By Syed Akbar Ali
Just a couple of days ago, I met my good friend who is a very strong Christian, at Devi's Corner in Bangsar. He had just come from the gym where he whispered he had practised 'yoga'.
We talked about the Yoga fatwa and he whispered again 'Yes Christians are not supposed to get involved in Yoga too'. Then he said that no one in his family except one brother knew that he was attending Yoga classes. (My friend has grown up children).
'Why not?' I asked. Apparently Yoga asks you to focus inside, on your Self (or into your Self) to motivate your body's own inner strengths. He said this was against Christian teachings where you are supposed to draw strength from God (and not from your Inner Self etc). Oh well.
Well I am practical and I cherish useful and good things. And my very long friendship (23 years), fondness, trust and care for my friend (and vice versa) are more important than some discussion over Yoga.
But to my surprise The Star had this report today about a Church leader in Sabah also having the same views about Yoga.
"Meanwhile, a Christian religious leader said Christians should avoid yoga as it was a form of exercise grounded in religious beliefs. “Why must you get involved in a practice that has an intimate connection with a religion or religious belief?” said Rev James Wong of the Basel Christian Church of Malaysia in Sandakan."
8 comments:
Gosh, it's just an exercise - don't do the chanting and meditation. I practice Ashtanga yoga which is a Vinyasa flow. By the end of the one and a half hours you feel like you have run a marathon that's all.
They all screwed-up!
A.
Dear Syed,
Been following this yoga controversy. I'm just curious, is meditation not permitted in Islam? Don't the sufis meditate? I thought that is a very good stress reliever. What is the definition of chanting? Something that is repeated over and over again? I thought there are many kinds of chanting, some has nothing to do with religion. I repeat affirmations to myself to uplift and motivate me. May be later on, we might hear a fatwa on such matters too, won't we?
Recently someone told me that moderate Christians and Muslims would find this Yoga controversy unsettling. I retorted that there is no such thing as a moderate Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist etc. When it comes to religion, everyone leaves behind their common sense and become a fundamentalist EVEN if their day to day behaviour resembles that of a non-believer.
Isn't it time for men to use our God given intelligence to determine what is right or wrong?
Eugene Kok
Hi Zie,
Why would anyone want to chant anything at all? And if they are chanting to their gods in prayer, its as though their gods cannot understand normal speech patterns. If someone says 'Glory Be To You O god' in plain language will it go unheard?
But if they chant 'Glooreeee To Youuuu O gOOoddddd!' and repeat it fifty times, only then their gods will hear them?
So the issue is not of chanting but of their gods hearing impediment.
Eugene,
Yours is wisdom sir. Wisdom. You said : 'When it comes to religion, everyone leaves behind their common sense and become a fundamentalist..'
Spot on.
Yogo in sanskrit simply mean 'union with God'This holy communion of body and mind with the divine spirit is to be found in every religion[including the solat of Islam]The sufis and the gnostic christians are fully aware of the function it serve.Jesus say'the kingdom of heaven is within you'and one should truly go within to be ONE with christ conciousness'
Hi Syed
I think the issue is not so much of a "fatwa against yoga" but the need for fatwas at all. Most religious teachings are ancient and were founded perhaps 1,500 years or more ago. They were inspired at a time when society was very different in its outlook, economic progress and even literacy. What is important is to recognise that religion or spiritual beliefs of any kind is an intensely personal affair. Religious teachings should lay down some broad guidelines and it should be up to each individual to decide up to what extent they want to aspire towards spiritual adherence and/or enlightenment. Trouble starts when a small group of (usually men) decide what ALL other men or women should wear or do or not do. This is akin to religious tyranny and that is why fatwas of any kind are wrong.
And by the way, as a Christian, I have stopped practising yoga meditation or postures many years ago as I do believe that the entire practice is a seemless and subtle part of an ancient religious worship. It is an effort to become one with an impersonal cosmic force or energy. This is not in sync with the biblical exhortation to become more like Jesus, the Son of God - a real person, not just a force. But again this is my personal conviction - and no Christian body is likely to issue any fatwa against yoga or any social issue for that matter.
BangsaMalaysia7
zie,
meditation is not permitted in islam. but if ure meditating about something else other than Allah the Almight, then it will become prohibited. obviously yoga does not do meditation towards Allah. so there might be a slight misunderstanding going on there.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Many thanks.
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