YOGA...ooer!

[Michael_Mayo]

Since none of us here were talking about practicing Tantric yoga ourselves, and you’re the only one who seems to be interested in it, it seems logical for you to be the one to go hunting for an answer.

I think friardchips is more obsessed with Yoga than any of us.

 

[agnes_therese]

Try following the dialogue (a tip ).

Try not pretending your allegations haven’t been shot down over and over and over . . .

(a tip)

 

[friardchips]

Try not pretending your allegations haven’t been shot down over and over and over . . .

(a tip)

If you do not find the thread to your tastes then please don’t feel as if you are somehow obligated to post.

 

[friardchips]

I think friardchips is more obsessed with Yoga than any of us.

If you do not find the thread to your tastes then please don’t feel as if you are somehow obligated to post.

 

[Contarini]

unlinking it from all the Hindu demon worship that recognises reincarnation

And there you go again. What does demon worship and reincarnation have to do with each other? And haven’t we already established that Hinduism as a whole can’t be called demon worship?

then we’d be safe.

Brother, the only safe people are the dead ones.

When you shut yourself off from anything unfamiliar because you think it’s “dangerous,” you are far from safe. You are in danger of deadly sins such as pride, self-righteousness, and complacency.

That is not to claim superiority because I am of a more adventurous bent, only to say that there are dangers everywhere and the goal of the Christian life is not to escape danger but to glorify God and follow Jesus.

Edwin

 

[Contarini]

Here’s your root:

From a Yoga website: hinduwisdom.info/Yoga_and_Hindu_Philosophy.htm :

That’s a linguistic root, not a historical or theological one. Try again.

This too, seems to be outside of Christian understanding, because the Christian is not called to alter our mind state via any means, and are not required to perform any ritual in order to do this. We can still the mind, but this is not “transformation”. We ourselves do not do the work, rather, the Christian puts the heart and mind into His hands, in His control. This is not ‘achieved’, or at least, not by the self.

Don’t Catholics believe in synergy?

And how is stilling the mind not transformation? I assure you that when I can still my mind for only a few seconds, it’s one of the most transformative things I’ve ever experienced.

• I pose this question as a result:

‘In Tantra, does the philosophy/practice mention/include any instruction about waiting until marriage before entering into the realms of sexual arousal?’

I already answered this, but you aren’t interested in answers.

Left-handed Tantra depends on violating taboos. It depends on the existence of conservative sexual and other norms which are then violated deliberately as a spiritual practice. This is, however, an extremely rare practice and one in which you are interested to a degree entirely unjustified by its significance as part of Hinduism.

Now there is a broader tendency in Hinduism, it seems to me, to think of morality in terms of societal rules that govern proper conduct within the world of maya but are not particularly relevant to the ultimate spiritual quest except in a preparatory way. But I may be wrong about this. If true, it certainly points to one of the significant flaws in Hinduism from a Christian perspective.

Edwin

 

[Michael_Mayo]

If you do not find the thread to your tastes then please don’t feel as if you are somehow obligated to post.

There are some very good and interesting points on this thread. You just cannot agree with them. I enjoyed that someone was able to recognize a distinction between yoga of the Upanishads, Vedas and Patanjali’s Samhkya additions.

On a different thread on yoga someone else spoke of the possibility that yoga as we know it may largely be a creation of 20th century Europe. I wish I could find that post again.

So the thread is worth participating in regardless of your distractions.

 

[friardchips]

And there you go again. What does demon worship and reincarnation have to do with each other? And haven’t we already established that Hinduism as a whole can’t be called demon worship?

Not sure why you are dragging up dialogue from ages ago. I can’t assume anything which is why I’m trying to ask questions - to form a kind of investigative line of enquiry, which is the whole point of the Catholic Forum. Or so I thought.

Brother, the only safe people are the dead ones.

I think we’ve been through this too.

When you shut yourself off from anything unfamiliar because you think it’s “dangerous,” you are far from safe. You are in danger of deadly sins such as pride, self-righteousness, and complacency.

And this.

That is not to claim superiority because I am of a more adventurous bent, only to say that there are dangers everywhere and the goal of the Christian life is not to escape danger but to glorify God and follow Jesus.

Edwin

So you are suggesting what, that it is right to risk our faith by putting ourselves into near occasions of sin…ah, thanks, great advice! This is not to say that one is doing this when attempting Yoga, except that when walking purposefully down unknown spiritual paths, not advised by the highest authority in the Catholic Church, sorry, advised against…, then this could well be just that. Not saying it is but it could be, and this is why I want to find out - if it might be a risk. Obviously not for you though, or most of the others who have posted recently on here, because as one poster said: “I don’t care”.

Which kind of sums it up really.

 

[friardchips]

That’s a linguistic root, not a historical or theological one. Try again.

Or you could do it yourself - just type into Google, it is all there for you to explore.

Don’t Catholics believe in synergy?

And how is stilling the mind not transformation?

Don’t you mean “how is it…?”

I assure you that when I can still my mind for only a few seconds, it’s one of the most transformative things I’ve ever experienced.

“I can still my mind…”, “I can still my mind…”.

Good for you, maybe, but this is the point (in italics).

I already answered this, but you aren’t interested in answers.

I’m not interested in deviations.

Left-handed Tantra depends on violating taboos. It depends on the existence of conservative sexual and other norms which are then violated deliberately as a spiritual practice. This is, however, an extremely rare practice and one in which you are interested to a degree entirely unjustified by its significance as part of Hinduism.

Now there is a broader tendency in Hinduism, it seems to me, to think of morality in terms of societal rules that govern proper conduct within the world of maya but are not particularly relevant to the ultimate spiritual quest except in a preparatory way. But I may be wrong about this. If true, it certainly points to one of the significant flaws in Hinduism from a Christian perspective.

Edwin

So, to cut a long story short, “no”, then?!

Thank you, for answering my question, even if a little long-winded.

 

[friardchips]

There are some very good and interesting points on this thread. You just cannot agree with them. I enjoyed that someone was able to recognize a distinction between yoga of the Upanishads, Vedas and Patanjali’s Samhkya additions.

On a different thread on yoga someone else spoke of the possibility that yoga as we know it may largely be a creation of 20th century Europe. I wish I could find that post again.

So the thread is worth participating in regardless of your distractions.

I have enjoyed many lines of conversation too when they are to do with the thread.

If you do not find the thread to your tastes then please don’t feel as if you are somehow obligated to post.

 

[Michael_Mayo]

So you are suggesting what, that it is right to risk our faith by putting ourselves into near occasions of sin…ah, thanks, great advice! This is not to say that one is doing this when attempting Yoga, except that when walking purposefully down unknown spiritual paths, not advised by the highest authority in the Catholic Church, sorry, advised against…, then this could well be just that. Not saying it is but it could be, and this is why I want to find out - if it might be a risk. Obviously not for you though, or most of the others who have posted recently on here, because as one poster said: “I don’t care”.

Which kind of sums it up really.

Sums what up? Are you implying that because I do not care about Tantra yoga I also do not care about my faith because of the supposed possible danger that all yoga is linked to Tantra?

 

[friardchips]

Sums what up? Are you implying that because I do not care about Tantra yoga I also do not care about my faith because of the supposed possible danger that all yoga is linked to Tantra?

Your words: you “don’t care”…enough to respect the thread and so you don’t show me, another person - the OP - the most basic form of it - why? Because the thread belongs to someone who is not trusting of something you are into? If you post slighting comments, then write "I don’t care", then those three words say a lot.

 

[friardchips]

Again, I have no idea nor do I care.

You said, " ** if** all Yoga connects to one root, and one strand of Yoga promotes apparent ‘chastity’ yet another promotes sexual discovery, then either the original root must be unsound or the teaching itself stemming from whatever its root is, must be flawed.

Let us assume that Tantra promotes promiscuity, certainly an unsound teaching. It reminds me of the Free Spirit Movement within Christianity. Does that mean the root of Christianity is flawed. Certainly not. Does that mean that everything that stems from Christinity is perfect? certainly not. Many forms of Protestantism prove that. Your desire to attribute guilt by association is misguided.

To clarify, you stated outright you “don’t care” about my questions or sentiments.

At the end, you wrote that I “DESIRE to attribute guilt…”.

You suggested that I am “obsessed with Yoga”…!

When all I was doing was asking a simple question?! :blackeye:

 

[Michael_Mayo]

Your words: you “don’t care”…enough to respect the thread and so you don’t show me, another person - the OP - the most basic form of it - why? Because the thread belongs to someone who is not trusting of something you are into? If you post slighting comments, then write "I don’t care", then those three words say a lot.

I respect you as well as your opinion, but not your logic or reasoning.

But I never should have returned to this thread.

My apology for offending you.

I didn’t get my therapeutic stretching and diaphragmatic breathing in today.

 

[cjforJesus]

I think friardchips is more obsessed with Yoga than any of us.

Michael.I think aliens are obsessed with yoga too! Look at this cool CD you can get.They call it “energy exercise” but we know what it really is

pleiadians.com/energy-exercise-cds.html

 

[friardchips]

I respect you as well as your opinion, but not your logic or reasoning.

But I never should have returned to this thread.

My apology for offending you.

I didn’t get my therapeutic stretching and diaphragmatic breathing in today.

You are very welcome on the thread but I’d prefer it if we kept it cool as temperatures can run high sometimes :coolinoff: and I have no way of knowing when or not you’ve done your exercise

I do appreciate the apology. Thank you.

 

[friardchips]

Michael.I think aliens are obsessed with yoga too! Look at this cool CD you can get.They call it “energy exercise” but we know what it really is

pleiadians.com/energy-exercise-cds.html

Not sure I’d relish any 'orbs in the eye.’ Where on our good earth did you dig this absolute gem up from?

 

[cjforJesus]

Not sure I’d relish any 'orbs in the eye.’ Where on our good earth did you dig this absolute gem up from?

Sorry,friardchips,I could not resist. I am not trying to derail the thread but I was researching some articles about “channeling” aliens and stumbled across this.I just HAD to share with everyone here. ALIEN YOGA lol

 

[friardchips]

[(name removed by moderator)lainsite.org/html/yoga_and_christianity.html](http://www.(name removed by moderator)lainsite.org/html/yoga_and_christianity.html)

This is quite informative as to the roots of Yoga and quite clearly explains that the roots:

“According to tradition, ‘yoga’ means ‘union,’ the union…of the finite ‘jiva’ (transitory self) with the infinite’…Brahman’ (eternal Self).”(2) “Brahman” is a term often used for the Hindu concept of “God,” or Ultimate Reality. It is an impersonal, divine substance that "pervades, envelops, and underlies everything - See more at: [(name removed by moderator)lainsite.org/html/yoga_and_christianity.html#sthash.NM0pGTP2.dpuf](http://www.(name removed by moderator)lainsite.org/html/yoga_and_christianity.html#sthash.NM0pGTP2.dpuf)

“Impersonal”.

It appears that one can trace both the practice and goal of yoga all the way back to the Upanishads, probably written between 1000-500 B.C.(4) One Upanishad tells us: “Unite the light within you with the light of Brahman.”(5) Clearly, then, the goal of yoga (i.e. union with Brahman) is at least as old as the Upanishads.

So, union with an impersonal god.

In addition, the word “yoga” often appears in the Bhagavad Gita, a classic Hindu text possibly written as early as the fifth century B.C.{6} In chapter 6, Krishna declares: “Thus joy supreme comes to the Yogi . . . who is one with Brahman, with God.”{7} Finally, in about A.D. 150, the yogi Patanjali systematized yoga into eight distinct “limbs” in his Yoga Sutras. These eight limbs are like a staircase, supposedly leading the yogi from ignorance to enlightenment. In order, the eight limbs are: yama (self-control), niyama (religious observances), asana (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), pratyahara (sense control), dharana (concentration), dhyana (deep contemplation), and samadhi (enlightenment).{8} It’s interesting to note that postures and breathing exercises, often considered to be the whole of yoga in the West, are steps three and four along Patanjali’s “royal” road to union with Brahman. We see that yoga is an ancient spiritual discipline deeply rooted in the religion of Hinduism. This being so, we may honestly wonder whether it’s really wise for a Christian to be involved in yoga practice. Next, we’ll continue our discussion by examining some of the important doctrinal differences between yoga and Christianity.

In bold type: certain issues, to say the least!

What is also interesting is that the dates correspond with the Isaiah’s warnings before and after the Babylonian exile between 1000BC and (I think?) 300BC.

 

[Contarini]

Don’t you mean “how is it…?”

No, I don’t. I mean what I said, for the reasons I gave.

“I can still my mind…”, “I can still my mind…”.

Good for you, maybe, but this is the point (in italics).

And here I’ve been told by Catholics for years that Catholicism is a both/and religion and does not deny the value of human effort:shrug:

I’m not interested in deviations.

Why are you so interested in left-handed Tantrism, then? Why not focus on mainstream expressions of Hinduism?

So, to cut a long story short, “no”, then?!

Thank you, for answering my question, even if a little long-winded.

You don’t want to understand. You want sound bites that you can use for your propaganda. You aren’t speaking as a person who is actually interested in truth. I suggest you rethink your approach, which is not glorifying God or honoring Christ. Either drop your interest in yoga or start trying to understand it fairly.

Edwin