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People can turn to the teachings of their own religions (Christianity and Judaism included), because Christianity, Judaism and Islam has relation between each other.
but when we need to understand the truth we should read the original book which was sent to each prophet for each religion and which has never been changed by human hands have made to them.
We must distinguish between two matters: the original Torah, Gospel, and Psalms and the present day Bible. The originals were God’s revelation, but the present day Bible does not have the exact original scripture
No divine scripture exists today in the original language it was revealed in, except the Quran. The Bible was not revealed in English. Different books of today’s Bible are at best tertiary translations and different versions exist. These multiple translations were done by people whose knowledge, skill, or honesty is not known. As a result, some bibles are larger than others and have contradictions and internal inconsistencies! No originals exist. The Quran, on the other hand, is the only scripture in existence today in its original language and words. Not one letter of the Quran has been changed since its revelation. It is internally consistent with no contradictions. It is today as it was revealed 1400 years ago, transmitted by a rock-solid tradition of memorization and writing. Unlike other sacred texts, the entire Quran has been memorized by almost every Islamic scholar and hundreds of thousands of ordinary Muslims, generation after generation!
The fact that the Quran is still written in it's original language doesn't make it truth or accurate. According to what I read, the scribes listening to Mohammed would suggest changes to what God supposedly revealed to him and Mohammed agreed to make the changes. So what's accurate?
About inconsistencies, the Quran says that Jesus was a prophet, yet Jesus said he was the son of God. So who's right? Beware of false prophets.
Location: The world, where will fate take me this time?
3,162 posts, read 11,436,860 times
Reputation: 1463
Quote:
Originally Posted by P:E:A:C:E
You are most welcome anytime
People can turn to the teachings of their own religions (Christianity and Judaism included), because Christianity, Judaism and Islam has relation between each other.
but when we need to understand the truth we should read the original book which was sent to each prophet for each religion and which has never been changed by human hands have made to them.
We must distinguish between two matters: the original Torah, Gospel, and Psalms and the present day Bible. The originals were God’s revelation, but the present day Bible does not have the exact original scripture
No divine scripture exists today in the original language it was revealed in, except the Quran. The Bible was not revealed in English. Different books of today’s Bible are at best tertiary translations and different versions exist. These multiple translations were done by people whose knowledge, skill, or honesty is not known. As a result, some bibles are larger than others and have contradictions and internal inconsistencies! No originals exist. The Quran, on the other hand, is the only scripture in existence today in its original language and words. Not one letter of the Quran has been changed since its revelation. It is internally consistent with no contradictions. It is today as it was revealed 1400 years ago, transmitted by a rock-solid tradition of memorization and writing. Unlike other sacred texts, the entire Quran has been memorized by almost every Islamic scholar and hundreds of thousands of ordinary Muslims, generation after generation!
imho demonstrating why a religion is superior to other is an step in the wrong direction, finally the destination of all religious paths is the same.
Also, what can you tell me about the Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita?
They exist to this day in it's original language (which is vedic and classical sanskrit) and without changes, these text have been transmited from generation to generation since more than 6,000 years ago for the oldest of them.
But even then, just reading a sacred scripture won't get you anywhere, you could memorize the whole quran and still be where you were on the first place, putting those teachings into practice is the only way to really understand them.
imho demonstrating why a religion is superior to other is an step in the wrong direction, finally the destination of all religious paths is the same.
Peace
The fact that the Quran is still written in it's original language doesn't make it truth or accurate. According to what I read, the scribes listening to Mohammed would suggest changes to what God supposedly revealed to him and Mohammed agreed to make the changes. So what's accurate?
It is not only that the Quran is written in it's original language...and Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) didn't suggest changes to any word of the Holy Quarn, butThe companion Uthman reported that whenever a new verse was revealed, the Prophet would immediately call a scribe to record it. He would instruct the person to put the specific verse or verses in a particular chapter.
Kindly read the follwing:
The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) via the angel Gabriel, and the Prophet subsequently memorized the whole scripture.
Thousands of the Companions of the Prophet learned the Qur'an directly from the Prophet (pbuh). They memorized it and were known in Islamic history as huffaadh (the memorizers and preservers of the Qur'an). Moreover, a number of Companions wrote it down during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and it was compiled in its entirety immediately after his death.
The following generation of Muslims learned the Qur’an directly from the Companions. Thus the chain of teaching and learning through direct contact continued systematically, methodically, and meticulously until the present age.
Additionally, several of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) were appointed as scribes to record the words of the revelation directly from the Prophet himself on parchment, leather, or whatever else was available. The most famous of these scribes was Zayd ibn Thabit, who also memorized the entire Qur’an, and he formed with the others a community of huffaadh that can be compared to academic societies of our present time.
We know the Qur’an was recorded in totality during the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh) and the different surahs (chapters) personally arranged by him. Many copies of the text were used for study and teaching, even in Mecca before the Hijrah, the migration to Medina.
The entire Qur’an was written down during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, and trusting the fact that many scholars knew it by heart, it was not collected in one volume. It was personally arranged by him, and the Muslims memorized it in the same order. The companion Uthman reported that whenever a new verse was revealed, the Prophet would immediately call a scribe to record it. He would instruct the person to put the specific verse or verses in a particular chapter.
Quote:
he Quran says that Jesus was a prophet, yet Jesus said he was the son of God. So who's right?
Also, what can you tell me about the Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita?
I don't know much about Hinduism (Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita)
But as i know there are lots of Contradictions in them.
you can find some in the following article:
Understanding the Vedas
The primary texts of Hinduism are the four Vedas. They are: the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. They are considered to be revealed scriptures. Widely varying interpretations of the Vedas have created divergent groups and sects in Hinduism.
The Vedas have provided the theoretical grounds for Varnashrama (the caste system), which served to systematize an institution of graded inequality among people.
There are four castes: The Brahmin (Priest caste) is on top; then follows the Kshatriya (ruling caste), then Vaishya (business caste), and last of all stands Sudra (menial caste) who serve all the other three castes, and the Untouchables are the lowest of the low - the Out-Caste.
The caste system is practically a social phenomenon deeply entrenched in the Hindu psyche, sometimes described as "a hidden Apartheid".
This system has resulted in the destitution of millions of low caste people (known now as Dalits – literally "broken people") owing to terrible discrimination to this day.
After Vedas, there are Upanishads which deal with Vedic philosophy and form the conclusions of each of the Vedas. The Ramayana attributed to the poet Valmiki and the Mahabharata attributed to the sage Vyasa are two epics greatly valued in Hinduism. The Bhagavad Gita is the sixth book of the Mahabharata.
The Bhagavad Gita
The content of the Bhagavad Gita is the advice given by Krishna (who is believed to be an incarnation of the Supreme Being) to Arjuna (a hero in the Mahabharata favored by Krishna) on the battlefield of Kurukshetra before the beginning of a historic battle.
Responding to Arjuna's moral dilemma, Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior from a philosophical point of view with examples and analogies.
Responding to Arjuna's moral dilemma, Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior from a philosophical point of view with examples and analogies.
The Concept of Karma
Hindus believe in Karma (i.e. the accumulated sum of one's good and bad deeds) and in Punarjanma (i.e. the transfer of one's soul after death into another body). This produces a continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth through their many lifetimes.
It is Karma that determines how a person will live his next life. Through pure acts, thoughts and devotion, one can be reborn at a higher level. Bad deeds can cause a person to be reborn at a lower level, even as an animal.
The unequal distribution of wealth, prestige, suffering are thus seen as natural consequences for one's previous acts, both in this life and in previous lives.
Bhagavad Gita's emphasis is on "Karma Yoga" which means the performance of one's duties with no regard to their fruits, as expressed in the words of Krishna to Arjuna:
You have a duty to perform your prescribed action, but you should not be concerned about the fruits of your action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be associated to not doing your duty. (Bhagavad Gita 2:47)
Addressing Arjuna's compunctions about killing his relatives arrayed on the enemy side, Krishna advises him to disregard traditional values and act without worrying about the results of his action. Krishna says:
The wise men who reached true knowledge see with equal vision a Brahmin (a member of the highest caste), a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater. (Bhagavad Gita 5:18).
Krishna argues that it is actually impossible to kill anyone, as the soul (atman) is immortal:
Those who think that they can kill or those that think they can be killed are confused in the manifestations of ignorance. The infinite, immortal soul can neither kill nor be killed. (Bhagavad Gita 2:19)
Therefore Arjuna is free to kill his relatives, considering them only temporary abiding forms for the eternal self, mere mortal frames.
The problem here is that the same perspective of moral values (Gita 2:19, quoted above) may be adopted by a wicked person to clear his conscience while doing evil acts, if "detachment" is the norm.
The only condition is that he should rise above all material considerations to do his deeds. Krishna tells Arjuna:
Consider all your acts as acts of devotion to me, whether eating, offering, giving away, performing austerities. Perform them as an offering to me. In this way you will be free from Karma, you will be liberated and you will come to me. (Bhagavad Gita 9:27).
To the Hindus, Karma is a sum of all that an individual has done, is currently doing and will do. Karma continues until one attains Moksha or Mukti, i.e. liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth to be one with the Parmatma or the Oversoul. That is to say, Karma creates present and future experiences.
But in the Gita itself, Lord Krishna says that he saves those who worship him (12:6-7) and punishes those who are envious and mischievous (16:19).
This is certainly a contradiction of the law of Karma, which is a law that functions by itself, with no external control. And also it goes counter to his teaching about detachment.
He says about himself: "I see all creatures equally disposed and I am not partial to anyone." (Bhagavad Gita 9:29).
At the same time Krishna is in fact partial to Arjuna in the battlefield, by serving as his charioteer and military advisor!
There is another inconsistency regarding the character of Krishna. In the Gita, Krishna is called the Supreme Lord of the Universe (5:29), eternal (4:6) and the source of all existence:
I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from me. (Bhagavad Gita 10:8)
And again:
At the end of an era (kalpa) all creatures disintegrate into my nature and at the beginning of another era I manifest them again. Such it is my nature (prakriti) to follow again and again the pattern of the Infinite manifestations and disintegrations. (Bhagavad Gita 9:7-8)
That is to say, Krishna has to follow the pattern of the Infinite manifestations and disintegrations automatically, under the obligation of prakriti".
Krishna's Contradictions
S. Dasgupta comments on the contradictory personal character of Krishna saying that:
The Gita combines together different conceptions of God without feeling the necessity of reconciling the oppositions or contradictions involved in them. It does not seem to be aware of the philosophical difficulty of combining the concept of God as unmanifested, differenceless entity with the notion of Him as the super-person Who incarnates Himself on earth in the human form and behaves in the human manner.
It is not aware of the difficulty that, if all good and evil should have emanated from God, and if there be ultimately no moral responsibility, and if everything in the world should have the same place in God, there is no reason why God should trouble to incarnate Himself as man, when there is a disturbance of the Vedic dharma.
If God is impartial to all, and if He is absolutely unperturbed, why should He favor the man who clings to Him, and why, for his sake, overrule the world-order of events and in his favor suspend the law of Karma? (S. Dasgupta, Indian Philosophy, Motilal Banarsidass, 1991, vol. 2, p. 533)
I didn't say it was superior, just that it's scriptures still exist in the original language, but I never said it was a better way or the only way
I was talking about your comment that "the final destination is the same." I suggest looking up some of those specific final destinations and report back.
Location: The world, where will fate take me this time?
3,162 posts, read 11,436,860 times
Reputation: 1463
Quote:
Originally Posted by P:E:A:C:E
I don't know much about Hinduism (Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita)
But as i know there are lots of Contradictions in them.
you can find some in the following article:
Understanding the Vedas
The primary texts of Hinduism are the four Vedas. They are: the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. They are considered to be revealed scriptures. Widely varying interpretations of the Vedas have created divergent groups and sects in Hinduism.
The Vedas have provided the theoretical grounds for Varnashrama (the caste system), which served to systematize an institution of graded inequality among people.
There are four castes: The Brahmin (Priest caste) is on top; then follows the Kshatriya (ruling caste), then Vaishya (business caste), and last of all stands Sudra (menial caste) who serve all the other three castes, and the Untouchables are the lowest of the low - the Out-Caste.
The caste system is practically a social phenomenon deeply entrenched in the Hindu psyche, sometimes described as "a hidden Apartheid".
This system has resulted in the destitution of millions of low caste people (known now as Dalits – literally "broken people") owing to terrible discrimination to this day.
After Vedas, there are Upanishads which deal with Vedic philosophy and form the conclusions of each of the Vedas. The Ramayana attributed to the poet Valmiki and the Mahabharata attributed to the sage Vyasa are two epics greatly valued in Hinduism. The Bhagavad Gita is the sixth book of the Mahabharata.
Discrimination is a horrible thing, but this caste system was generated by the misinterpretation of the vedas when the dark age of kali yuga started.
Kali Yuga (Devanāgarī: कलियुग, lit. "Age of Kali", "age of vice"), is one of the four stages of development that the world goes through as part of the cycle of Yugas, as described in Hindu scriptures, the others being Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga. Attributes of Kali Yuga
Various Puranas (like Bhagavata 12.2) give lists of Kali Yuga symptoms. Some of them are:
In relation to rulers
Rulers will become unreasonable: they will levy taxes unfairly. Rulers will no longer see it their duty to promote spirituality or to protect their subjects: they will become a danger to the world. People will start migrating seeking countries where wheat and barley form the staple food source.
In relation to people's relationships
Source: Mahabharata, Vana Parva, Section CLXXXIX[3] Avarice and wrath will be common, men will openly display animosity towards each other. Ignorance of Dharma will occur. Lust will be viewed as being socially acceptable. People will have thoughts of murder for no justification, and they will see nothing wrong with that mind-set.
People will be inclined to follow false sciences. Family murders will also occur. People will see those who are helpless as easy targets and remove everything from them.
Many other unwanted changes will occur. The right hand will deceive the left and the left the right. Men with false reputation of learning will teach the Truth and the old will betray the senselessness of the young, and the young will betray the dotage of the old. Cowards will have the reputation of bravery and the brave will be enervated cowards. People will not trust a single person in the world, not even their immediate family. Even husband and wife will find contempt in each other.
In the Kali Yuga even pre-teenage girls will get pregnant. The primary cause will be the social acceptance of sexual intercourse as being the central requirement of life.
It is believed that sin will increase exponentially, whilst virtue will fade and cease to flourish. People will take vows only to break them soon.
Alongside death and famine being everywhere, men will have lustful thoughts and so will women.People will without reason destroy trees and gardens. As previously mentioned, men will murder. There will be no respect for animals, and also meat eating will start.
People will become addicted to intoxicating drinks. Men will find their jobs stressful and will go to retreats to escape their work. Gurus will no longer be respected and their students will attempt to injure them. Their teachings will be insulted and followers of Kama will wrest control of the mind from all human beings.
As the sin increases exponentially, so will the incidence of divine justice and wrath.
This dark era of Kali yuga lasted 1,200 years, we are currently in Dwapara Yuga (According to Swami Sri Yukteswar's interpretation) as we keep advancing to the higher ages the ignorance that caused the caste system will slowly fade away.
What the vedas stated regarding the castes was about the states of mind of mankind, these states aren't fixed and they aren't inherited either, you can advance into higher mental states by virtue which is the slow way or you can hasten the process by scientific meditation.
Regarding the different sects and interpretations of the veda or the schools of thought that don't base on the vedas like tantra, remember that God is infinite and his children are an expression of his infinity, every one of us is unique and has a different perception and understanding of the supreme being, thus the need for different religions or sects among a single religion, but in the end all spiritual paths tell you to forget about the external sensory world and concentrate on the inner cosmos of the self, this trascends sectarism and is an universal principle among any religion.
Quote:
The Bhagavad Gita
The content of the Bhagavad Gita is the advice given by Krishna (who is believed to be an incarnation of the Supreme Being) to Arjuna (a hero in the Mahabharata favored by Krishna) on the battlefield of Kurukshetra before the beginning of a historic battle.
Responding to Arjuna's moral dilemma, Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior from a philosophical point of view with examples and analogies.
This is true, the Bhagavad gita which is one of the books of the much larger mahabarata, is a Comprehensive Yoga essay allegorically picture as a dialogue ocurring between Krishna and Arjuna during a battle between two families for a kingdom, which belonged to the Pandavas originally but that was lost during a game of dice to the Kurus which cheated on the game, this caused the war of kurukshetras, both Duryodhana (The eldest son of the Kuru clan) and Arjuna (The hero of the Panda clan) went to talk with Krishna seeking his help, he gave the option of having his massive army to one of the princes or being the personal counselor of one of them, Arjuna chose Krishna as his counselor while Duryodhana stayed with the army.
It would take a really long series of posts to give you a detailed explanation of the Bhagavad gita, so I will give a brief explanation.
The battle of Kurukshetras symbolizes the eternal conflict between virtue and vice that is held between our higher being (soul) and our lower being (ego) in order to take control of the bodily kingdom.
Krishna can symbolize many things like the eternal omnipresent spirit, the intuition which guides the devotee back to God, or the Guru which assists the sincere devotee on his quest for the divine. Every character from the Bhagavad gita symbolizes a part of the mind's higher and lower tendencies and provides a guide on the enemy (the armies of ego) tactics and how to counter them by the sacred science of Yoga.
Quote:
The Concept of Karma
Hindus believe in Karma (i.e. the accumulated sum of one's good and bad deeds) and in Punarjanma (i.e. the transfer of one's soul after death into another body). This produces a continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth through their many lifetimes.
It is Karma that determines how a person will live his next life. Through pure acts, thoughts and devotion, one can be reborn at a higher level. Bad deeds can cause a person to be reborn at a lower level, even as an animal.
The unequal distribution of wealth, prestige, suffering are thus seen as natural consequences for one's previous acts, both in this life and in previous lives.
Yes this is true too, although souls rarely go back to animal forms when they incarnate as humans, it would take an extraordinary event for such a thing to happen.
Imho the karma law makes perfect sense, otherwise how can you explain the situation we have in the world, where some people are born in nice environments and people whose situation is much harsher.
Quote:
Bhagavad Gita's emphasis is on "Karma Yoga" which means the performance of one's duties with no regard to their fruits, as expressed in the words of Krishna to Arjuna:
You have a duty to perform your prescribed action, but you should not be concerned about the fruits of your action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be associated to not doing your duty. (Bhagavad Gita 2:47)
Addressing Arjuna's compunctions about killing his relatives arrayed on the enemy side, Krishna advises him to disregard traditional values and act without worrying about the results of his action. Krishna says:
The wise men who reached true knowledge see with equal vision a Brahmin (a member of the highest caste), a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater. (Bhagavad Gita 5:18).
Krishna argues that it is actually impossible to kill anyone, as the soul (atman) is immortal:
Those who think that they can kill or those that think they can be killed are confused in the manifestations of ignorance. The infinite, immortal soul can neither kill nor be killed. (Bhagavad Gita 2:19)
Therefore Arjuna is free to kill his relatives, considering them only temporary abiding forms for the eternal self, mere mortal frames.
The problem here is that the same perspective of moral values (Gita 2:19, quoted above) may be adopted by a wicked person to clear his conscience while doing evil acts, if "detachment" is the norm.
The only condition is that he should rise above all material considerations to do his deeds. Krishna tells Arjuna:
Consider all your acts as acts of devotion to me, whether eating, offering, giving away, performing austerities. Perform them as an offering to me. In this way you will be free from Karma, you will be liberated and you will come to me. (Bhagavad Gita 9:27).
To the Hindus, Karma is a sum of all that an individual has done, is currently doing and will do. Karma continues until one attains Moksha or Mukti, i.e. liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth to be one with the Parmatma or the Oversoul. That is to say, Karma creates present and future experiences.
But in the Gita itself, Lord Krishna says that he saves those who worship him (12:6-7) and punishes those who are envious and mischievous (16:19).
This is certainly a contradiction of the law of Karma, which is a law that functions by itself, with no external control. And also it goes counter to his teaching about detachment.
He says about himself: "I see all creatures equally disposed and I am not partial to anyone." (Bhagavad Gita 9:29).
At the same time Krishna is in fact partial to Arjuna in the battlefield, by serving as his charioteer and military advisor!
There is another inconsistency regarding the character of Krishna. In the Gita, Krishna is called the Supreme Lord of the Universe (5:29), eternal (4:6) and the source of all existence:
I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from me. (Bhagavad Gita 10:8)
And again:
At the end of an era (kalpa) all creatures disintegrate into my nature and at the beginning of another era I manifest them again. Such it is my nature (prakriti) to follow again and again the pattern of the Infinite manifestations and disintegrations. (Bhagavad Gita 9:7-8)
That is to say, Krishna has to follow the pattern of the Infinite manifestations and disintegrations automatically, under the obligation of prakriti".
Actually the Bhagavad gita is a comprehensive essay on Yoga, not just karma yoga, but bhakti, hatha, janna and raja yoga as well, there is a chapter dedicated to all the modalities of yoga.
Regarding Krishna encouragement to Arjuna's murder of his relatives, let's remember that these relatives of him are the wicked tendencies of the mind and bad habits which hinder the devotees quest for moksha, they are considered his relatives because they represent parts of the mind that are part of the ego of every person, thus the despondency of any devotee to kill a part of himself even if it's a wicked part that only brings suffering, disease and forgetfulness of God.
Quote:
Krishna's Contradictions
S. Dasgupta comments on the contradictory personal character of Krishna saying that:
The Gita combines together different conceptions of God without feeling the necessity of reconciling the oppositions or contradictions involved in them. It does not seem to be aware of the philosophical difficulty of combining the concept of God as unmanifested, differenceless entity with the notion of Him as the super-person Who incarnates Himself on earth in the human form and behaves in the human manner.
It is not aware of the difficulty that, if all good and evil should have emanated from God, and if there be ultimately no moral responsibility, and if everything in the world should have the same place in God, there is no reason why God should trouble to incarnate Himself as man, when there is a disturbance of the Vedic dharma.
If God is impartial to all, and if He is absolutely unperturbed, why should He favor the man who clings to Him, and why, for his sake, overrule the world-order of events and in his favor suspend the law of Karma? (S. Dasgupta, Indian Philosophy, Motilal Banarsidass, 1991, vol. 2, p. 533)
Well first of all Krishna wasn't partial to arjuna, he gave the choice to both princes and arjuna chose to have him as his personal counselor, but never in the bhagavad gita does krishna take arms, he is just guiding arjuna all the time.
God is impartial, he loves equally everyone of his children, righteous or wicked, he doesn't punish directly because he created the karmic law to do that for him, however God does have a heart and will reveal himself to those who seek him with a sincere desire, if that spiritual ardor for him is strong enough to burn the remaining material desires of a human being God might help him easing the karma of that person.
God will never add more karma to a soul but he will ease the karma of that soul if his attention started to be focused on him rather on the deeds that caused his bad karma in the first place.
This could be translated in the following way.
Forget your past, make an spiritual effort in the present and everything will be better in the future.
Finally, even though there are many phillosophies and sects amongst hinduism, the one I practice is Yoga, Yoga comes from the sanskrit Word Yug which means union, Yoga is a science of union between the individual soul and the omnipresent spirit, this is achieved by scientific meditation techniques which help disconnect the attention of the senses and the material world and focus it on God instead, but Yoga is not just about meditation, it is also right uninterested action (Karma Yoga) devotion (Bhakti Yoga) physical excersice for the health of the body (Hatha yoga) and Wisdom and introspection (Janna Yoga) all combined they become Raja Yoga (Royal yoga, or Royal way to God) Yoga has 8 steps which are.
Yama
Yama is social behavior, how you treat others and the world around you. These are moral principles. Sometimes they are called the don�ts or the thou shalt nots. There are five yamas:
Nonviolence (ahimsa). Do no harm to any creature in thought or deed. In his book Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda asks Mahatma Gandhi the definition of ahimsa. Gandhi said, �The avoidance of harm to any living creature in thought or deed.� Yogananda asked if one could kill a cobra to protect a child. Gandhi maintained he would still hold to his vow of ahimsa, but added, �I must confess that I could not serenely carry on this conversation were I faced by a cobra.
Truth and honesty (satya). Tell no lies. Cheating on your income taxes falls into this category.
Nonstealing (asteya). Do not steal material objects (a car) or intangibles such as the center of attention or your child's chance to learn responsibility or independence by doing something on his own.
Nonlust (brahmacharya). Don�t worry; this is not a call to celibacy. Many yogis of old were married and had families of their own. The person who practices brahmacharya avoids meaningless sexual encounters and, as the well-known teacher B.K.S. Iyengar puts it, sees divinity in all.
Nonpossessiveness (aparigraha). Free yourself from greed, hoarding, and collecting. Do you really need more shoes, another car, or to hog the conversation every time you see your friends Make your life as simple as possible.
Niyama
Niyama is inner discipline and responsibility, how we treat ourselves. These are sometimes called observances, the do�s, or the thou shalts. There are five niyamas:
Purity (shauca). Purity is achieved through the practice of the five yamas, which help clear away the negative physical and mental states of being. Keep yourself, your clothing, and your surroundings clean. Eat fresh and healthy food. The next time you joke about treating your body like a temple, think of this niyama.
Contentment (santosha). Cultivate contentment and tranquility by finding happiness with what you have and who you are. Seek happiness in the moment, take responsibility for where you are, and choose to grow from there.
Austerity (tapas). Show discipline in body, speech, and mind. The purpose of developing self-discipline is not to become ascetic, but to control and direct the mind and body for higher spiritual aims or purposes.
Study of the sacred text (svadhyaya). Study sacred texts, which are whatever books are relevant to you and inspire and teach you. Education changes a person�s outlook on life. As Iyengar says, a person starts �to realize that all creation is meant for bhakti (adoration) rather than for bhoga (enjoyment), that all creation is divine, that there is divinity within himself and that the energy which moves him is the same that moves the entire universe.�
Living with an awareness of the Divine (ishvara-pranidhana). Be devoted to God, Buddha, or whatever you consider divine.
Asana
The posture of yoga is steady and easy, Patanjali says. Patanjali compares this to resting like the cosmic serpent on the waters of infinity. Although Westerners often consider the practice of asana or postures as an exercise regimen or a way to stay fit, Patanjali and other ancient yogis used asana to prepare the body for meditation. To sit for a lengthy time in contemplation required a supple and cooperative body. If you are free of physical distractions such as your foot going to sleep and can control the body, you can also control the mind. Patanjali said, Posture is mastered by freeing the body and mind from tension and restlessness and meditating on the infinite. Pranayama
Prana is the life force or energy that exists everywhere and flows through each of us through the breath. Pranayama is the control of breath. The basic movements of pranayama are inhalation, retention of breath, and exhalation. The yogis life is not measured by the number of days but by the number of his breaths, says Iyengar. Therefore, he follows the proper rhythmic patterns of slow, deep breathing. The practice of pranayama purifies and removes distractions from the mind making it easier to concentrate and meditate. Pratyahara
Pratyahara is withdrawal of the senses. Pratyahara occurs during meditation, breathing exercises, or the practice of yoga postures any time when you are directing your attention inward. Concentration, in the yoga room or the boardroom, is a battle with distracting senses. When you master pratyahara, you are able to focus because you no longer feel the itch on your big toe or hear the mosquito buzzing by your ear or smell the popcorn popping in the microwave. Dharana
Concentration or dharana involves teaching the mind to focus on one point or image. Concentration is binding thought in one place, says Patanjali. The goal is to still the mind gently pushing away superfluous thoughts by fixing your mind on some object such as a candle flame, a flower, or a mantra. In dharana, concentration is effortless. You know the mind is concentrating when there is no sense of time passing. Dhyana
Uninterrupted meditation without an object is called dhyana. Concentration (dharana) leads to the state of meditation. The goal of meditation is not unconsciousness or nothingness. It is heightened awareness and oneness with the universe. How do you tell the difference between concentration and meditation? If there is awareness of distraction, you are only concentrating and not meditating. The calm achieved in meditation spills over into all aspects of your life � during a hectic day at work, shopping for groceries, coordinating the Halloween party at your child�s school. Samadhi
The ultimate goal of the eightfold path to yoga is samadhi or absolute bliss. This is pure contemplation, superconsciousness, in which you and the universe are one. Those who have achieved samadhi are enlightened. Paramahansa Yoganananda called it the state of God-Union.
The eight limbs work together: The first five steps yama, niyama asana, pranayama, and pratyahara are the preliminaries of yoga and build the foundation for spiritual life. They are concerned with the body and the brain. The last three, which would not be possible without the previous steps, are concerned with reconditioning the mind. They help the yogi to attain enlightenment or the full realization of oneness with Spirit. Enlightenment lasts forever, while a flat tummy can disappear with a week of binging.
Thanks for reading this post I hope this cleared some doubts regarding Yoga and Hinduism.
I read the article but I found it biased and misleading it was written by a person whose guiding principle is ignorance, and it's intentions are to link islam with violence rather than offer an impartial analysis of the teachings,
it takes a calm mind and inner intuition to understand the hidden truths in every sacred scripture.
let's do the analysis
Sura (2:191-193) - "And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter ...and fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah."
What this verse tells me is that we should show no mercy against the inner tendencies, like bad habits, thoughts, feelings which threathen the kingdom of allah (the bodily kingdom) if you let those habits, thoughts and feelings uncontrolled, they will consume your health, peace, prosperity, and success and will create forgetfulness of Allah.
Sura (2:244) - "Then fight in the cause of Allah, and know that Allah Heareth and knoweth all things."
This means that allah is ever aware of your spiritual efforts to purge vice and wickedness from your mind and soul
Sura (2:216) - "Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not."
We all dislike forsaking the things of the senses, but if we stopped smoking, abusing of sex, food, etc it would be good for us, but the egos of all of us love things that are bad for us.
Sura (3:56) - "As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help."
If you let your bodily kingdom to be overuled by the blind sense mind, ego and live just to purse material sense pleasures, you will attract disease, restlessness and premature aging as a result (terrible agony)
As you can see, like any other religion the goal of islam is self improvement, we all have to wage spiritual wars against our subconcious evil tendencies and strenghten and arouse those virtuous tendencies, warriors of the soul in order to win this metaphysical conflict between good and evil, once the war is won the ultimate paradise is obtained, which is unity with the creator.
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