The Don

What's Wrong with Yoga?

9 posts in this topic

Hello.

I've watched this video two times already and I thought it would be a great idea for all of us to debate it.

I encourage you to watch the whole video before you start debating it.

And for those who are not in the mood to watch the video, I'll explain what is it about.

The old man explains exactly what's wrong with Yoga in comparison to Judaism.

At some point in the video, he explains that an Easterner who practices Yoga (including meditation) learns to be detached from this world and ultimately becomes God-like.

He gave an example related to the mission of Judaism on this planet.

The old man made an analogy:

If an Easterner goes out in the woods and sees a beautiful flower, he leaves it there.

If a Westerner sees a beautiful flower that he loves, he takes it.

If a Judean sees that mesmerizing flower, he would nourish it with water.

What the old man wanted to highlight is that our purpose here as human beings is to make the world a better place.

He continued that Judaism's mission in life is not to be detached from the world but to engage with the world and make it better.

"Our job is not to leave the world. Our job is to have families and make a better world for us all", explained the old man.

What are your thoughts on this? Is he wrong?

Edited by The Don
To add a few words.

Me on the road less traveled.

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This is a very broad and complex topic. So many over simplifications and generalisations done by the guy. There are many different branches and schools of Yoga. It is not one thing. Patanjali's Yoga is very different from Tantrik Yoga for instance. The first is focused on transcendence while the latter is focused on embodiment and therefore is not interested in just reaching the void state and stopping there, because that is a trap. Consciousness pervades all states including the void. It is both full and empty. Also the 7 chakra system is just one system for the chakras. Some systems use 5, 9, 12 etc. It is just that the west has adopted the 7 and made it mainstream.

So basically judaism is superior and every other tradition is wrong and the devil. He is just crusading for his religion. His people are the saviours and care about the world. Yada yada yada. Not all Yoga is about detachment and not all "detached" people dismiss the world. 

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1 hour ago, The Don said:

"Our job is not to leave the world. Our job is to have families and make a better world for us all", explained the old man.

Karma yoga is one of the mainstream yogic paths, usually done with a combination of bakhti and gyan, so he's just wrong here lol. He also seems very ethnocentric. 'dont awaken serpents because serpent bad hur dur'...tf kind of logic was he on about there ahaha. I highly doubt he's awakened, if somenoes looking to this guy for spiritual growth then I'd say they're looking in the wrong areas-but what do I know, I'm not awake :P

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@The Don So two things I'll focus on. This man and then my thoughts in general. 

I'm family friends with an Iranian Muslim who was a bit like this guy. Relatively thoughtful and he provokes you in a very gentle and welcoming way. 

The links he made to religious scripture and the garden of Eden are bullshit to put to one side. The link about how Jews reject the snake but Hindus are somehow invoking the evil snake/devil with kundalini is a fabrication of his ideology. 

What he said about how you don't need to curl your fingers a certain way or activate your chakras in a certain way to access god was a point which landed for me.

---

So the relevant thing being brought up for me is what it means to have a method for enlightenment. You can go into technical detail of all these methods. And then you can think more metaphysically. The paradoxes, the seeking vs non seeking, the domain of the absolute vs domain of the relative. 

If I am already it, why do you need psychedelics, meditation, proper breathing to realise it? Inquiry along that line is what I see as valuable here. 

Edited by lmfao

Hark ye yet again — the little lower layer. All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event — in the living act, the undoubted deed — there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask. If man will strike, strike through the mask! How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the wall? To me, the white whale is that wall, shoved near to me. Sometimes I think there's naught beyond. But 'tis enough.

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3 hours ago, Esoteric said:

The first is focused on transcendence while the latter is focused on embodiment and therefore is not interested in just reaching the void state and stopping there, because that is a trap. Consciousness pervades all states including the void.

I understand. That's good.

The old man makes an explanation between Buddhist meditation and Jewish meditation.

Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUBPULx_P4Y

He's telling us that Buddhists get detached from the world and do nothing to elevate the world while Jewish people focus their attachments on doing the right things to elevate the world.

I'm okay with meditation and having no attachments in life but we also need to elevate the world by doing the right things.

For example, we should have families. We should discover new things. We should pursue the idea of happiness. We should create in this world.

It's not enough to be completely detached. That's why the old man is against Buddhism.

On the other hand, people can still meditate and use their creative abilities for the common good.

@Leo Gura, what do you think of this Jewish vs. Buddhist Meditation video?

Edited by The Don
To add the same link in a proper context.

Me on the road less traveled.

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29 minutes ago, The Don said:

For example, we should have families. We should discover new things. We should pursue the idea of happiness. We should create in this world.

And who are you to say what people SHOULD do? Some people choose to have families and some people choose to become renunciates. But yeah if you want to preach how people should live their lives and what the one ultimate spiritual path is then I guess you've found your man.

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1 minute ago, Esoteric said:

And who are you to say what people SHOULD do?

I'm just a regular guy. A mortal human being.

If we want to keep a good society, we need to have families and pursue what's right. Otherwise our society is not going to survive.


Me on the road less traveled.

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42 minutes ago, The Don said:

I'm just a regular guy. A mortal human being.

If we want to keep a good society, we need to have families and pursue what's right. Otherwise our society is not going to survive.

Explains everything. 


I will be waiting here, For your silence to break, For your soul to shake,              For your love to wake! Rumi

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