Yoga is Hindu. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My Indian neighbors celebrate Diwali and put up a Christmas tree in December. They give their kids Easter baskets and celebrate Holi.

Cultural mash-ups are part of what makes America glorious. Our best cultural contributions (rock, jazz, Southern food, Asian fusion) are mash-ups.

You can be butt hurt all you want because a bunch of white women practice yoga exercises, but it doesn't matter. Nobody gives a shit.

She isn't butt hurt you ignorant twat. She's simply concerned about the calculated 'sanitization' of a religious practice . Being the intellectual dwarf of your caliber , you clearly failed to see that .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what should I do if I'm an atheist that enjoys yoga, o mr/ms bossy pants?

Then you should be aware that you're partaking in a religious exercise . Breaking a sweat doesn't change the religious component of yoga

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I acknowledge yoga has hindu roots. health concerns are not selfish, as it is in the interest of all to improve health. There is no robbing - when one faith tradition (or even a corporate entity) uses something from another faith tradition, the other faith tradition still has it. Do you want royalties? There is no intellectual property law for these things. Jews cannot sue Christianity for "robbing" the Hebrew scriptures, Christianity cannot sue Islam for "robbing" Christ, etc. No one owns these things.

I do not disdain Hinduism. It is one of mankind's great faith traditions and a key part of one of its great civilizations1. I do acknowledge that in Judaism (I cannot speak to Christianity or Islam) there are certain aspects of ther faith traditions it is forbidden to incorporate. That is not an insult, just a fact about Jewish law.

So are you okay if I practice the Kabbalah even though I'm not Jewish? I might say that Binah is the Divine Mother Shakti and Chokmah is Shiva, because that's a connection that non-Jewish Kabbalists have explored. I also might say that attaining Kether is the equivalent of attaining sahaja samadhi in Hinduism. How do you feel about me calling myself a Kabbalist when I'm Hindu and I've superimposed my idolatrous deities onto a Jewish mystical tradition?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Indian neighbors celebrate Diwali and put up a Christmas tree in December. They give their kids Easter baskets and celebrate Holi.

Cultural mash-ups are part of what makes America glorious. Our best cultural contributions (rock, jazz, Southern food, Asian fusion) are mash-ups.

You can be butt hurt all you want because a bunch of white women practice yoga exercises, but it doesn't matter. Nobody gives a shit.

Once again the point that I believe OP was trying to make (though worded really poorly) is that it's absolutely fine to do yoga. No Hindu cares if you want to do it, the problem occurs when all this de-linking from Hinduism happens. Cutting it off and saying it's got nothing to do with our religion, that it's just a 'cultural mashup', it's just physical, it's kosher if I call it Kosher Yoga or Torah Yoga or it's not Hindu if we call it ChristianYoga or HolyMoves.

Do the Indian people you know that put up a Christmas tree have an organization changing Christmas to Krishnamas, celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna. Do they say it's a cultural mashup and that a cradle with Baby Krishna should be placed on a makeshift manger outside. Have they patented whatever different worship methods you do on Christmas and say it's their own now?

It's one thing to recognize that you are participating in a part of another culture and to value it and appreciate it. It's completely another thing to say if you practice it the same way and change the name that it has nothing to do with the origins.

It's a double slap in the face when ancient religious practices are patented and claimed by people who so badly try to distance themselves from the origins in fear of being "tainted" by the name Hinduism since they're so afraid of going to hell if they acknowledge that's where they are actually borrowing and learning this knowledge from.

If you fear Hinduism so much and hate the fact that the Sanskrit word yoga is intertwined with Hinduism and India for that matter then go back to your Step Aerobics class and leave it be and don't try to faux sanitize so you practice it without that weird Abrahamic guilt.


I love America. Because we don't have to do what any of you sanctimonious whiners tell us to do!

Love practicing my non-Hindu yoga in a church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I love America. Because we don't have to do what any of you sanctimonious whiners tell us to do!

Love practicing my non-Hindu yoga in a church.

PP: unable to use quote tags properly, unable to write an intellectual argument, unable to perform basic reading comprehension, unable to behave, write or think like an adult, thinks he/she wrote something clever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Indian neighbors celebrate Diwali and put up a Christmas tree in December. They give their kids Easter baskets and celebrate Holi.

Cultural mash-ups are part of what makes America glorious. Our best cultural contributions (rock, jazz, Southern food, Asian fusion) are mash-ups.

You can be butt hurt all you want because a bunch of white women practice yoga exercises, but it doesn't matter. Nobody gives a shit.

She isn't butt hurt you ignorant twat. She's simply concerned about the calculated 'sanitization' of a religious practice . Being the intellectual dwarf of your caliber , you clearly failed to see that .

She might not be butt hurt, but you clearly are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I acknowledge yoga has hindu roots. health concerns are not selfish, as it is in the interest of all to improve health. There is no robbing - when one faith tradition (or even a corporate entity) uses something from another faith tradition, the other faith tradition still has it. Do you want royalties? There is no intellectual property law for these things. Jews cannot sue Christianity for "robbing" the Hebrew scriptures, Christianity cannot sue Islam for "robbing" Christ, etc. No one owns these things.

I do not disdain Hinduism. It is one of mankind's great faith traditions and a key part of one of its great civilizations1. I do acknowledge that in Judaism (I cannot speak to Christianity or Islam) there are certain aspects of ther faith traditions it is forbidden to incorporate. That is not an insult, just a fact about Jewish law.

So are you okay if I practice the Kabbalah even though I'm not Jewish? I might say that Binah is the Divine Mother Shakti and Chokmah is Shiva, because that's a connection that non-Jewish Kabbalists have explored. I also might say that attaining Kether is the equivalent of attaining sahaja samadhi in Hinduism. How do you feel about me calling myself a Kabbalist when I'm Hindu and I've superimposed my idolatrous deities onto a Jewish mystical tradition?

Yes. Madonna "practice" Kabbalah and so did a bunch of other celebrities. No one was hurt. It was just celebrity silliness. Nothing was taken away from any of these practices.

You're awfully concerned about what other people are doing. Perhaps you should see to your own spiritual practice, instead of yelling at people on the internet. It would probably make you less angry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I acknowledge yoga has hindu roots. health concerns are not selfish, as it is in the interest of all to improve health. There is no robbing - when one faith tradition (or even a corporate entity) uses something from another faith tradition, the other faith tradition still has it. Do you want royalties? There is no intellectual property law for these things. Jews cannot sue Christianity for "robbing" the Hebrew scriptures, Christianity cannot sue Islam for "robbing" Christ, etc. No one owns these things.

I do not disdain Hinduism. It is one of mankind's great faith traditions and a key part of one of its great civilizations1. I do acknowledge that in Judaism (I cannot speak to Christianity or Islam) there are certain aspects of ther faith traditions it is forbidden to incorporate. That is not an insult, just a fact about Jewish law.

So are you okay if I practice the Kabbalah even though I'm not Jewish? I might say that Binah is the Divine Mother Shakti and Chokmah is Shiva, because that's a connection that non-Jewish Kabbalists have explored. I also might say that attaining Kether is the equivalent of attaining sahaja samadhi in Hinduism. How do you feel about me calling myself a Kabbalist when I'm Hindu and I've superimposed my idolatrous deities onto a Jewish mystical tradition?

I do not object if you identify kabalistic sphirot with hindu deities. I mean that horse left the barn centuries ago, with Christian kabalists, new agers, etc. I might point out that this is not traditional Jewish Kabbalah, and I might object to someone (say a rabbi who markets kabbalah to celebrities ) who claims it is traditional Jewish kabbalah - but if you are aware that you are merely taking techniques, and even terms, from Kabbalah, and incorporating in your own tradition, then good luck to you. Glad we could give you that gift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I acknowledge yoga has hindu roots. health concerns are not selfish, as it is in the interest of all to improve health. There is no robbing - when one faith tradition (or even a corporate entity) uses something from another faith tradition, the other faith tradition still has it. Do you want royalties? There is no intellectual property law for these things. Jews cannot sue Christianity for "robbing" the Hebrew scriptures, Christianity cannot sue Islam for "robbing" Christ, etc. No one owns these things.

I do not disdain Hinduism. It is one of mankind's great faith traditions and a key part of one of its great civilizations1. I do acknowledge that in Judaism (I cannot speak to Christianity or Islam) there are certain aspects of ther faith traditions it is forbidden to incorporate. That is not an insult, just a fact about Jewish law.

So are you okay if I practice the Kabbalah even though I'm not Jewish? I might say that Binah is the Divine Mother Shakti and Chokmah is Shiva, because that's a connection that non-Jewish Kabbalists have explored. I also might say that attaining Kether is the equivalent of attaining sahaja samadhi in Hinduism. How do you feel about me calling myself a Kabbalist when I'm Hindu and I've superimposed my idolatrous deities onto a Jewish mystical tradition?

I do not object if you identify kabalistic sphirot with hindu deities. I mean that horse left the barn centuries ago, with Christian kabalists, new agers, etc. I might point out that this is not traditional Jewish Kabbalah, and I might object to someone (say a rabbi who markets kabbalah to celebrities ) who claims it is traditional Jewish kabbalah - but if you are aware that you are merely taking techniques, and even terms, from Kabbalah, and incorporating in your own tradition, then good luck to you. Glad we could give you that gift.

I'm the PP who wrote about the post you're responding to. Even though you're fine with it, and even though I actually have studied the Kabbalah for a long time, I'm never going to call myself a Kabbalist because I care about not culturally appropriating a Jewish tradition. And I'm sensitive to those Jewish people who do not like it, especially as it was well argued in this post: http://pagan101.tumblr.com/post/55941428314/gentile-kabbalists-are-in-fact-appropriating

I understand that you have a liberal view towards the moving and adapting of religious traditions and I think that's fine, but I have a social responsibility to not take a privileged position in yanking a spiritual tradition out of its context, and I expect others to do that as well.

[Anonymous]

Love this article from 2009. I'm sure the numbers are even higher now.

Go on ladies, even if you can't bring yourself to admit it yet. You are very likely (GASP and reach for your crosses) Hindu!

http://www.newsweek.com/us-views-god-and-life-are-turning-hindu-79073

[Anonymous]

I tried yoga years ago because my physio therapist said it was an excellent way to stretch. For me, personally there was nothing more to it.

There was no intent to insult anyone's religion, I just needed to stretch some damn tight muscles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love this article from 2009. I'm sure the numbers are even higher now.

Go on ladies, even if you can't bring yourself to admit it yet. You are very likely (GASP and reach for your crosses) Hindu!

http://www.newsweek.com/us-views-god-and-life-are-turning-hindu-79073

Yep. You caught us. Going to yoga class convinced us that cows are sacred, reincarnation happens, and karma exists. I will immediately stop attending mass and proceed to pray to Shiva.

Thank you for educating me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love this article from 2009. I'm sure the numbers are even higher now.

Go on ladies, even if you can't bring yourself to admit it yet. You are very likely (GASP and reach for your crosses) Hindu!

http://www.newsweek.com/us-views-god-and-life-are-turning-hindu-79073

Yep. You caught us. Going to yoga class convinced us that cows are sacred, reincarnation happens, and karma exists. I will immediately stop attending mass and proceed to pray to Shiva.

Thank you for educating me.

Your literalist interpretation of a gradual cultural phenomenon leaves me astounded by your mighty intellect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I tried yoga years ago because my physio therapist said it was an excellent way to stretch. For me, personally there was nothing more to it.

There was no intent to insult anyone's religion, I just needed to stretch some damn tight muscles.

Fair enough, I have no problem with you tending to your health concerns. It's not about "You have to be Hindu to do yoga" or "Only Hindus can do yoga", it's about, "I'm a non-Hindu benefiting from a Hindu practice" and being mindful of that. Most people say, "Yoga isn't Hindu, so I can practice it without being Hindu." We're saying the attitude should be, "Yoga is Hindu, but I can practice it without being Hindu as long as I'm mindful of what it is I'm doing."

Tight muscles do need to be stretched; nothing wrong with that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love this article from 2009. I'm sure the numbers are even higher now.

Go on ladies, even if you can't bring yourself to admit it yet. You are very likely (GASP and reach for your crosses) Hindu!

http://www.newsweek.com/us-views-god-and-life-are-turning-hindu-79073

Yep. You caught us. Going to yoga class convinced us that cows are sacred, reincarnation happens, and karma exists. I will immediately stop attending mass and proceed to pray to Shiva.

Thank you for educating me.

Your literalist interpretation of a gradual cultural phenomenon leaves me astounded by your mighty intellect.

YAWN

Your insults, anger, and bitter attitude demonstrates the depth of your spiritual practice.