Pat Robertson not down with Yoga

He thinks it is praying to Hindu Gods and therefore should not be practised by Christians.

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  News & Politics

[Rod Burke]

Why does anyone ask Pat Robertson for his opinion on anything?

[Martin Ring Andreasen]

"... and, uh, you're not even aware of it"

[JaskaranDhaliwal175]

Even Sri Adi Shankaracharya, who advocated a belief in an impersonal God [and believed that the nature of the Jiva (a human's soul) and that of Iśvara (the supreme) were the same] still believed in the concept of transcendence of Bhagavan, as is evident in his Bhashya on Bhagavad Gita 9:4, which can be found here: goo.gl\t4wzX

[JaskaranDhaliwal175]

However, Pat Robertson is incorrect by claiming that Hinduism is Pantheistic. One could consider the Śrauta and Mimamsa traditions to be following a form of Soft Polytheism, could consider Naiyayikas to be monotheistic, and could consider Samkhyas to be atheistic, but I don't know any darshana or sampradaya of Vaidika Dharma which could honestly be considered to be Pantheistic. Most schools of Vedanta (whether they are monistic, dualistic, or a mix) all share primarily pan(EN)theistic views.

[JaskaranDhaliwal175]

*rude and odd

[JaskaranDhaliwal175]

Patanjali, the author of the primary Yoga Sutras, was a Tamil Siddhar and a staunch believer of Śaivism (but he worshiped all Vedic deities) and the knowledge of Yogam is said to have passed from Mahadeva (Śiva) to Patanjali. I have no problem with Buddhists or Jainas (or even Taoists, Shintoists, Neo-Pagans, etc.) engaging in Yogam, but it is rude odd for Abrahamics to extol people like Moses/Moshe (who were genocidaires and destroyers of pagan culture) and then appropriate a Pagan practice.

[JaskaranDhaliwal175]

I don't have any problem with Xians doing Adho Mukha Svanasana "for Jesus," or doing their own twist to Asanas or Pranayama as a form of exercise (as I have no problem with cultural appropriation), but this cannot be considered as actual Yogam, but a quasi watered-down form of Yogam. Yoga is both a philosophical darshana of Hinduism and also the generic term for any practice which brings you closer to Bhagavan/Ishvara (i.e. Bhakti Yoga/Jnana Yoga/Karma Yoga).

[JaskaranDhaliwal175]

While I disagree with almost everything you usually say, I should thank you Pat Robertson as well as other ultra conservative religious bigots, because you seem to be the only individuals who actually realize that Yogam is a primarily Dharmic practice. Many mantras which are indeed are addressed to Vedic Devas such as Vishnu, Krishna, and Shiva/Rudra. In fact, even the regular Surya Namaskaras are technically a prayer to Sri Hari Vishnu, as Surya Devata is merely another form of Sriman Narayana.

[gog mclaine]

But according to Pat Roberston, you are just a bunch of non-white, non-christian niggers that respect holy cows and are fit with the computer.

Pat is not interested in anything outside the USA. The other nations should be happy that the USA doesn't bomb them. pat just imitates the average red neck and therefore he became very wealthy

[Naveen Dhak]

"India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only."

[puneeth H.N]

Christianity has produced the biggest mass-murderess in history from Hitler to Joseph Stalin to Crusades to conquistadores to the Spaniards etc. the list is endless. Most Christian missionaries pray on the innocence and uneducated poor people