527 Part 1 of questions concerning International Yoga Day भाग १, विश्व योगा दिवस अंश पर कुछ सवाल जवाब. భాగం 1, ప్రపంచ యోగా దినానికి సంబంధించిన కొన్ని ప్రశ్నలు , జవాబులు

Part 1 of questions concerning International Yoga Day भाग १, विश्व योगा दिवस अंश पर कुछ सवाल जवाब. భాగం 1, ప్రపంచ యోగా దినానికి సంబంధించిన కొన్ని ప్రశ్నలు , జవాబులు

Yoga is unnecessary for common people and their children. आम आदमी और उनके परिवार को योगा के जरूरत नहीं है। సామాన్య మానవుడికి, వాడి కుటుంబ సభ్యులకి యోగా అవసరం లేదు.

It is a regretable thing that Central Government, under pressure from some Sadhus and Sants is trying to impose yOgA on children in schools. It is spending millions of Rupees for organising public congregations and displays of yoga.

Common people will ignore them anyway. They have no alternative also. Only exception will be those suffering from non-immediately-fatal diseases such as high BP (hypertension), low BP (hypotension), obesity, joint-pains etc. I have, today morning, heard a phone-in program conducted by All India Radio, Vijayawada. Most of the callers were inquiring about their diseases, and expecting from the program panelists, positive assurances that yoga will cure their ailments.

In their replies, panelists were doing some circus feats. They cannot, outrightly assure, that the ailments of the callers will be cured. As an escape route, for some people they suggested that yoga would benefit in long run. For some others, they suggested the callers to consult Ayurveda experts. To be on safe side, they were also insisting that yoga should be practised only under expert supervision. The overall impression, a person can get on listening to the program today (this program is to be heard several days/weeks to make sure that similar replies are being given, or whether there are any situational variences.), is the program will definitely create some employment / get extra business to Ayurvedic practitioners and Yoga experts.

While it is true, that modern medicine is, as on date, unable to finding lasting solutions for all our ailments, we must keep in mind that even Ayurveda and Yoga are also unable to find lasting solutions. Doctors, both of the modern medicine, and the alternative medicine (Ayurveda, Yoga) have an escape route. It is to blame the patient that (s)he failed to follow the prescribed regimen or failed to follow diet restrictions (in Ayurveda called 'pathyam), or that yoga has not been done regularly according to its principles. This may be only partially true.

SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT YOGA योगा पर कुछ सवाल और जवाब యోగా గురించి కొన్ని ప్రశ్నలు, జవాబులు.


Question प्रश्न ప్రశ్న: Has Yoga got anything to do with religion? क्या, योगा को धर्म से कुछ संबंध है ? యోగా కి మతాని కీ సంబంధం ఉందా ?

Answer जवाब జవాబు: Internationally understood (World's) meaning of the word 'yOgA' is different from the philosophical or religious meaning of yOgA. The world has developed a practice of viewing yOgA only as AsanAs (physical exercise postures). We can safely believe that when UNO, to placate Indian sentiments, declared a World Yoga Day, it seems to have in its mind, the meaning only of "physical exercise postures". If we accept that meaning, as a global meaning of yOgA, there can be no occasion to object to it as something being imposed as an agenda of the majority religion India.

Preachers of religions born outside India, have a tendency to look at yOga with their 'suspicious eyes' as something to do with Hindu Religion. This suspicion can get cleared, if they can spend some time in practising yoga Asanas (physical exercise postures). They will themselves know that globally understood current usage of yOga is only in the meaning of 'physical exercise postures'. Swami Vivekananda, toured 1893 to 1900, during his two visits with some gap, toured UK and USA, and tried to sell Yoga to American and European Aristocratic citizens. Though standard yogic practices require abstentinence from liquors, non-vegetarian food, he did n't hesitate to teach yOga to drunken women in Holiday Resorts. Those who want to see proof for this, can refer to the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, in his Epistles (letters). Subsequent yOga teachers both of Indian origin, as well as non-Indian origin too have diluted yOga, to the level only of "physical exercise postures". Today, nothing is left of International Yoga, except the "physical exercise posturs". aSan-yOgA (food discipline), vihAra-yOgA (movement discipline) are as important as bhangima-yOgA (physical postures called Asanas). All these things do not have anything to do with religion.

The original dictionary meaning of the word 'yOgA' is 'yOking of the living-soul in a person' with the 'supreme soul i.e. God'. The words yOga, yOke have their origin from the Indo-European prototype language of Northern Europe (Skandinavia, Baltics) of the ancient Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Old Prussia, Sudovia, Germany.

Hence preachers and practitioners of alien religions need not worry about the International Yoga Day, and spreading of Yoga across religions.


Question प्रश्न ప్రశ్న: If international yOga is just only a "physical exercise postures", is discipline not necessary?

Not necessary. Drunk-yogas, Non-veg yogas, pizza-yogas, hamburger-yogas, bacon-yogas, pork-yogas, beef-yogas, whisky-yogas, wine-yogas, ale-yogas, rum-yogas, gin-yogas, gay-yogas, lesbian-yogas, etc. may not give optimum results. For that matter, even non-yoga physical exercises such aerobics, gymnastics, dumbels, too require some discipline of alcohol, food, sex, sleep, gambling etc. In fact, in any theme of physical exercise, some amount of food and addiction discipline is essential. Then why blame international yOgA alone as something religious? It has nothing to do religion.


Question प्रश्न ప్రశ్న: Does n't yOga has anything to do with Hindu religion?

Answer जवाब జవాబు Earlier too, I have expressed a view that it will be erroneous to call Hinduism as a religion. There is no such religion called "Hinduism". None of the scriptures of India historically ever used the word "Hindu" anywhere. The word "sAnatana dharma" is also a claim made by some priests and preachers. The word 'sanAtana dharma' cannot represent the entire culture of India. If it is absolutely necessary to use the word "Hinduism" as a name for religion, it can only be called a "COMPOUND RELIGION" just like "COMPOUND FRUIT" a la, anona squimoza (SItA phal), or grapes (drAksha). Hinduism is like a garland of numerous flower-types such as jasmines, lavendar, roses, hibiscus. It is an admixture of dozens of discourses, discussions and philosophies which are divergent, sometimes even conflicting. It is the beauty of pluralim, the art of living together. If at all any blemish is to be painted on Hinduism, it is only about untouchability practised on the lowest castes. This untouchability practised in India, served as a tool for missionaries to make false propaganda, abuse Indian Gods and convert people to Islam and Christianity wrecklessly.

In post-1947 independent India, untouchability has nearly been abolished. It is now almost non-existent. But the same cannot be said of America and Europe. American and European History is full of atrocities committed by the slave traders, with the covert and overt support of missionaries. How does Europe treat the boat people from Africa, reaching European shores now? How does America, treat the non-white immigrants? Why blacks in America are being shot indiscriminately by American Police for flimsy reasons, and the American Courts acquit them on flimsy grounds? Why there are street demonstrations by blacks in American cities, to express resentment against the racialism of the Americans.

It will be better for India, not to try to spread yOgA abroad. If anybody abroad wants to learn yOga, it will be upto him-her to do that, without hullabaloo.


Question प्रश्न ప్రశ్న : Is patanjali's ashTAnga yoga, religious or not? Spreading ashTAnga yOgA is nothing but trying to convert people into Hinduism?

Answer जवाब జవాబు: Many people in India do not know about patanjali's ashTAnga yOga (eight-fold path). Those who know something about it, only pay lip-sympathy to it. Patanjali's eight-fold path is not easy to practice, is rarely practised. It has nothing to do with religion, God and prayers. Another reason, for low popularity of patanjali's eight-fold path is, that Indian kings (subsequently Muslim Sultans, PAdushAs, Governor's Generals, Vice Roys and Governors, rich merchants (sEThjis)), did not have the patience or time or inclination to patronise it or popularise it. They were interested in wine and women.


Question प्रश्न ప్రశ్న: Can we delienate among HaTha yOga, rAja yOgA, karma yOgA, and gnAna yOgA?

As against the global yOga which implies only physical exercise postures, haTHa yOgA has some superstious additional concepts. For example, it believes in cakrams (circular areas) in various parts of our body at various levels such as anus (mUlAdhAra cakram), penis-vulva (svAdhishTHAna cakram), naval (maNipUra cakram), chest (anAhata cakram), neck (viSuddha cakram), point between two eye-brows (AgnA cakram), scalp (sahasrAra cakram). Similarly, the practitioners believe in the existence of fourteen nerve-lines called 'nADIs' (chief among them are Sushumna, iDa, pingaLa). Then, there is a belief in the existence of an imaginary serpant (serpant-like nerve, which is coiled like a resting snake), in the mUlAdhAra cakra, called 'kunDalini'. Awakening this imaginary serpant, is called 'awakening kunDalini' and the art is called 'kunDalini vidya'. There is no solid proof of existence of all these things in reality. Some yOgA Gurus claim that they awakened their kunDalini , or that their gurus awakened kunDalini.

haTha yOgA thrives on belief and faith in preceptors. Anyway, haTha yOGA is not a part of the globally understood 'yOgA'. yOGA in its current sense means only postures called AsanAs. haTha yOgA includes not only the AsanAs, but also the above imaginary beliefs.

Hindi and Telugu versions will be added as early as possible.

(To continue. Subject to corrections.)