--- In [email protected], anonymousff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I had a very interesting experience at my local TM center one day > about 15 years ago.
I like that. I had similar experiences after my program. > I arrived at the center before an Advanced Meeting > - you know the weekly group meditations and tapes they used to have. > > There was quite a ruckus going on outside the front door. Several > people were arguing and being very hostile. Because I was early for > the meeting, I decided to meditate in my van before the meeting. I had > no idea what noise was all about. > > That particular mediation was a very spectacular personal experience. > I immediately dove very, very deep and experienced a soft and > beautiful unity with life. I had the feeling that a big beautiful > bubble of love, and safety surrounded me. I felt a wonderful glow > exuding from within myself, caressing my environment. > > When I went to go inside the center I could see that there was a small > crowd outside the door arguing. As I approached the crowd, all the > noise stopped, and they became very quiet. Their 'leader" gave me a > puzzled and astonished look - it was obvious that he could see the > peace I was feeling. > > After entering the building all the noise started again. It turned out > they were a group of so-called "Christians" protesting the center and > trying to "save" the people going to the Friday-night advanced > meetings. I felt sorry for them, isn't the "peace that passeth all > understanding" what they want too? Why do you think that protesters are against peace? They might see some others things that you didn't. > > > --- In [email protected], anonymousff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > I am floating an article i came across the net which speaks about > > the bad effects of yoga..and what the bible says about yoga.any > > thoughts on it? > > > > the article follows>.. > > ============================================== > > What Does the Bible Say About Yoga? > > by Michael Sharif > > Yoga is pervasive. Yoga is in the east and the west. Yoga classes are > > offered in Central Africa, in Russia, in Australia. Flyers for yoga > > are on university bulletin boards, in health food stores, in the > > elevators of high rise apartment buildings in downtown Los Angeles, > > and even as part of some YMCA physical education programs. Is yoga > > merely a physical exercise? > > Regarding the yoga asanas or physical postures Swami Vivekananda > > writes in his book Raja Yoga : "A series of exercises, physical and > > mental, is to be gone through every day until certain higher states > > are reached. Nerve currents will have to be dispatched and given a > > new channel. New sorts of vibrations will begin: the whole > > constitution will be remodeled, as it were." > > In Yoga: The Method of Re-Intergation Alain Danielou, a French > > scholar on yoga, writes that the real import of yoga is as "a process > > of control of the gross body which aims at freeing the subtle body." > > The subtle body is regarded as extremely complex and consisting of > > 72,000 invisible psychic channels called nadis corresponding to the > > physical or gross body. The subtle body and the physical body are > > connected at seven primary points or chakras ranging from the top of > > the head to the base of the spine. > > The charkas are believed to control the consciousness of an > > individual. Manipulating the spine through various yoga postures is > > believed to increase the energy flow from the subtle body altering > > the consciousness of the individual. Kundalini yoga and hatha yoga > > directly manipulate the charkas through their various postures and > > breathing exercises. > > In a mind over body relationship mantra yoga also seeks to alter > > consciousness of an individual by the repetition of mantras, which > > Guru Dev, the guru of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, considered the "favorite > > names of the gods". Mantras are repeated silently or audibly up to > > several hours and produce altered states of consciousness. > > Yoga is bound up in Eastern religious metaphysics and is not an > > innocent form of relaxing the body and the mind. The goal of yoga is > > the same as that of Hinduism, which is realizing that one is Brahman, > > the underlying impersonal God of the Universe in Hinduism. According > > to Psychic Forces and Occult Shock (Wilson and Weldon): "The physical > > exercises of yoga are designed to prepare the body for the > > psychospiritual change vital to inculcating this idea (the > > realization that one is Brahman) into the consciousness and being of > > the person. Hence talk of separating yoga practice from theory is > > meaningless. From a Christian perspective, whether the two can safely > > be divided is doubtful. 'I do yoga, but Hinduism isn't involved,' is > > an incorrect statement." > > A Spiritual Counterfeits Project (Berkeley, California) publication > > on "Yoga" states: "For while it may suit the secular fancy to espouse > > only that selected aspect (the physical) of yoga which fits the > > bourgeois notion of what yoga is supposed to do (i.e. make a > > beautiful body), the fact still remains that even physical yoga is > > inextricably bound up in the whole of Eastern religious metaphysics. > > In fact, it is quite accurate to say that physical yoga and Indian > > metaphysics are mutually interdependent; you really can't have one > > without the other." > > In the Shankara tradition, which pervades most of contemporary > > Hinduism, the raindrop is pictured as the symbol of the individual > > self and the ocean is the symbol of the universal soul (J.Isamu > > Yamamoto, SCP Newsletter). "The absorption of the raindrop into the > > ocean is symbolic of the absorption of the person into the impersonal > > universe. After people attain enlightenment, they lose their > > identities and become one with the all. Absorption is the goal of the > > monist Hindu" (J.Isamu Yamamoto, SCP Newsletter , March-April 1983). > > "The candle flame is a Buddhist image of the individual; it is the > > light of life that flickers in the darkness of sorrow. The quest of > > each ardent Buddhist is to extinguish their own flame. They seek not > > merely a physical death but a death that will deliver them from both > > the physical and spiritual life. Extinction is the goal of the > > traditional Buddhist" (J. Isamu Yamamoto, SCP Newsletter , op.cit.). > > For this author more persuasive than any authority is the author's > > personal experience in mantra yoga, hatha yoga, and kundalini yoga. > > Definite altered states of consciousness are produced by yoga. > > However, these states of consciousness while initially anesthetic > > became with constant yoga practice progressively more oppressive > > resulting in a disassociation from the external world. Sensory input > > was accentuated and produced an overreaction to external stimuli > > resulting in anxiety. On intensive asana-meditation courses the > > author experienced several blackouts during mantra meditation > > sessions which lasted up to an hour and a half. No consciousness of > > elapsed time and no memory of what had transpired during the blackout > > existed after such an experience. > > Coping with these altered states of consciousness produced in the > > author mounting tension making him easily upset by trifles (slamming > > of a door, the screeching of a jet fighter plane, traffic). In many > > ways the meditation/yoga experience is the classic experience of > > anxiety disorder so well documented by the Australian doctor Claire > > Weekes in her classic book Hope and Help For Your Nerves , which also > > offers the best non clinical approach for curing anxiety disorder of > > which panic attacks are common symptoms. > > Meditation and yoga in many instances cause anxiety disorder. This > > author's experience is that the techniques result in feelings of > > unreality, feelings of personality disintegration, and depression. It > > is the author's belief that many of the so-called "advanced states of > > consciousness" are no more than the result of extreme sensitization, > > a state in which our nerves react in an exaggerated way to stress > > induced by the yoga/meditation techniques, producing an overshadowing > > sensory unreality similar to those induced by consciousness altering > > drugs. > > Yoga is marketed in the guise of an innocent, healthful technique, > > but it is far from it. H.Rieker warns: "Yoga is not a trifling jest > > if we consider that any misunderstanding in the practice of yoga can > > mean death or insanity," and that if the breath is "prematurely > > exhausted, there is immediate danger of death for the yogi" (Rieker, > > The Yoga of Light (Los Angeles: Dawn House) 1974, p. 135). Blackouts, > > strange trance states, or insanity are listed from even "the > > slightest mistake�" of practicing yoga. Swami Prabhavananda's Yoga > > and Mysticism lists brain injury, incurable disease, and insanity as > > potential hazards of wrong yoga practice. > > If one is experiencing stress and needs to relax there are many ways > > to do this such as going for a walk, a picture show, playing sports, > > going out for dinner, taking a vacation than pursuing yoga. To > > strengthen one's body you can lift weights, run, swim etc� rather > > than doing yoga postures. > > In Psychic Forces and Occult Shock Wilson and Weldon state, "Yoga is > > really pure occultism, as any number of yoga and occult texts prove > > (R.S Mishra's Yoga Sutras and Fundamentals of Yoga , J. Brennan's > > Astral Doorways and H. Chaudhuri's Philosophy of Meditation are > > footnoted). Occult abilities are very common from yoga practice, and > > the numerous dangers of occultism are evident from many studies (K. > > Koch's Christian Counseling and Occultism is footnoted). The yoga > > scholar and Sanskrit authority, Mishra, states: 'In conclusion, it > > may be said that behind every psychic investigation, behind > > mysticism, occultism, etc., knowingly or unknowingly, the yoga system > > is present. (Mishra, op.cit.)'" Kurt Koch in his various excellent > > books correlates delving with the occult with subsequent experiences > > of anxiety and depression sometimes resulting in suicide. > > The Bible informs us that God created Adam of the dust of the earth > > and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). Man > > is a created, separate being. Man can have a relationship with the > > Living God by accepting His Son, God's physical incarnation, Jesus > > Christ. The Bible does not teach that through yoga man can attain > > progressive higher levels of consciousness so that man will realize > > he is one with God and merge with Brahman as Hinduism teaches or that > > man's personality can be extinguished as a flame is extinguished as > > Buddhism teaches. The Bible does not mention or recognize yoga or any > > system where man can become one with God. > > God is so far above man that man cannot work his way up to God > > through his own actions. Because of the original sin of Adam and Eve > > man is fatally flawed. He is born in sin. But God so loved man that > > he provided a plan of redemption. God Himself became man (John 1:14) > > to provide the perfect sacrifice to atone for man's sin. The perfect > > sacrifice had to be God Himself as only God is without sin. Accepting > > God's provision for sin, his Son, gives man an eternal life in God's > > presence. The earthly body is shed and replaced with an eternal body > > at death. Man does not become nor does he merge with God. Salvation > > is a free gift given by grace, and not something which has to be > > worked for. > > Both Hinduism and Buddhism believe in reincarnation, the > > transmigration of souls from one body to the next over time. One > > reincarnates to overcome one's karma or one's attachment to the > > material world and the recurring patterns which bind one to the > > material world. Only by elevating one's consciousness through yoga > > and piercing the "veil of illusion," which is the material world, can > > one transcend and merge with Brahman or snuff out one's flame and > > attain Nirvana. > > The Bible teaches that man lives once and then comes judgment > > (Hebrews 9:27). For those who have accepted Christ there is no > > judgment as the decision has been made to spend eternity with the > > source of all goodness, joy, and purity, the personal God of the > > Universe. For those who never knew Christ God will judge with > > absolute fairness, but for those who have rejected Christ eternity > > will be spent in a horrible place where God does not exist, a place > > to which Jesus referred to more than anyone else in the Bible, a > > place of eternal agony � hell (Mark 9:48). > > Yoga is not a panacea, it is a system where man tries to work his way > > to God. Yoga is not necessary and all of man's works are nothing but > > dirty rags before the righteousness of God. Why spend one's life in > > bondage chasing a mirage, spending countless hours doing yoga > > exercises and meditating, hoping to pull oneself off samsara, the > > wheel of reincarnation. Man can never become God. Because of the sin > > of Adam man dies. What mortal man can compare to even an angel of > > God? Daniel saw the angel Gabriel and here is his awesome > > description: > > "I looked up and suddenly there before me stood a person robed in > > linen garments, with a belt of purest gold around his waist, and > > glowing lustrous skin! From his face came blinding flashes like > > lightning, and his eyes were pools of fire; his arms and feet shone > > like polished brass, and his voice was like the roaring of a vast > > multitude of people. I, Daniel, alone saw this great vision; the men > > with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly filled with unreasoning > > terror and ran to hide and I was left alone. When I saw this > > frightening vision my strength left me, and I grew pale and weak with > > fright. (Daniel 10: 5-8, Living Bible)." > > Man doesn't have to become God. God stretches forth His hand > > (Revelation 3:20) and all you have to do is take it by making a > > conscious decision to accept Jesus Christ. Ask him humbly to take > > charge of your life in simple words. Then the Holy Spirit will > > indwell you and you will have peace, joy, and certainty. Only then > > will you shed your old cocoon and experience God's metamorphosis. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- > > ---------- > > Michael Sherif practiced mantra yoga (meditated silently on a > > supposedly "meaningless" sound which was really the vehicle that drew > > him into a "Hindu" deity or really a demon from our Christian > > perspective). He was in bondage to this, in combination with hatha > > yoga for six years. According to his testimony this was a horrible > > experience for him. Yoga involvement is really an exercise in a > > demonic activity which is portrayed as "fun" and "healthy" that can > > lead to demonic possession. He experienced different states of > > sensory consciousness which were dark and sterile until Jesus set him > > free. You may read other articles that deal with witchcraft and New > > Age bondage at his website: www.earthharvest.org To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
