REL 2300 Broward Community College Yoga as A Hindu Activity Analysis Paper
Question Description
Some doubt whether one loses the essence of the discipline yoga without Hinduism. The find it highly questionable that a person “empty” Yoga of its Hinduism without emptying yoga of “yoga”.
The term yoga is connected to Hinduism. The term Hindu comes from the term Indus. The ancient people who lived in the Indus River Valley did not have a common name for all of the different versions of what they believed. Yoga is one of the main things that many had in common. Just as there are millions of gods in Hinduism, there are many types of yogas for different tastes and aspirations. It was a tool that one could use for connecting, binding, yoking participants toward Moksha (regardless of your caste, your stage in life, your goal, and your status). Because of the strong association with Hinduism’s vedic gods, some buddhists call their exercises “meditation.” However because Buddhism comes from India, it has never successfully disassociated itself completely from some Hindu terms such as yoga. Some in Islam and other religions discourage their practioners from practicing yoga (See the following link: Malaysian authorities consider a ban on yoga).
People from different religions pray but they do it differently in various physical postures. Orthodox Jews often stand and rarely kneel during Temple services; whereas, Muslims not only kneel but completely prostrate themselves during prayers. As with other religions, Hindus have their own unique religious expressions. Yoga, meditation, and prayer do not belong to any particular religion but “certain ways doing these activities” developed from certain types of religions. Ernest Valea wrote, “Through the symbol each posture in Yoga represents (the locust, the fish, the candle, etc.). It involves a change of personality and is prescribed by the guru according to the spiritual needs of his disciple, so that he may more easily surmount his ignorant condition.” (See http://www.comparativereligion.com/) Read the following excerpt from Swami Sivananda Radha (http://books.google.com/books?id=13SSTqwKxcYC&lpg=PP1&dq=Swami%20Sivananda%20Radha&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false)
People from different religions pray but they do it differently in various physical postures. Orthodox Jews often stand and rarely kneel during Temple services; whereas, Muslims not only kneel but completely prostrate themselves during prayers. As with other religions, Hindus have their own unique religious expressions. Yoga, meditation, and prayer do not belong to any particular religion but “certain ways doing these activities” developed from certain types of religions. Ernest Valea wrote, “Through the symbol each posture in Yoga represents (the locust, the fish, the candle, etc.). It involves a change of personality and is prescribed by the guru according to the spiritual needs of his disciple, so that he may more easily surmount his ignorant condition.” (See http://www.comparativereligion.com/) Read the following excerpt from Swami Sivananda Radha (http://books.google.com/books?id=13SSTqwKxcYC&lpg=PP1&dq=Swami%20Sivananda%20Radha&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false)
https://bconline.broward.edu/content/Term2020/414625-SOCVPHIR_REL2300648898/Jun2014Sections/003MODULE/AsanaYoga.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=6n54gBdn4PwuPx5lfTPxFN907&ou=414625
Questions: (submission should be no less than two paragraphs long)
1. Consider the terms Hindu and Yoga. What is the difference between yoga as a Hindu activity and yoga as a secular activity?
2. After reading the above, compare and contrast Hatha yoga to how other religions approach the concept of prayer.
For example, how does the position of sitting differ from the symbolic position of kneeling?
A. If one attempts to have yoga without Hinduism, does one lose the essence of the discipline?
B. Can a person empty yoga of its Hindu context without emptying yoga of what it is really meant to accomplish?
