Yoga, literally is to add or
combine. In classic terms, it is trying to add, focus, concentrate, bring
together all your life energy centers (kundali) in your body so as to maximize
your power to think and act, or even produce supernatural power. Usually it is
done with focusing on a point in your body, or a sound like Om, a point in a
picture or the centre of concentric circles or even by connecting yourself to a
spirit or guru. Now popularly it is considered physical exercise enjoined with
mental concentration and meditation. Here I am not getting into a detailed or
in-depth study of the history of Yoga or its historic development and practice
but just how that challenges our basic understanding of human life and its
functions. Also I will try using layman's language and terminology.
The tapaswis in the ancient world
were practicing yoga as a part of their tapas, usually to acquire supernatural
powers, divinity or receiving vardan from some deities. It was not part of the
natural human life which went through the process of work, rest and religious
meditation and entertainment. Only those who wanted to get out of this went to
do the unnatural process of becoming super humans so as to take advantage of
the ordinary humans by power, influence or extra religious ideas or actions.
This has been practiced in all the cults, religions and even social and
cultural cliques. Through the centuries, established and neo modern Christian’s
churches/groups also have used this technique in various ways. So it is trying
to acquire extra and super
power, knowledge and influence from within oneself or with the aid of an outside
source. Please note that I have underlined the word acquire with a purpose. It
is the aspiration of the humans to become little super human which prompts him
to add or yoga something which he naturally do not have. This is humanism.
For us Christians, the source of
our life and existence is a gift from a personal God with a purpose (Eph 2:10)
and hence we are accountable for our lives and activities to Him. We are
provided with all what we need to fulfill that purpose and there is no need to acquire
anything extra. Education is a process by which we develop and utilize the
potential we have inherited in the best way possible, so are the careers.
Whenever we have to do something beyond we have or can, God is able and will
provide the extra energy, capability or capacity as a gift, we do not acquire
it. We are given a limited life with limitations- physical, mental and
spiritual. Trying to go beyond by acquiring something from within or without is
a break of the law in which we are created. If God wants to use us for
something beyond, it is He who provides that extra as His gift. This is clearly
experienced by us Christians who have received the indwelling Holy Spirit which
is the power of God residing in us to do that extra when He wants.
Do we have secret energy centers
which can increase or produce super energy by bringing them together or
focusing on them? If so, why did God hide it in His revelatory process of His
purposes for humans and their life in this world? He has given us works to do
through physical and mental exercise. Physical rest and exercise as well as
mental concentration are natural and necessary parts of life by which we mean
that we eliminate the distractions so as to function efficiently; it is not
yoga- adding anything from anywhere. As humans, we have become more active
mentally than physically in the modern world, emotional and psychological
concentration has become increasingly necessary for our efficient functioning. This
is a paradigm shift, not an evolution. Again it is only elimination of
distractions, not adding.
With no secret energy centers in
our body, we cannot bring them together for extra energy by Yoga. But regular
and periodic rest and reflective thinking can bring better coordination between
the body parts and maximize the functioning of our limited mind. Exercising the
body parts in a balanced manner also helps and is a natural process of keeping
healthy and fit. Similarly exercising the mind in a balanced manner is also our
responsibility to keep ourselves sane and fit mentally. Reflective thinking and
Bible meditation helps this process. But this has nothing to do with Yoga.
Now a mantra or sound or object
on which we concentrate, can bring us extra energy or increase our
capabilities? If so, God would have been happy to give such a mantra or sound
or object to humans from the beginning. Instead, He has given humans a free
will and has shown ways by which they can fulfill their life purposes on this
earth which do not need any extra energy. They have to live properly and use
all that they are provided with wisely to achieve that. They do not need to acquire
anything extra. When God wants to do something extra, beyond and use a
human to do that, He will always provide the means to achieve that, no yoga, no
tapas. This is true with all the miracles in the Bible, in the Old as well as
the New Testaments. None of them did yoga or tapas to acquire that extra power;
God provided it as a gift.
The present yoga tantrum is a
part of the hidden agenda to show the world that ancient India had better
knowledge, better techniques and better ideas. It is an egoistic effort to
revive the corrupt and discredited ancient religious tenants. If the above was
true, why do we need any development, or science to make the world modern? It
is essentially making man think backwards telling them the lie that they have
hidden energy inside them and then get them into a rut where they feel that they
are able to achieve themselves what they want. It is a kind of opium which Carl
Max referred to corrupt Christianity in his days. It is basic humanism making
man god which is the basis of all human religions, gods they made are being
manipulated by their own yoga, pooja, yangya or tapas.
We Christians do not try pleasing
God by giving or praying or even worshipping so as to acquire something we do
not have. If we do so, it is a kind of yoga. We worship Him to express the
appreciation of our relationship with Him achieved by the grace of God in
Christ Jesus, and pray so as to enable us to fulfill our God given
responsibilities. We do not use God for
making our life better, stronger or successful but surrenders our will and life
to Him so that He can guide and use us to fulfill the plans and purposes He has
for us. This is usually done through the natural setting and activities of our
lives except in situations when something unusual is necessary and demanded.
Then as I said before, there is always supernatural provision, not for us to
acquire but receive and use as a gift. This can be power, knowledge, healing,
miracle, revelation or anything as the situation and the need demands.
If somebody thinks that he is not
able to do regular and proper physical and mental exercise necessary for a
natural healthy life and yoga helps him to do that, it may be ok but do not
join that with inner or hidden powers from within or without. God does not
allow us to acquire anything extra ourselves as this was considered evil and
cursed as the spiritists and diviners did in the Old Testament and now all over
the world today in various names and ways. It is the same subtle poison to make
man rebel against God by acquiring extra power and energy but in modern
packages. Please do not become a part of it. It seems communists are clear on
these than Christians, shame for us.
By
PA Thomas
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