Bay Guy - 2007-01-09 10:03 PM

... there is a certain presumptive quality to the evangelist, no?

SCThornley - 2007-01-10 4:35 AM

J.A.L.A.I.D.A.M.-[just as long as it doesn't affect me] OR jalaidam.

Jalaidam is modern philosophical system that has come out of modern practical life in the face of the ongoing and never ending debate of competing belief systems that basically accepts the realization that nothing will ever change the way someone believes and so, believe whatever you want, just as long as it doesn't affect me. This is really a retread philosophy of the early USA motto of "Don't tread on me".

Chinese can't concede this either- same with Japanese...and just try to tell a Vietnamese that any civilizaton is superior to theirs... you'll get an old kung fu round house kick in the chest, just for starters...

but I have a Vietnamese husband. And even he has to give it up to the Chinese for the kung fu. Also, this might make you mad, but the martial arts developed in India are regarded by him as... not as effective as Chinese martial arts

ellen - 2007-01-06 2:28 PM

My simplistic world view, when people start talking about who discovered what and what belongs to whom, is that we are all merging into one anyway, culture, beliefs, economic systems, racial categories.

yuvrajjj - 2007-01-13 11:34 AM


Dear ellen,let me state some facts pertaining to Hinduism, ok you won't like it but keep an open mind & I hope the moderators won't take it personally, that some OBSERVANT brahmins & vaishnavs consider non-hindus & non-vegetarians as dalits (untouchables) so don't expect everyone to agree with you. I have a devil inside me as well.

yuvrajjj - 2007-01-13 2:34 PM Dear ellen,let me state some facts pertaining to Hinduism, ok you won't like it but keep an open mind & I hope the moderators won't take it personally, that some OBSERVANT brahmins & vaishnavs consider non-hindus & non-vegetarians as dalits (untouchables) so don't expect everyone to agree with you. I have a devil inside me as well. :)

ellen - 2007-01-13 12:09 PM

Dear Nick, that's ok, I don't mind : ), I just like being called "dear"

zoebird - 2006-10-30 1:26 PM

the problem with americanization of yoga is the process of trying to rip the spiritual aspect out of the physical discipline. Instead of the perspective that yoga is a spiritual practice with ap hysical component, the americanization has flipped this reality as if it's a physical practice with an optional spiritual component. Simply, this is not true. So, yes, this is problematic.

aside from this, i have no issue with the application of yoga to christianity or any other religion. while yoga has it's roots in the vedic culture, it is a discipline that can be extracted out of context and utilized in other contexts. Just as prayer, ritual, fasting, scriptural study, meditation, etc are not religion-specific, neither is yoga.

but yoga must be approached as a spiritual discipline in order to be yoga. Regardless of which religion one practices yoga within, without practicing it as a spiritual discipline, one is only practicing stretching or gymnastics.

It goes over the limbs and branches of yoga. The article doesn't mention a particular religion. I guess it could be called Americanized. But I like it, it leaves me room to be Christian.