A Christian Response to YOGA

A Christian Response to YOGA

The Oriental has always been more spiritualistic than the Occident. Both yoga and Hinduism itself, are heavily influenced by the Vedas. Veda is knowledge and Yoga is its application, in effect two sides of the same coin. The spiritual core and philosophical foundations were provided by the Vedas. Yoga not only leads us to Veda, but also expresses it. The Upanishad, which is the culmination of all the Vedas, mentions “Yogaha Karmasu Koushalam” which roughly translates as “yoga is excellence in action”. As Yoga made inroads into the Western psyche, its original form has changed dramatically, the ancient practices of the East being blended with Western influences.This question has arisen primarily because of the way “Yoga” has been packaged- as an exercise for the body. Interestingly, this is how it is perceived in the west.

Today’s aspirants are motivated more by transitory physical rewards rather than the promise of the spirit. However, it is to be noted that in its origin, design and intent, yoga is the worship of Hindu deities. Philosophically, it is impossible for religions with mutually-exclusive doctrines to be equally valid. As distinct from Hinduism, Christianity involves the acceptance of the ultimate sacrifice – death and subsequent resurrection - to avoid the ultimate penalty, which is eternal separation from the divine. 

According to Rigveda - a collection of Vedic hymns dealing with liturgy, ritual and mystical exegesis - yoga is spiritual yoking, whereby the human mind is prepared to start the spiritual journey. In other words, yoga can be described as attainment of knowledge and wisdom by losing one’s sense of self and uniting with the Supreme Consciousness or Godhead, in much the same way a drop of water loses itself and becomes one with a puddle. This “attainment of knowledge” can be called as the concept of Gnosticism. In spite of the polytheism inherent in Hinduism, the belief that all of these gods are actually various forms of Brahman, the eternal, unchanging, transcendent reality, predominate.

YOGA and DECEPTION

“Hindu theistic philosophy teaching the suppression of all activity of body, mind, and will in order that the self may realize its distinction from them and attain liberation“ is how Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines Yoga. To the discerning mind, this sounds like what the Bible refers to as “Salvation by works”. Swami Paramhansa Yogananda founder of the famous Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles, said that yoga was” the binding force that could connect all religions”.

Thus, it becomes clear that Yoga is not at all what it seems. This in fact, arose in part due to the adoption of Yoga as ONLY an exercise. This posture has been vigorously contested by many sources, time and again. Hinduism Today, launched in 1979 by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami admits “Efforts to separate yoga from its spiritual centre reveal ignorance of the goal of yoga.“(HinduismToday.com – 9/1-3/09). In stark contrast, the Bible says:

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove that what is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” [ Romans 12:2, KJV]

In essence, yoga deals with enabling the body while shaping the mind to critically inspect and interpret scripture. The mention of Yoga, by Marilyn Ferguson - an American author, editor and public speaker affiliated with the New Age Movement and described by The Los Angeles Times as a "galvanizing influence," - within her list of psychotechnologies proves it is more than physical and designed to introduce individuals into the occult. Yoga was developed for a religious purpose.In a mind over body relationship mantra yoga also seeks to alter consciousness of an individual by the repetition of mantras. According to a report in FaithWire.com “There is danger in interpreting the results obtained through yoga practice as spiritual benefits. Hindu leaders also do not agree in presenting yoga as separate from Hindu religion,”

YOGA and IDOLATRY

The term “Christian Yoga” is an oxymoron at best, for yoga is a physical expression of a deep-seated belief. Thus, yoga and the underlying belief system, both are strongly bound to each other.The poses are all offerings to the Hindu Gods and this makes the practitioner/s guilty of idolatry. “Yoga poses are offerings to the 330 million Hindu gods”— George P. Alexander, Ph.D., who taught World Religions at Biola University says but this is expressly forbidden in Christianity.Acts 15:29 tells us to “abstain from things offered to idols.”

Sannyasin Arumugaswami, managing editor of Hinduism Today, said that Hinduism is the soul of Yoga. “A Christian trying to adapt these practices will likely disrupt their own Christian beliefs.”– Sannyasin Arumugaswami (Orlando Sentinel, May 2, 2006). Christianity and the Eastern religions are at loggerheads when the complete, physical and spiritual, practices of yoga are followed. The Bible teaches God’s people to meditate, but to meditate on God’s Word.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” – [Joshua 1:8, KJV] Yoga, in effect can be termed as idolatrous which can be defined as excessive attachment or veneration for anything, or that which borders on adoration. The God of the Bible is very prescriptive about what constitutes acceptable worship. True believers are expected to obey unquestioningly.

As is evident from Ezekiel 8:16-18, sun worship is no trivial matter, but a turning of one’s back to God. This is anathema to God. Yoga may be food for the practitioner, but it is also food for demons:

“Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What say I then? that the idol is anything, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?” (1 Corinthians 10:18-22, KJV)

YOGA and OBEDIENCE

“And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” – [1Samuel 15:22, KJV]

Furthermore, Christians are exhorted to ignore the physical body and instead concentrate on the spirit. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” – [Colossians 3:2 KJV]

Do we dare disobey the omnipotent Creator? The Bible also lists out the reason for the above, as below:

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So, then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. [Romans 8:7-8, KJV]

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” [James 4:4, KJV]

The topic of Death, while an important topic for the yogi, is often left unexamined in modern approaches to yoga practice. The Dalai Lama puts it succinctly when he says, “Awareness of death is the very bedrock of the path. Until you have developed this awareness, all other practices are useless.”

Despite the practitioner’s best intention, yoga cannot be divorced from its original purpose and redirected to some other use such as mere exercise or communion with the God of Abraham.Offering God, a form of worship that has already been consecrated to other gods, is like giving God second-hand goods used by the devil. There’s no way to adequately describe the abhorrence God has for such offerings. They are abominable to Him. Besides, it makes a mockery of the first of the Ten Commandments which states:

I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. – [Exodus 20:2-6; KJV]

This precludes preoccupation with anything apart from the Lord, even one’s own physical body. This, sadly is common in today’s world which is characterized by materialism and the look-good phenomena.

Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. [1John 2:15-16, KJV]

Thus, one must conclude that most of today’s world, as indicated by the proliferation of yoga centres, have fallen out with this exhortation.