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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
 
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Personally, I like these definitions of Religion, Dharma and Hindu. Here's some interesting factoids to ponder. I obtained this information from the Vedic Temple website.
Religion defined in Vedic terms: Religion is an artificial and human created path which helps one to lead a noble life and bring one closer to God. In English, religion is the closest word that may be substituted for “Dharma”. For ordinary purposes the term Dharma may be interchangeable with religion. Humans designed “Religion”; whereas, Dharma represents natural principles, duties, and responsibilities.
Dharma defined in Vedic terms: Dharma is the individual’s natural, selfless duty, a responsibility towards self, parents, family, society, community, environment, and humanity.
There is no equivalent English translation for the Ancient Sanskrit word ‘Dharma’. Dharma is pronounced as Dh-r-m.
Dharma is divine in origin and deals with universal natural principles. The connotations are
spiritual and metaphysical. Mahabharata (12-31-7) described Dharma as follows:
“That conduct which sustains, protects, harmonizes all human beings including family, society,
nation, nature, and the cosmos”.
While visiting Jakarta, Indonesia, I saw many English sign-boards stating “Dharmo-Vanita”. I
asked a taxi driver the meaning, and the driver replied: “Dharma means to help others, and
Vanita means women. It is a sign-board of a government department that deals with helping
women, you may call it women’s welfare!” Furthermore I asked him: “What is your religion?” He
replied “Muslim”. According to this Indonesian Muslim taxi driver his religion is Muslim, but, to
him, Dharma means the duty to help others.
An individual who goes out of the way to help others is said to have undertaken Dharma.
Kanad Rishi in Vaisesika Darsan describes Dharma as follows:
“Dharma is that righteous conduct which elevates a human being to a higher level of interaction;
thereby, one attains selflessness and is free from selfishness.”
Dharma is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Dharana,’ the root word, Dhr. ‘Dharana’, means ‘to
uphold,’ or to sustain. One who upholds these destined natural duties is said to have undertaken
Dharma. For example, the Dharma of the sun is to shine. The Dharma of the earth is to rotate,
and a learned person should guide others in the righteous direction.
The great lawgiver sage, Manu, described ten characteristics of Dharma as follows:
“The ten characteristics of a person who upholds Dharma are contentment, forgiveness,
maintenance of purity, thought, action, emotional, and sensual discipline, iratelessness,
truthfulness, abstinence from stealing, acquisition of knowledge, and wisdom.”
The tenth Sikh Guru Sri Govind Singh in Ugradanti Chhake Chhand Vani under the description of
“Chandi Ki Var” stated:
“Sakala jagata me khalsa pantha gaje, Jage dharam hindu sakal bhanda bhaje” Chhake Chanda 39:
“Let Khalsa Pantha be victorious all over the world to awaken Hindu Dharma, so all falsehood or
ignorance may be removed.”
Sikh Guru Sri Govind Singh further stated in Ugradani Saveya Chhake Chhanda (40):
“Sakala jaga me khalsa pantha gaje, Jage dharam Hinduka turk dunde bhaje”
Ugradanti Saveya Chhake Chhanda Chhaka 1 line 40.
The use of the word “Hinduka” in the above Chhand by Guru Sri Govind Singh reveals that the
word Hinduka was in vogue at that time.
In essence Dharma means “natural righteous, conducts, and duties that help one to rise
higher to become a better person.”
Then of course Hindu defined in Vedic terms:
Actually nobody knows the origin of the word “Hindu”. The word Hindu cannot be found in any
ancient Hindu scriptures, for Hindu is a later day derivative with many theories which are stated below:
One group of intellectuals is of the opinion that the word Hindu is derived from two different words; the first word is Himalaya, and the second word is Indu. Himalaya is the highest and largest mountainous range of the world, 5.5 miles high and 150,000 miles long that marks the northern most boundary of India. Indu means an ocean, and the ocean marks the southern most boundary of India. “Hi” from Himàlaya, and “ndu,” from Indu, have given birth to the new word “Hindu”. People living in the land that extends from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean are called “Hindus”; thus the word Hindu originated indigenously.
Other scholars think the word “Hindu” originated from the word “Sindhu,” as the mis-pronounced word “Hindu,” instead of “Sindhu”. Sindhu is one of the largest rivers of ancient India flowing from the Himalayas to the ocean west of India. Traders, merchants, and travelers had to cross this river in order to go west beyond the boundaries of Bharat, Greater India. Hindu-Kusa, a range of Himalayan mountains, was the boundary of Bharat, Greater India, in ancient times (see map no.1). Travelers usually remember the greatest pleasures, or travelers remember the most difficult obstacles of their journey. The Hindu-Kusa mountain range was the greatest hurdle for the travelers going west to the valleys and cities of Persia, Greece, Middle East, Central Asia, or Europe from the pleasurable and prosperous Sindhu, or Indus valley. The travelers would address the people of the Hindu-Kusa range and the Sindhu-river according to their
own language as Hind, Inde, Inde, or Indus. This is how inhabitants of the Hindu-Kusa mountain range and the Sindhu River belt came to be known as Hindu. Similarly, the people of the Caucasus mountain range became known as Caucasians.
The word “Hindu” is found in the Arab Holy Book “LISAN AL ARAB,” which has been published since early 800 A.D.. The word “Hind” means beautiful woman, and, also, one hundred camels; The word “Hinduka” means person from India. Professor Al Batal, department of Arabic language, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A., translated the mentioned book. A presumption is that in ancient times Arabs probably used to buy beautiful Hindu woman for one hundred camels!
Tenth Sikh Guru Sri Govind Singh, in Dasam Granth, has also used the word “Hinduka”, pertaining to Hindus (see answer 1). During medieval times the word “Hinduka” was in vogue, and the word may have been a prototype of the modern word Hindoo ( Hindu ) as the British would say.
In ancient times the inhabitants of the Hindu-Kusa Mountains and beyond were called Hindus, and in turn the inhabitants gave birth to the Arabic word “Hinduka.” The land beyond the Hindu-Kusa Mountains was called Hindusthan which means land of Hindus. The populace out-side of Hindusthan popularly referred to the religion of the people of Hindusthan as Hindu.
Note: *Kusa means “sacred grass,” as spelled and written, according to “A Sanskrit English Dictionary” written by Sir Monier Monier-Williams. |
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| oh yeah......for me, yoga is about my spirituality and connecting to something greater and deeper.
I keep throwing in the "for me" because I can only speak from my experience... in the past, I would have run from this conversation with flames shooting out of my shoes!  that may be a testament to where yoga (and 12 step) have gotten me.. |
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| Really excellent information!
The main things I'm learning can be summed up like this:
1) I did get yoga and dogma/religion too mixed up and intermingled after reading Gita
2) actually, it is all personal and no one needs to know how many TVs I have ;)
3) I don't need to really explain this to anyone b/c I barely understand it myself. Like someone said (wish I could see the posts!), I shouldn't be teaching something unless I understand it completely. That is how misinformation gets out there. For now, and who knows how long, I can say (if asked) that some people believe A and some people believe B, and some people believe C. I don't ever half to speak about facts or dogma b/c that's not what it's about.
Do I pass? 
Edited by Kym 2007-01-04 7:16 PM
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
  
| Ancient yogic texts discuss God in terms of Hinduism because that was the prevailing belief of the yogis. When I am feeling very cheeky, I point out that at American baseball games, they say Christian prayers, because that is (so far) the prevailing belief of the participants and spectators. It doesn't mean that baseball is a "Christian" sport and you don't have to be Christian to play it or watch it. Ergo - you also don't have to be Hindu to practice yoga. HOWEVER, as has been pointed out several times here, yoga is essentially a spiritual quest or at least a tool to be used in a spiritual quest. But every single teacher and guru I have known has been very, very clear that the individual seeker's God or concept of God is his or her own. If you chose to belong to the congregation of the FSM (again, I am making light to make a point) that is up to you. Search the boards for FSM if you have too much time on your hands. Warning - it is silly in the extreme...
Cyndi - sorry. I didn't mean to be disrespectful. I was running out of time and had to get to work so I wasn't as clear or careful with my words as I should have been. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Tourist, don't worry, I didn't take it that way.
Hey Kym,
You can still teach yoga asanas. I look at this way. I have a yoga instructor. I'm not really that sure about where she is at as far as her 'vedic' knowledge is concerned. I do know that by communicating with her, she 'seems' to have a real good foundation about the yoga practice and how it should be preformed. I really don't care about the other. Honestly, I have my sources of guru's and can get the 'philosophy' end of it that way. In fact, my path has lead me in this direction anyhow. I go to learn these asana's from her. That is how my practice as evolved, at least for now. This may change, but for now this is perfect and exactly where I need to be. I don't need my instructor to guide me in the other areas where yoga is concerned, to me its a personal matter. I let my yoga practice take me where I need to go...in fact, it's more like, I allow my yoga practice to take me where I need to go. Not, letting my yoga teacher take me where I need to go. I don't want that and I don't need that. Frankly, my teacher is not interested in that either...although, she is very good, she's outstanding!!
Now, the reason I'm bringing this up is because 90% of Yoga here in the West is structured this way. I do prefer the philosophical and spiritual aspect to come from an enlightened person, in a more traditional way. I personally have found that for myself. I do believe that with Yoga here in the West, if a person is ready, they will advance towards that aspect and find their guru too. Most of us have done exactly that. So, you Kym, please do not give up teaching yoga just because you don't know everything. Teach what you know and what you have Mastered - teach it well, very well...nothing more and nothing less. If you do that, you will be of great service to yoga and the persons seeking the path towards enlightenment or the realization of God. You will be contributing to a great cause. |
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| I've had one prolonged (meaning more than a fleeting glimpse), deeply mystical experience in my life. When I try to describe it, I always feel that I am falling flat, but I feel like giving it a go : )
I was lying on top of bed, during the day, I don't remember thinking about anything in particular. I was very in love with another human being at the time, someone I had not slept with but loved passionately, a wife love, a mother love, a child love, like all the love I have ever felt but all at once. As I remember it, I wasn't thinking about him particularly at the time, but I was always in a state : ). So there I was, on top of my bed, and then there I was, experiencing the most complete, intimate, secure, feeling, but I wasn't just feeling, I was being in communion with another being. It was a feeling of complete intimacy. It was one-on-one. I knew that what I was experiencing was what I am at my core. I had to guess, or extrapilate, that this must be what others are at their core too, but I felt it as an individual. It was completely personal. Of course it was god, at the time I didn't even question that. After awhile the feeling gently passed. It seemed like some time had gone by, but I wasn't aware of time as I was experiencing it. I wasn't aware of anything physical, my body, my room, my bed. It wasn't like I was just thinking either, I was completely engrossed, engaged, enveloped in the most intimate way.
When I get to the point of yeah, right, god, don't be stupid, when I die my consciousness will be over, everything reasonable tells me that, every physical act tells me that, and besides, no one knows anything about hereafter for sure, no matter what they are saying, a little part of me always remembers that experience, and the least I can say is, it's a mystery.
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| Cyndi, thanks for saying that. 
Many of you have said extremely supportive things, directly to me, and it means a lot. |
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| This and many other posts that are here sparked me to reply. I have not read everyone's post so forgive me if a similar answer is already on the list. I am going to go back and read the rest, but felt the urge to reply.
My mother goes to a Baptist church. She told me once as a kid that she thinks that if someone truly believes in their religion and believes they are doing right and that even though it is not the true religion God will understand. As long as someone is not downright worshiping Satan that is. I thought this was great, and then I grew up sort of and thought this is a fairy tale my mother told me so that I wouldn't stress about all the other people that are not Christians going to Hell. This made me doubt all religions and I lost faith. Later, I started researching religions and started realizing similarities. As many people have, started wondering if all religions were part of the same religion. I was scared at the thought because it meant that I might have someone to answer to, and did not go any farther because of things I have done that I am not proud of. Slowly over the years I have found myself coming across articles that supported this. My family is a mix of many religions, one of which is Native American. I found myself researching their beliefs and multi-god verses one God and seeing so many similarities with Christianity, even with the polytheist. I came across an article explaining how science and all religions are part of the same and actually back each other up if you look for it. I sent my mother the article (who over the years is starting to show no tolerance to other religions..to my dismay) and she said that she is going to send me articles that explain how the devil planned to confuse people by giving religions similarities and doubting which one is true. I am going to respond to that and say, what if the devil isn't trying to confuse you mother, what if he did, by making the DIFFERENCES in the original relgion and make us fight with each other over them? I mean more attention is starting to be paid over who is right over the years and cause bitterness than is being paid attention to the main root of most (actually almost all) religions..love each other. I don't understand how she can think that the different branches of Christianity are ok, and understand how they came to pass but not understand how different religions can be branches of the same religion. I hear about how this (insert religion here) is idol worshipping, but if (insert a different religion here that claims not to be seen as idol worshipping) and see that they also worship idols without realizing it. Money material possessions etc, but they excuse that form of idol worshipping away. My ex husband who is Muslim explained to me once that he was taught that Jesus is a prophet and was a Virgin birth, but they do not call Him Son of God that is blasphemy because they do not have a term that truly means immaculate conception to them it comes across as saying God had intercourse with Mary and impregnated her. To them (understandable so) that is blasphemy. This made me realize how some branches of religion can believe different things. Some beliefs are "lost in translation."
There is a passage (more than once) that says do not make your own religion. Well, do to people translating (there's that word again) the Bible differently (and other books of religion) there are different branches of religion, isn't this creating a religion? Even though it was not their intent, it is. Sometimes people made an honest mistake and sometimes people did it for political gain. I think God will forgive the people that were trying to follow his true teachings and took a wrong step with good intentions. However, there is also a passage that says religion (beliefs) are not a birthright. Meaning just because I am not Christian by birth doesn't mean if I see it is the way that I can not become Christian. So, I decided if I was to take my mother's attitude, that other religions were wrong, then why not take it one step farther and say other branches of Christianity are wrong? How do I know my mother taught me the proper branch and isn't condeming us to a life of hell with good intentions? I decided I wasn't going to look for who is right aand who is wrong, that I was going to see how we are all right but passed the truth along differently. Remember hearing in school if you tell person B a story by the time it gets to person Z it is a different story? So bottom line is I am trying to see all aspects of religions and how we all stemmed from the same place. Am I creating my own religion? Maybe, or maybe I am getting to the original. I'd rather take the teachings of all religions and learn to love the world and others by their practices and be a good person than to have hateful thoughts towards others for being different and killing people because they are different. I would rather take yoga and teachings of to help me find inner peace and to let go of my anger and not take it out on others than to pass yoga by and not use it to my benifit (the benifit of being a good person and letting go of ambition to gain money). I have stopped quibling about reincarnation and resurrection and started seeing how they might have stemmed from the same belief. I am not going to think that I am better than others because I am Christian. I am not going to hang out with my friends and think too bad they are going to hell because they are this religion, because they are good people, but picked wrong faith. I am going to let go of this need to be right, and practice what my religion teaches, to be a good person and to love my neighbors. If I do this I am in essence practicing all religions, just different rituals help me do it.
I'm supposed to pray on a regular bases. If I use yoga to relax clear my head of the influences around me and get rid of distractions and help me focus on prayer, I don't think God will be angry with me. Nor do I think the people that started the yoga practice are going to wish ill of me and tell me that they do not want me to practice yoga if they see that I am using it for good.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| osutuffy - 2007-02-04 7:18 AM
I'm supposed to pray on a regular bases. If I use yoga to relax clear my head of the influences around me and get rid of distractions and help me focus on prayer, I don't think God will be angry with me. Nor do I think the people that started the yoga practice are going to wish ill of me and tell me that they do not want me to practice yoga if they see that I am using it for good.
Tiffany - I think this sums up your message very well and it certainly echoes much of what I have been taught about yoga. Thanks for the contribution! |
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was I wrong before, or now?
