciousness, often when faced with Temple at Aarti
this conundrum, the unprepared teacher will likely fall back to the religiosity of their doctrine
rather than take the bold step forward into an exciting exploration of dharma/Hinduism.
Cleaning The Mighty
Or in the Hindu and dharmic view, the samskaras of the mind were simply too powerful. From the
perspective of tradition, it is likely that many are drawn to yoga due to a deep subconscious need
Ganga Will Be a Mammoth
to reconnect with the Vedic roots of previous lifetimes. Certainly, Hinduism/dharma would support Task For Modi
this, while Christianity would reject this based on the concept of reincarnation. The average June 6, 2014 | Comments Off on
teacher is quite often unable to or ill equipped to internally address these profound and conflicted Cleaning The Mighty Ganga Will Be a
positions which again often result in a fallback to religiosity and doctrine though there would be Mammoth Task For Modi
a significantly smaller number successfully pushing through social conditioning, peer pressures,
fears of being different, and samskaras taking a bold step towards Hinduism.
How India is building
Hinduism: Dealing with modern day issues.
Asias largest secure forest
Too many modern day scholars/authorities from India or from the culture have frequently network
presented the attitude, in the past, of Let them have yoga, I am interested in protecting
March 30, 2014 | Comments Off on
Hinduism. A sentiment I have repeatedly heard, regrettably. Yet, the reality is that yoga is an How India is building Asias largest
important branch of Hinduism. Allowing one part, one limb, one book to be taken from Hinduism secure forest network
opens a literal floodgate for the distortion of the teachings.

This is not to say that insight and


dialogue cannot occur regarding the
teachings of various traditions. But we SUBSCRIBE
must remember that Krishna warned, in
the Bhagavad Gita, that he must
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incarnate when the teachings have
devolved or decayed, and one must
remember that the roots to modern day
yoga come from Vedic Yoga, as Krishna Subscribe
referenced the Vedic solar lineage in the
Bhagavad Gita. Appropriation combined
with a religiosity based reductionist
mentality is the easiest way to negate
the actual teachings and reduce yoga to HINDU WORLD OF SCIENCE
a somewhat meaningless word.

Hinduism should reclaim its full heritage


and not allow other groups to rename
its sacred teachings under their banner
without a minimal expectation of
acknowledgement of its Hindu roots,
especially when they have no history of those teachings within their own system. Attempts at
native reclamation have come under attack from multiple angles, most recently through attempts
to divorce Hinduism from its traditions and roots, commonly appearing as the removal of India and
Hinduism and replacement of a new banner by academicsSouth Asia.
Are we living inside a cosmic
computer game? Elon Musk
But too frequently groups attempt to privatize the
echoes the Bhagwad Gita
information or teachings and present themselves as the
original authority. Posted On October 6, 2016 | Comments Off
on Are we living inside a cosmic computer
Often, they attempt to claim ownership of that which they game? Elon Musk echoes the Bhagwad Gita

appropriated from Hinduism/dharma. Hinduism, and the When a tech billionaire and hard-headed
guardians of dharma, should guard against its sacred pragmatist seems to reprise the ancient
traditions from becoming distorted and taken away, as Indian concept of maya, or illusion, its
the improper technique and teachings can actually time to shut up and pay attention. When
become harmful to practitioners (himsa). the film The Matrix was released in 1999,
its [...]
Hindu/dharmic scholars, traditional teachers and the
greater Hindu diaspora should take the stand that yoga is
part of Hinduism and not cave into academic pressures or
Harvard Yoga Scientists
academic definitions from those engaged in the pursuit of
tenure alone.
Find Proof of Meditation
Benefit
Nor should it accept the appropriation by Christian groups that are attempting to repackage yoga
November 25, 2013 | Comments Off
into a simplistic exercise program. Hindus should challenge academics and nonacademics (as well
on Harvard Yoga Scientists Find Proof
as religious institutions) to support their antagonistic views toward Hinduism/dharma with
of Meditation Benefit
evidence as opposed to dismissive comments (which are quite prevalent in social media).

While it would be correct to say that one is NOT required to be a Hindu to practice yoga likewise,
Brain & Consciousness:
it is equally important to acknowledge the roots of the tradition, after all, we are all expected to
give credit to sources within books and research papers. And ideological plagiarism is not different Neuroscience Aligns with
from cultural appropriation. Vedic Wisdom
April 3, 2013 | Comments Off on
By Yogi Prem Baba Brain & Consciousness: Neuroscience
Aligns with Vedic Wisdom
[i] While some scholars have attempted to state the King James Version of the Bible is outdated,
the reality for the western world and especially the U.S. is that the King James Version is the most
popular edition. Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-
faith/wp/2015/08/28/the-most-popular-bible-of-the-year-is-probably-not-what-you-think-it-is/
ATHEIST IRRATIONALISM
[ii] Vishnu Purana 2.6

[iii] Charaka Samhita-Srra sthna 1.137

[iv] http://aporia.byu.edu/pdfs/ritch-
the_possibility_of_a_christian_appropriation_of_aristotles_ethical_philosophy.pdf

[v] https://yogafaith.org/curriculum/200-hour-curriculum/

[vi] https://yogafaith.org/curriculum/300-hour-curriculum/ accessed 11/17/16


The Siamese Twins of Atheism
[vii] Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
and Christianity
[viii] https://holyyoga.net/ accessed 11/17/16 Posted On January 18, 2014 | 11 Comments

(Read 484 times, While atheism and Christianity may seem


at polar opposites in mainstream
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discourse, the reality is that they are
actually singing from the same hymn
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sheet when it comes to Hindus. The
denigration of Hindu civilisation [...]
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From Zero to Mars

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School dropout
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School dropout Shivakumar feeds
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Mock Puja at Hindu Christian girl throws Jallikattu Ban: Send How the Patriarchy
College where they acid on, slashes Them to the Stole Friday the
give condom as Hindu partner who Butchers Is Now the 13th from Women
prashad refused to convert. Only Option and Made It Evil

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