The
Religious Nature of Yoga
By Rev. Keith
Gibson
Since
the 1960’s the United States has seen a steady
rise in the interest in and acceptance of Eastern
forms of thought and philosophy. One of the evidences
of this is the virtual explosion of centers teaching
yoga. It is being taught at YMCA’s, community
centers, hospitals, physical therapy clinics, schools
and even in churches. Yoga is touted primarily as
an exercise regimen designed to increase function,
strength and mobility while at the same time decreasing
stress.
One of the persistent
claims of many Western proponents of yoga is that
it is
non-religious and therefore compatible
with any religious system. Consider the following statement
from the book Meditations from the Mat, “You
will find nothing in the Ancient texts that contradicts
the precepts of any religion. Instead you will find
a step-by-step guide to right living, a guide that
complements the goals of any spiritual condition.” (1)
Yoga enthusiasts are not above taking scripture out
of context
in an attempt to Christianize the practice. Ann Kent
Rush writes, “Meditation is the exploration of
the pauses between thoughts. The mind can find balance
that is considered more real, that is, more divine
than thinking. The spiritual harmony beyond thought
is described in the biblical phrase, “the peace
that passeth understanding”.” (2)
Many Christians
have uncritically accepted these claims without stopping
to examine
the beliefs that form the
foundation for the system. When one does investigate
these beliefs, one finds that they are deeply rooted
in Eastern religious thought. A more honest assessment
of Yoga’s religious connection comes from David
Life and Sharon Gannon who write, “Yoga is not
a religion; it is a school of practical philosophy.
Yoga practices however are inextricably linked to the
development of both Hinduism and the philosophical
schools, including Yoga, Vedanta, Samkhya, Jainism,
and Buddhism, which developed in ancient India. Their
codevelopment in the modern era has commonality in
language, myth, root teachings, practices, and beliefs.” (3)
(emphasis mine)
It will be the
purpose of this article to review some of the major
religious
tenants supporting yoga and
to evaluate them from a Christian worldview. Attention
will be given to assessing whether yoga practices,
specifically asana’s (postures) and pranayama’s
(breathing exercises) can be safely separated from
their religious heritage.
Understanding Yoga
The origins of Yoga reach back into the ancient history
of India. It first begins to emerge in the Upanishads
(1000-500 B.C.) Included in these writings are many
of the practices as well as the goal of Yoga, union
with the Absolute. The word itself appears repeatedly
in the Bhagavad Gita (500-400 B.C.) However, it is
the writings of Pantanjali, the Yoga Sutras (150 A.D.),
which are normally credited with developing Yoga as
a system.
The first difficulty
one encounters when trying to evaluate Yoga today
is
that the system is not monolithic.
That is to say, there is not one single mode of thought
to which one can point and say, “This is yoga.” In
reality, yoga has a variety of schools of thought as
can be seen from the following statement by Anne Kent
Rush; “There are many different Yoga schools
today. Kundalini practices deep breathing and strenuous
exercises. Astanga, outlined in Power Yoga (Beryl Bender
Birch, Fireside), combines variations of hatha postures
with its own form of breathing and continuous fast-paced
movement. Tantra focuses on couple exercises and sexual
energy. Raja heightens spirituality by subduing body
sensations in order to allow the mind to dominate.” (4)
Yet in spite of the diversity, there are some beliefs
and
goals that all schools share in common.
The word Yoga
comes from a Sanskrit word meaning roughly “to
yoke or unite”. The goal of Yoga is Samadhi,
enlightenment or union with the Divine. This is one
of the constants seen in every school as can be demonstrated
by the following statements;
“Yoga is
the union of the individual psyche with the transcendental
Self.” (5)
“Samadhi
is the technique of unifying consciousness [with
the object of meditation]
and the resulting state
of ecstatic union with the object of contemplation.” (6)
In a chapter entitled, “Yoga
is Your True Nature: Union with the Divine Self”,
Gannon and Life state, “The various yoga practices
are like the yoking mechanism: they put you on the
path, and direct
you as you walk toward God. They make you available
for the possibility that you might experience a graceful
dissolution of the yoke and the merger with the Divine
called Samadhi.” (7)
Upon reading these quotes some observations should
be obvious to the Christian. The first is that the
basic assumptions Yoga makes about the nature of God
are completely foreign and incompatible with the Christian
belief system. The god of Yoga is spoken of as the
Absolute, Higher Self, Ultimate, Divine Consciousness
and a host of other titles that speak of an impersonal,
pantheistic deity that is in all things, though transcendent
beyond them. How this impersonal deity can emanate
in personal beings including humans and how humans
can relate with this impersonal god are two of the
logical inconsistencies within Hinduism. Relationships
involve multiple personal beings. Real love demands
both a lover and a beloved.
Most practitioners
of Yoga are either qualified nondualists or complete
nondualists
in their understanding of the
relationship between god and the physical world. Qualified
nondualists see themselves as being qualitatively one
with god, though not equal with god. For a good example
of this system consider the following statement by
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, “Similarly,
we are all qualitatively one with God. The word qualitatively
means that whatever we have as spirit souls, God also
has. There is no difference in quality. For example,
suppose you take a drop of water from the vast Atlantic
Ocean and you chemically analyze the ingredients. The
composition of the drop of water is the same as the
composition of the vast Atlantic Ocean. So qualitatively
the drop of water is equal to the vast mass of water
in the Atlantic Ocean. Similarly, you are a spirit
soul, a spark of the supreme spirit soul, God. You
have all the spiritual qualities that God has.” (8)
In other words, qualified nondualists see themselves
as
emanating from the Absolute though not identical with
the absolute.
Nondualists see
themselves as one with god. This oneness is not recognized
because
of their preoccupation with
the physical world. The physical world is maya, or
illusion. Only that which does not change is real.
At the essence of each person is divinity. True enlightenment
is reached when the illusion of distinction between
the individual and god is shattered and the soul realizes
its true identity. Life and Gannon provide an example
of this belief, “What is liberation? It is when
the jiva [soul] realizes that it is not individual
but Absolute.” (9) And again, “The
realized soul is Atman. The Atman sees all; it is the
indwelling
witness. It is pure consciousness, in a state of absolute
joy. It is unborn and deathless, not subject to growth
and decay….It is unchangeable and eternal and
is not destroyed when the body is destroyed. Atman
is I-AM.” (10) Similarly, Feuerstein gives the
following quote ascribed to the Hindu sage Shankara,
Om. I am not reason, intuition (buddhi), egoity (ahamkara),
or memory.
Neither am I hearing, tasting, smelling, or sight; neither ether nor earth;
fire or air. I am Shiva, in the form of Consciousness- Bliss. I am Shiva.
Feuerstein summarizes
the meaning of this mantra with the comment. “Thus
he or she affirms “I
am the Absolute””. (11)
Another issue
of distinction that should be becoming clear is that
the great need
of man and thus the solution
to this need is radically different from Christianity.
In Yoga, as in Hinduism, the great need of man is to
rid himself from karma, the cumulative effect of the
good and bad things done in a persons life that are
paid for during the next life when the soul transmigrates
into another body. The yoga practitioner seeks to reach
the point of enlightenment or Samadhi when union with
the divine is accomplished and the individual ego or
person is dissolved into the Absolute. “With
enlightenment there is automatic liberation from all
karma. The jivanmukta is freed from all past, present
and future karma-all actions from beginningless time
are dissolved.” (12) And again, “Most
people are not truly interested in disturbing the illusion
of separation between the small self and the universal
Self. It can be frightening to contemplate the dissolution
of your personality, of your ego, of yourself.” (13)
Karma is undoubtedly one of the cruelest teachings
ever devised
by man. It does nothing to solve the ultimate question
of evil as Hindu philosophers claim. Karma teaches
that every evil thing that happens in a person’s
life is payment for some bad action taken in a previous
life that can’t even be remembered. It makes
the individual personally responsible for any reprehensible
action taken against them. For instance, a woman who
is brutally raped is ultimately responsible for her
attack because of some action taken in a past life.
The absurdity goes even further for to help this woman
would ultimately be bad for her since it would prevent
her from purging herself of this negative karma. The
problem is magnified even further when one understands
that most traditional schools of Hinduism teach that
our existence is eternal. (14) This means that there
was no original choice of rebellion against God that
brought
the race under sin and condemnation. So the original
karmic debt was unmerited. It would also seem, since
each of us continue to sin, that with each passing
life a person’s debt would continue to increase.
There seems to be no way to win. And one must ask how
enlightenment frees one from karmic cause and effect?
How is it that the enlightened one automatically receives
a “get out of jail free” card and is no
longer responsible for past or future actions? This
essentially teaches that the truly enlightened individual
can no longer sin.
In fact, sin is
not truly addressed within Hinduism and its Eastern
cousins.
One of the tenants is nonjudgmentalism.
Consider the advice of Anne Rush when discussing meditation, “If
you can observe your thoughts as neither good nor bad,
just there and identify the calm between your thoughts,
your moods and perspectives will become more balanced.” (15)
She continues by discussing the path that should be
pursued
in life. “One of the choicest fruits of meditation
is that your participation in the world becomes more
peaceful and constructive. See if you can develop the
same nonjudgmental response to others that you are
cultivating toward yourself during meditation.” (16)
Among the eight-fold path of Yoga is a system of right
and
wrong as well as a call to pure living but one must
ask where this comes from. How can an impersonal deity
impose law? And how is this compatible with the nonjudgmental
attitude of teachers like Ms Rush? Doesn’t advocating
pure living assume an absolute standard that exists
somewhere outside of the individual person? Who determines
what this standard is? The questions are much the same
as one would ask any postmodernist.
Christianity teaches that the great need of man is
not to recognize his essential deity but his sinfulness.
Man in his sin has offended a holy, righteous, personal
law giver. This violation of law demands a penalty.
The penalty demanded is death. However, God, in His
infinite mercy, paid the penalty for the sin of man
in the person of Jesus Christ and offers forgiveness
to those who will repent and place faith in His finished
work. In Christ, the justice of God is satisfied and
the believer is declared righteous in Him. The goals
of Christianity and Yoga are neither compatible nor
complementary.
Additionally,
while at first, the Hindu belief that each person
is essentially
divine may appear to exalt
man, it in fact undermines the worth of each individual.
The individual is said to be only illusion. The goal
of uniting with the Self actually involves the breaking
down and dissolution of the individual personality
as a separate entity. Not only that, but the pantheistic
view that god is in everything makes it impossible
to state that humans have any more inherent value than
slugs or mosquitoes. Swami Prabhupada states, “When
we were babies we depended on milk, either our mother’s
breast-milk or cow’s milk. Therefore the cow
is also our mother. Just as we drink breast-milk from
our mother, we drink milk from mother cow. You must
not kill your mother; that is a great sin.” (17)
Can We Just Exercise?
The
issue still needs to be addressed as to whether or
not the physical
techniques
of yoga can be separated
and practiced apart from the spiritual dimensions.
This is difficult to assess because Yoga was not intended
to be practiced in this manner. In fact, many teachers
would indicate that in merely performing the positions,
one is not truly practicing Yoga at all. “Yoga
is full of surprises. The first surprise was that it
is not simply exercise. Yoga is a moving meditation,
a system for developing the mind, the body and the
spirit in unison. This holistic approach is what makes
yoga feel different from Western sports training.” (18)
Feuerstein would agree, “Unfortunately, both
Indic and Western practitioners of Hath-Yoga do not
always respect the
spiritual goals or even the ethical foundations of
this approach and often tend to pursue Hatha-Yoga as
a kind of calisthenics or body cosmetics.” (19)
Gannon and Life give one of the strongest statement, “…the
intention underlying all our practices must be clear.
The motivation underlying the yoga practices must be
Yoga, union with the Divine Self. For any practice
to be a yoga practice, one must consciously and continuously
cultivate the desire for Self-realization.” (20)
It must also be kept in mind that the various practices
of Yoga were designed to produce a pagan and occult
experience. Therefore the person practicing yoga simply
for exercise may find him or herself experiencing things
that are unintentional. Ignorance is not always bliss.
For a moment, let us consider the postures and breathing
techniques in greater detail as these are the first
steps to which the average consumers are commonly exposed.
The asanas, or
postures, are given a variety of purposes within
the various
schools of yoga but it should be
noted that all of them are spiritual. B.K.S. Iyengar,
the founder of the most popular form of Hatha-Yoga
in the U.S. states, “The third limb of yoga is
asana or posture…asanas have been evolved over
the centuries so as to exercise every muscle, nerve
and gland in the body… But their real importance
lies in the way they train and discipline the mind… The
yogi conquers the body by the practice of asanas and
makes it a fit vehicle for the spirit…The yogi
frees himself from physical disabilities and mental
distractions by practicing asanas. He surrenders his
actions and their fruits to the Lord [Brahman] in the
service of the world. The yogi realizes that his life
and all its activities are part of the divine action
in nature, manifesting and operating in the form of
man.” (21) Other authorities site the purpose
of the postures being to overcome one’s physical
bodies which are maya and get in touch with one’s “subtle
body”. This is a person’s true body that
is spiritual and is not touched by death and decay.
Some authorities
see the asanas as sufficient to produce a meditative
state
in and of themselves. “Asana
is a two-way street. Once the mental attitude has been
created, it can then be spontaneously expressed as
an asana; if one takes on the external form of an internal
attitude, soon that attitude moves through the body
into the mind, thus creating it there. Whichever way
one works, the results are the same. Asana is thus
both a preparation for meditation and a meditation
sufficient in and of itself.” (22)
It should also
be noted that the asanas, as well as most other meditative
practices such as breathing techniques,
have been known to be dangerous in certain cases and
among a certain percentage of the population. An article
entitled, “Hatha Yoga for Beginners” contains
the following warning, “Finally it should be
noted that asanas are a serious component of tantric
yoga practice. One should treat asana practice with
care. Some asanas can be dangerous or are contraindicated
for some persons and in certain combinations. No one
should practice asana without permission of an experienced
and properly trained Acharya (teacher).” (23)
The Christian wishing to use yogic postures merely
as a form of exercise should seriously consider these
statements. The posturing alone may lead them, unintentionally,
into a trance-like meditative state that may include
occult experiences. Asana practice is also medically
hazardous to certain portions of the population. The
person practicing yoga merely as a form of exercise
may find that they are getting far more than they bargained
for. Yoga was not intended to be practiced merely as
exercise. It is, at best, unclear whether the postures
can be completely divorced from their underlying philosophy.
Pranayamas are
the breathing techniques employed in Yoga. Prana
is believed to be the spiritual energy
that encompasses all things. Pranayama is a means of
controlling this vital energy through breathing. The
combination of pranayama and asana is intended to induce
the practitioner into an occultic and altered state
of consciousness. The practice of breathing techniques
is an integral part of all Eastern meditative systems.
An extensive German study on the effects of meditation
found negative side effects among 70% of the participants.
(24) It should be remembered that Biblical meditation
is a focused concentration upon the word of God and
the
person of God. In Biblical meditation the mind is active.
It is not an inward focus that includes the emptying
of the mind.
At this point
it would be well to discuss the subject of kundalini
arousal
which is one of the main goals
of Hatha-Yoga leading to illumination. Kundalini means, “she
who is coiled”. In Yogic belief, kundalini is
a power that is resident at the base of the spine and
is represented as a sleeping serpent curled three and
a half times. Space will not permit a thorough discussion
of the techniques used for kundalini arousal. Physiologically
however, the yogi’s body temperature may drop
measurably in the limbs and trunk while the crown of
the head feels as if it is on fire and becomes warm
to the touch. As the experience increases the practitioner
may have a feeling of leaving their body and being
absorbed into the divine.
This practice has been known to have severe side effects
and even avid practitioners warn of dangers if kundalini
is aroused incorrectly or unexpectedly. These side
effects can include sensations of intense heat, light,
sound, pressure, pain, splitting headaches and even
psychotic episodes. These have been known to last for
days.
Conclusion: Buyer Beware
It can clearly be seen from all of the above that
Yoga practice is rooted in Eastern, pantheistic religious
thought. This belief system stands in complete antithesis
to the doctrines of Christianity. This reason alone
should cause the Christian to pause before becoming
involved in the practice. Additionally, it is at best
unclear as to whether the postures of Yoga can be successfully
separated from their religious moorings. There is also
reason to be concerned that a person attempting to
use yoga merely as exercise may experience undesired
side effects that include occultic altered states of
consciousness. Lastly, many of the techniques of yoga
bring the potential for doing physiological and psychological
harm to the practitioner. It seems best to err on the
side of caution. There is a definite need for exercise
within the American culture but the Christian should
consider alternative methods that do not bring with
them the religious baggage associated with Yoga. The
unsuspecting Yogi may find they receive far more than
they desired.
Rev.
Keith Gibson
NOTES
1.
Meditations from the Mat, Rolf Gates and Katrina
Kennison, Anchor Books, New York, New York, 2002
page 3.
2. The Modern Book of Yoga, Anne Kent
Rush, Byron Press Visual Publications, New York, New
York page 13
3.
JivaMukti
Yoga, Sharon Gannon and David Life, Ballantine Books,
New York, New York 2002 page 8.
4. Op cit Rush page 8-9
5. Yoga-Yajnavadka 1.44 qoted in “The
Yoga Tradition. Its History, Literature, Philosophy
and Practice” by Georg Feuerstein, PH.D. Hohm
Press, Prescott, Arizona, 1998, xviii
6. Ibid, page 3
7. Op. cit. Gannon and Life page 3.
8. The Quest for Enlightenment, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. Los Angeles, CA
1997, page 15
9. Op. cit Gannon and Life page xvii
10. Ibid. page 29
11. Op cit Feuerstein page 5
12. Op cit Gannon and Life page xvii
13.
Ibid. page
4
14. “Reason for the Hope Within”,
Michael J. Murray, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999,
Grand Rapids, MI page 184
15. Op cit. Rush page 13
16. Ibid page 13
17. Op cit Prabhupada 216
18. Ibid page 3
19. Op cit Feuerstein page 29
20. Op cit Gannon and Life page 5
21. Light on Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar page 40-41 as quoted in
an internet article by John Weldon entitled “Yogasanas: physical postures,
spiritual method or both?” www.apologeticsindex.org/y06aa.html
22. Ibid.
23. “Hatha Yoga for Beginners”. www.abhidhyan.org/Teachings/Asanas.htm.
by Anatole.
24. “The Various Implications Arising from the Practice
of Transcendental Meditation: An empirical analysis of pathogenic structures
as an aid in counseling. www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/t/tm/tmgerman.htm
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