Where is born in yoga?

What Is Yoga, Really?

Most of us are accustomed to looking outside of ourselves for fulfillment. We are living in a world that conditions us to believe that outer attainments can give us what we want. Yet again and again our experiences show us that nothing external can completely fulfill the deep longing within for "something more." Most of the time, however, we find ourselves striving toward that which always seems to lie just beyond our reach. We are caught up in doing rather than being, in action rather than awareness. It is hard for us to picture a state of complete calmness and repose in which thoughts and feelings cease to dance in perpetual motion. Yet it is through such a state of quietude that we can touch a level of joy and understanding impossible to achieve otherwise.

It is said in the Bible: "Be still and know that I am God." In these few words lies the key to the science of Yoga. This ancient spiritual science offers a direct means of stilling the natural turbulence of thoughts and restlessness of body that prevent us from knowing what we really are.

Ordinarily our awareness and energies are directed outward, to the things of this world, which we perceive through the limited instruments of our five senses. Because human reason has to rely upon the partial and often deceptive data supplied by the physical senses, we must learn to tap deeper and more subtle levels of awareness if we would solve the enigmas of life — Who am I? Why am I here? How do I realize Truth?

Yoga is a simple process of reversing the ordinary outward flow of energy and consciousness so that the mind becomes a dynamic center of direct perception no longer dependent upon the fallible senses but capable of actually experiencing Truth.

By practicing the step-by-step methods of Yoga taking nothing for granted on emotional grounds or through blind faith we come to know our oneness with the Infinite Intelligence, Power, and Joy which gives life to all and which is the essence of our own Self.

In past centuries many of the higher techniques of Yoga were little understood or practiced, owing to mankind's limited knowledge of the forces that run the universe. But today scientific investigation is rapidly changing the way we view ourselves and the world. The traditional materialistic conception of life has vanished with the discovery that matter and energy are essentially one: every existing substance can be reduced to a pattern or form of energy, which interacts and interconnects with other forms. Some of today's most celebrated physicists go a step further, identifying consciousness as the fundamental ground of all being. Thus modern science is confirming the ancient principles of Yoga, which proclaim that unity pervades the universe.

The word yoga itself means "union": of the individual consciousness or soul with the Universal Consciousness or Spirit. Though many people think of yoga only as physical exercises — the asanas or postures that have gained widespread popularity in recent decades — these are actually only the most superficial aspect of this profound science of unfolding the infinite potentials of the human mind and soul.

There are various paths of Yoga that lead toward this goal, each one a specialized branch of one comprehensive system:

Hatha Yoga — a system of physical postures, or asanas, whose higher purpose is to purify the body, giving one awareness and control over its internal states and rendering it fit for meditation.

Karma Yoga — selfless service to others as part of one's larger Self, without attachment to the results; and the performance of all actions with the consciousness of God as the Doer.

Mantra Yoga — centering the consciousness within through japa, or the repetition of certain universal root-word sounds representing a particular aspect of Spirit.

Bhakti Yoga — all-surrendering devotion through which one strives to see and love the divinity in every creature and in everything, thus maintaining an unceasing worship.

Jnana (Gyana) Yoga — the path of wisdom, which emphasizes the application of discriminative intelligence to achieve spiritual liberation.

Raja Yoga — the royal or highest path of Yoga, immortalized by Bhagavan Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita and formally systematized in the second century B.C. by the Indian sage Patanjali, which combines the essence of all the other paths.

At the heart of the Raja Yoga system, balancing and unifying these various approaches, is the practice of definite, scientific methods of meditation that enable one to perceive, from the very beginning of one's efforts, glimpses of the ultimate goal — conscious union with the inexhaustibly blissful Spirit.

The quickest and most effective approach to the goal of Yoga employs those methods of meditation that deal directly with energy and consciousness. It is this direct approach that characterizes Kriya Yoga, the particular form of Raja Yoga meditation taught by Paramahansa Yogananda.

The Eightfold Path of Yoga

The Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali        

Yoga, the timeless science behind all true religions, consists of systematic and definite steps to realization of the soul’s oneness with Spirit.

The Bhagavad Gita, which is a sacred dialogue between the divine teacher Krishna and his disciple Arjuna, is India’s most beloved scripture of yoga, as explained in Paramahansa Yogananda’s definitive two-volume translation and commentary: God Talks With Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita — Royal Science of God-Realization.

The essence of the yoga path was set forth in systematic form by the ancient sage Patanjali in his short but masterly work, the Yoga Sutras. Paramahansa Yogananda has written:

“Patanjali’s date is unknown, though many scholars assign him to the second century B.C. His renowned Yoga Sutras presents, in a series of brief aphorisms, the condensed essence of the exceedingly vast and intricate science of God-union — setting forth the method of uniting the soul with the undifferentiated Spirit in such a beautiful, clear, and concise way that generations of scholars have acknowledged the Yoga Sutras as the foremost ancient work on yoga.”

The yoga system of Patanjali is known as the Eightfold Path, which leads to the final goal of God-realization.

Patanjali’s Eightfold Path of Yoga:

1. Yama (moral conduct): noninjury to others, truthfulness, nonstealing, continence, and noncovetousness
2. Niyama (religious observances): purity of body and mind, contentment in all circumstances, self-discipline, self-study (contemplation), and devotion to God and guru
3. Asana: right posture
4. Pranayama: control of prana, the subtle life currents in the body
5. Pratyahara: interiorization through withdrawal of the senses from external objects
6. Dharana: focused concentration; holding the mind to one thought or object
7. Dhyana: meditation, absorption in the vast perception of God in one of His infinite aspects — Bliss, Peace, Cosmic Light, Cosmic Sound, Love, Wisdom, etc. — all-pervading throughout the whole universe
8. Samadhi: superconscious experience of the oneness of the individualized soul with Cosmic Spirit

 

Yoga and the Indian Consciousness

Shiva by unknown Indian artist

Yoga: Treasure for all of humanity

The splendour that is India, homeland of the ancient spiritual tradition of the Hindus, leaves the foreign mind grappling with this inexplicable reality. What should one make of the Hindu Pantheon with its millions of gods and goddesses? What do these myriad forms and avataars mean?

Behind the idol worship and the rituals lies a sublime view of the world that is uniquely Indian.  All these forms are merely one way of looking at the complex, all encompassing reality. These forms are, but one of the many, changing forms of that Absolute One. From this intuitive understanding comes the recognition: All is One and each is free to worship the form that pleases him.

From which source did this incredible spiritual tolerance, nay, spiritual acceptance spring from?

The ever present Now

We could look back in to history to find an answer to this question, but unfortunately, the Indian mind has little or no interest in history. One observes this in the Indian languages where the same one word is used for yesterday as well as tomorrow. It is the present that the Indian mind busies itself with. The past and future become irrevalent.

Historical figures become legends and myths sometimes seem closer to reality. So what we have is mythology and tales that go deeper than facts. Tales that stir up ancient memories are an integral part of the different traditions in Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra. The tradition integrates the past and future in to the present in the form of stories that have been handed down since millennia.

Guardians of Wisdom

The guardians of wisdom and the spiritual tradition of Yoga were the monks, sages, yogis, tantriks, ascetics and recluses that lived outside society. As the Masters of meditation sat in their forest retreats and Himalayan monasteries, they lay in the lap of Mother Nature who gave them in abundance and without reservation. Their teachers were the sun who share all and withheld nothing, the river that flowed over all obstacles and surrendered to the ocean, the trees that were firmly rooted in the earth, yet reached for the sky. Mother Nature taught in the form of intuition. The ancients have a word for it: Shruti.

Our YouTube Channel THATfirst English has many clips arranged topic-wise in the playlist. Topics include: Samaya Srividya, Pranayama, Self-Enquiry, Schools of Tantra, and many more. Subscribe to the channel!

Realm beyond the senses

Knowledge of the senses tell us nothing of the spiritual realm. The Vedas are an authority because they are the only source of knowledge of this realm, without these all would be lost. Shruti is knowledge that is heard within, it is not knowledge that is learned from books or from other sources. In the language of myth and mythology the Vedas are eternal, they are divine, not human and fallible. The source is the direct and intuitive insights of the rishis, the Seers. They record eternal spiritual laws and come from a source superior to empirical and rational knowledge.  They are the foundation of what the Hindus call their faith: Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Law.

All Hindus irrespective of their personal deities and idols accept the final authority of the Seers of Vedic lore and the Eternal Law.

This ancient culture that produced wonders of architecture and gifted the world the zero and the numerical system lost interest in the material world. The Indian mind became preoccupied with spirituality, metaphysics and the occult. 

Even today the Indian mind is preoccupied with synthesis and continuity. It seeks common ground and abhors exclusive definitions. Thus the Hindus have no fixed doctrines, no central authority, no Pope and no Church.

The Yoga Tradition: Treasure of Humanity

For millennia the hymns from the Vedas, one of most ancient body of literature in the library of humanity, were preserved by ancient family traditions of oral recitation, handed down from father to son. The Brahmins were the custodians of the knowledge. For centuries the Brahmins held on to this knowledge and established their power in society. Time and again, the spiritual vacuum forced the Masters of spiritual traditions to make this knowledge available to the rest of humanity in unique and radical ways, rejecting all conventions.

Today we see this effort taking place in the meeting of the Eastern and Western worlds. The spiritual tradition of Yoga is not the privilege of any one caste, culture or people. Yoga , a tradition of spiritual practices, is for all humanity.  

Origin and History of Yoga Part 1

Indus Valley Seal

We trace the birth of Yoga from its nascent beginnings in the Indus Valley right up to the Vedic times, where it developed as an alternative to ritualism.

Origin of Yoga

Until recently western scholars and Indologists believed that Yoga developed only as late as 500 B.C. What every child in India knows is now being confirmed by archaeological surveys, scholars of linguistics and scientists working with satellite technology: Yoga is over 5000 years old.

Beginnings of Yoga in the Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization or the Indus Sarasvati Civilization, flourished from 3300 B.C. to 1800 B.C. At its height, this civilization extended from Baluchistan on the Iranian border in Pakistan to beyond New Delhi, India in the east, from Afghanistan and the Himalayas in the north to Mumbai, India in the south. This is the largest and most developed Bronze Age urban civilization known to date.

Present day studies and research support the theory that the Indus Valley was home to the indigenous Dravidians as well as the Sanskrit speaking Aryans, who came in from the north. Recent studies suggest that the Aryans were absorbed in to the prevalent culture as was the case with other ethnic groups in later Indian history. A great cultural and spiritual fusion took place between the Dravidians and Aryans.

Archaeological surveys, undertaken in 1921-22, in what is today Pakistan, provided evidence of the early beginnings of Yoga. One of its most famous seals is that of a male figure seated in the lotus position surrounded by animals. Evidence suggests that this was Lord Pashupati, lord of animals, a form of Shiva worshipped in India and Nepal to this day. These and many other finds show the amazing continuity between the Indus Valley civilization and present day Hindu society and culture.

Yoga and the Vedas

Other Indus valley seals show symbols found to this day in the spiritual beliefs of the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions or Dharma. The earliest evidence for elements of Hindu spiritual beliefs were present already around the fourth millennium B.C. in the form of phallic symbols resembling the Shiva Lingam, the symbolic form of Shiva, Lord of Yoga.

The Rig Veda, among the most ancient literature in the library of humanity is also dated back to this time. The Rig Veda is the oldest of the four Vedas. The Vedas are the authoritative texts of the Hindu spiritual tradition or Dharma and the source of knowledge for over one billion Hindus in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and other immigrant populations in South East Asia, South Africa and the Caribbean Islands.

The world's oldest living spiritual tradition

The Indus Valley Civilization declined by 1800 B.C., probably due to tectonic events that changed the river system source and diverted the waters towards the Gangetic plains of what is today known as India. During the next 100 years the great cities of the Indus Valley were abandoned.

The death of the river systems in the Indus Valley forced the populations to migrate to the fertile Gangetic plains, into Central India and farther south up to the tip of the Indian peninsula taking with them their cultural and spiritual beliefs. This would make the Hindu culture and spiritual beliefs the world's oldest living tradition.

In the fertile plains of the Ganges started a new age, where Yoga philosophy and way of life would be refined and spiritual practices developed.

Yoga and the Spiritual Crisis

Vedic rituals and sacrifices led to higher states of consciousness with the recognition that the whole universe and nature itself is a sacrifice. The vedic sacrifice was a microcosmic representation of the process of never ending destruction and renewal of life.

The inner meaning of these sacrifices was however steadily obscured and the late vedic period witnessed the increasing rise of Brahminism and mechanical ritualism that led to a terrible spiritual vacuum. This spiritual crisis led, not only to the rise to the great Gnostic tradition of the Upanishads within the Hindu tradition, but also to Buddhist and Jain Dharma. This period from 800 B.C. to 300 B.C. was a time of great vigour.

Seers and Sages turned their backs to sacrifices and rituals, and residing in serene forest hermitages, they expounded the teachings of the ultimate unity of all things. This body of literature, that came to be known as Upanishads, was integrated in the Vedas. Thus the first part of the Vedas preserves the hymns and rituals performed by Brahmin priests that are used to this day. The second part, the path of knowledge concerns itself, not with ritual but with wisdom. These Gnostic texts ask and answer profound questions: what is life, what is death, where was I before I was born, where will I go when I die, what is the purpose of my life, what is my place in the universe.This literature is also known as Vedanta or Advaita. 

Yoga was often referred to in the Upanishads. The word, as it was used in the Upanishads had several meanings. It meant yoking, harnessing, connection, contemplation. In the later Upanishads it is also used in the sense of renunciation, training of the senses. Thus the Upanishads formed the philosophical foundation of Yoga.

Yoga, a tradition of spiritual practices, now developed within the framework of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain thought. While the Buddhists and Jains do not accept the final authority of the Vedas, they share a common heritage. It is important to mention here that throughout history the three great Yogic traditions of the Hindus, the Buddhists, and the Jains have borrowed freely from each other creating a spiritual synthesis  and fusion.

The Great Epics: Ramayana and Mahabharata

Two great epics dominate the spiritual and cultural landscape of India: the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Traditionally attributed to the great Sage Valmiki, the Ramayana, exercises a strong influence on the cultural life of the people of India with its emphasis on duties, values and morals. Embedded in this great epic is the Yoga Vasishta, an amazing Gnostic text that answers the questions that all spiritual seekers pose.

The Mahabharata dominates the spiritual life of India. Authored by the legendary Sage Vyasa, the epic was most likely compiled from different sources over centuries. The story of warring cousins, the Mahabharata discusses values, ethics and the path of righteousness. The Bhagavad Gita, embedded in this great epic, is a dialogue between the confused and anxious warrior Arjuna and his charioteer Lord Krishna. In the centre of the battlefield, symbolic of the conflicts in the mind and the opposing forces of life, Lord Krishna expounds the life affirming teachings of Yoga.

The Bhagavad Gita or Celestial Song, comprising of only 700 verses, uses many metaphors from the Upanishads. The Bhagavad Gita is essential reading for all students of Yoga, for it summarizes the sublime teachings of the Upanishads and the different paths of Yoga. 

Origin and History of Yoga Part 2

Sir John Woodroffe

From its early beginnings in mysticism to a complete science, Yoga is now a world wide movement.

Since the Hindu mind did not concern itself with the past, the only historical records that we have are those of Persian, Chinese and Greek scholars. Most of what we know of the history of Yoga and Hindu thought has been culled from the narratives of these travellers and from traditional stories and legends.

The period 500 B.C. onwards saw the rise of Yoga as an alternative to vedic ritualism. Dramatic developments in Yoga took place over the next few centuries outside of Hindu society, in the forest hermitages and cave monasteries. 

While the Jain Dharma remained a minority on account of its strict adherance to the principle of non-violence, Buddhist Dharma swept through the Hindu homeland. The incredible rise of Buddhist Dharma and the custom of engaging in dialectical debates led both, the Buddhists as well as the Yogis, to come down from their mystical heights. The Vedic method of contemplation and study no longer satisfied the scientific and intellectual drive of this new generation. It became necessary to develop a technical language to communicate and transfer spiritual and mystical experiences.

Patanjali and the Golden Age of Yoga

Patanjali, author of the Yoga Sutras, is often wrongly called the founder of Yoga. Little is known of the legendary Sage Patanjali. While traditional sources claim he might have lived around 500 B.C., Buddhist and western scholars tend to date the Yoga Sutras around 200 A.D. In this great work of synthesis Patanjali outlines the technical aspects of the Yoga tradition. The Yoga Sutras, composed of 196 aphoristic statements, is essential reading for all serious students of Yoga.

The Emergence of Hatha and Tantra Yoga

Over centuries many adepts developed Yoga into a system of techniques that worked with the mind, breath and body. While the Sages of Vedic lore had no interest in the body, this new breed of masters explored the hidden potentials of the body, mapped out its energy channels and charted out this complex micro universe for future practitioners. The unique and highly sophisticated paths of Tantra Yoga and its off shoots Hatha, Kundalini and Laya Yoga were born.

Thus the first millenia A.D. had brought with it such an amazing crystallization of Yogic thought that Yoga could claim to be a complete science. Yoga, with its beginnings in mysticism, was now a full fledged science.

Shankara and the Great Spiritual Renaissance

By 800 A.D. Buddhist Dharma had declined so dramatically that it had all but vanished from its homeland. A possible reason for this could have been the large number of Buddhists monks and nuns that could no longer be sustained by society. The Jain Dharma on the other hand, was restricted to a small minority due to the strictness of its practices. In this environment ritualistic Brahminism re-established its authority and power.

It was during this spiritual turmoil that the great Master Gaudapada revived the monistic teachings of the Upanishads with his commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad. His student Govinda was the teacher of Shankara. Shankara, the great Tantrik, Yogi, philosopher, poet and mystic, travelled around the land, challenging the Brahmins to debates that often raged for days. Converting his opponents to ascetic followers of Vedantic philosophy, he has since dominated spiritual life in India. In his brief lifespan of 32 years he left behind the indelible mark of Advaita (non-dualistic philosophy) and come to be as Adi,  the first among all Archaryas (Teachers).

Shankara's commentaries on the ten principal Upanishads and other Vedantic and Tantric texts have attained celebrity status on account of the subtle and deep ideas they contain. So great was the influence of Shankara that when we speak of Vedantic philosophy we mean the Advaita philosophy of Shankara.

It must be noted here that Shankara was considered to be a hidden Buddhist. Scholars find many similarities between his teachings and that of the Buddhist Dharma. His tendency to engage in debates and the reorganization of the Hindu monastic orders may have also been borrowed from the Buddhists. This only confirms our earlier statement that the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain Dharma have borrowed from each other creating a beautiful although complex spiritual synthesis.

The Dark Ages

There continued a steady decline in to the ritualistic chaos of Brahmanism centuries after Shankara's reformation. But around 1600 A.D. this was to change completely.

The Mughal invaders, the new masters of the land brought with them their own religion: Islam. The new Islamic masters found that it was not easy to convert a Hindu who had no clearly defined religion. The infamous Jaziya tax was imposed on non-Muslims. Conversions to Islam followed due to political or economic benefits. In the meanwhile the Mughal rulers continued to persecute  spiritual leaders forcing much of the Yoga tradition to go underground.  Many texts and traditions were lost during this time.

The New Dawn of Yoga

The gradual arrival of European traders and the colonisation of India by the British Empire brought about many changes that had a tremendous impact on the Yoga tradition. While the British exploited the country economically, India became accessible to many western scholars, academicians and intellectuals.

The Hindu spiritual tradition came out of its long exile and the values of Vedanta and Yoga reached many distant shores. Intellectuals and writers  such as Schopenhauer and Hermann Hesse showed great interest in Vedantic thought and the spiritual values of Yoga.

We are greatly indebted to many western scholars who carried out the tedious work of gathering and translating ancient Sanskrit and Tamil texts. Two names go down in history for their invaluable contribution to the library of humanity: Max Mueller and Sir John Woodroffe. Sir John Woodroffe, who wrote initially under the name of Arthur Avalon to protect himself from the mockery of his fellow countrymen and that of westernized intellectual Indians, was later knightened.

The British Raj witnessed many Masters of Yoga. Prominent among them were Raman Maharshi, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Yukteswar Giri and Anandamayi Maa.

Ramakrishna Paramahansa's disciple Swami Vivekananda was a bridge between the East and the West. In 1893, Swami Vivekananda attended the Parliament of Religions and made a lasting impression on the American public. In the following years, he traveled widely attracting many students to Yoga and Vedanta. Swami Vivekananda's immense success opened a sluice gate for other adepts from India. Prominent among them was Paramahansa Yogananda; his "Autobiography of a Yogi" is a classic.

The sixties movement in America and Europe brought  the hippy generation and the flower children in search of peace to India. The Beatles visit to the Indian Ashram of  Mahesh Yogi fuelled this interest and made Rishikesh the spiritual capital of the New Age.

Yoga, with modest beginnings in the forest hermitages of Vedic times, was now a world wide movement.

Yoga Today

The last half century has brought interesting new trends. The meeting with western minds and modern medicine has had its impact on Yoga.

Westernized educated Indians, who were generally wary of renunciates, because of their famed yogic powers and temperamental personalities, are now showing interest in Yoga. Presented in the garb of Yoga Therapy, this partial form of Yoga is touted as panacea for all ills of modern sedentary lifestyle.

In the West, Yoga as physical culture has become cult.

Many Yoga traditions with ancient lineages are striving to present Yoga in a holistic form. The treasure of Yoga is given unconditionally to all, for history has shown us repeatedly that the spiritual needs of man cannot be satisfied with rituals. Can these spiritual needs be satisfied with partial forms of Yoga?

Yoga and Hinduism

Shiva Lingam worshipped by Shivaites

We try to understand the historical relationship between Yoga and Hinduism.

Who is Hindu?

Historically the ancient Persians referred to the people inhabiting the land on the other side of the river Indus as Hindus. The word Hindu was not a label for their religious beliefs; rather, it was a general term for all those sharing a common racial, cultural and social heritage in what is present day Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh even extending to Myanmar and Sri Lanka. This land was not ruled by a single power but was a collection of small and large kingdoms and their protectorates.

The word Hindu does not occur in ancient literature. Probably the first time this word appears is as late as the eighth century B.C. in a Tantric work where it means the people and not followers of a religion.

What did the Hindus call their faith?

The Hindus called their faith, a system of beliefs, lifestyle and attitudes, Sanatana Dharma or the Eternal Law. The Eternal Law is based on the revelations and universal teachings of the Vedas.

When strangers met they would ask: Who is your family god? Are you a devotee of Shiva, Krishna or the Divine Mother? These personalized forms of God were seen as concrete ways of expressing an abstract reality. Everyone followed the same Eternal Law, irrespective of his innate inclination to a particular teacher or practice. Thus the Hindu saw (and still sees) all spiritual paths as valid.

When did the word Hindu get a religious twist?

Since around 800 A.D. the Hindu kingdoms suffered under frequent raids by Islamic armies that looted, burnt and then returned to their own land. It was only as late as the 16th century A.D. that the Islamic invaders decided to settle down in the land of the Hindus. This was the first time in history that the religions of the book (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) were confronted by a completely different system of beliefs, one that made no claim to Truth.

When a Muslim would ask a Hindu, "Are you Hindu?" he got answers that he could not clearly categorize. The variety of answers, such as, I am a devotee of Shiva, I am a Brahmin or I am a renunciate, depended on what the Hindu identified with at that point in time. Since it was almost impossible to define this vague and ambiguous system of beliefs, the Muslims defined it by negation: Everyone who was not Muslim, was Hindu. Thus the word Hindu became associated with religion.

What is Hinduism?

Hinduism was a word coined by the British and other western powers that colonized Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh for the motley collection of gods, goddesses, philosophies, beliefs, world views, rituals, practices, social and cultural mores and the rest of the chaotic and mysterious fabric of social and spiritual life.

Today when westerners ask an Indian "Are you a Hindu?" he is asking about his religious beliefs and the Indian thinks for a while and then very slowly replies, "Yes".  This is because many Indians have internalised the western concept of religion.

What has Hinduism or Hindu culture got to do with Yoga?

The Hindu, Buddhist and Jain spiritual traditions or Dharmas have all grown out of a common spiritual heritage. The universal practices of Yoga were adopted by all three spiritual traditions and modified with time, this explains the differences in Yoga practices within each of these spiritual traditions.

However, when one speaks of Yoga today, it is the Yoga that developed out of the Hindu tradition that is meant. The terms Buddhist Yoga and Jain Yoga are not used in common parlance in India. 

Yoga and Religion

Laxmi by Unknown Indian Artist

We try to understand why Yoga is not a religon.

Comparison of Religions

Religion is a western concept and therefore the word has been defined by western culture and beliefs dominated by the religions of the book Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

1. One may have only one faith or religion. Thus you must be either Christian or Muslim. You cannot be both.

2. A religion always makes a claim to Truth. A religion claims that their way is the only one and superior to all others.

If we accept both the above conditions then, what came to be known as eastern religions, originating in India, such as Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism), Jain Dharma (Jainism) and Buddhist Dharma (Buddhism) cannot be classified as religions. The same can said to be true for rich spiritual traditions from the Far East: Shinto, Tao and Confucianism.

1. Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism as it is popularly called allows you to have different beliefs and practices from other faiths. A Hindu may have pictures of different gods, prophets and saints on his altar. A Hindu is frequently seen to pay respects to deities, prophets, saints and places of worship of all spiritual traditions without exception. Jains are often devotees of Amba, a personalized form of the Divine Mother.

2. Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism does not make a claim on Truth. They see all faiths as paths leading to the same. They assert all paths to be valid. Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism does not make converts. Anyone one accepts the authority of the Vedas is a Hindu.

Is Yoga a religion?

Yoga does not require you to give up any of your religious beliefs. You can practice Yoga even if you are Christian or Muslim. Neither does Yoga claim to be the only way to the Divine.

Yoga allows you to explore the nature of the Divine, of Truth or Higher Reality. It provides you with techniques that will let you explore the inner as well as the outer worlds so that you may experiment and verify the Truth for yourself.

You remain free to create your own lifestyle, adopt your own values and beliefs through trial and error, through experiences in life. Persons of any religion may practice Yoga to experience the nature of the Divine for themselves.

All those not satisfied by arbitrary rules, those who inquire, question and challenge the standard norms of society, those who want to know the whole and are not satisfied with beliefs and rituals are ideally suited to the method of Yoga.

Yoga is not a religion

It is important to note that while Yoga is not a religion, it has sprung out of the Hindu homeland.

How does one become a Hindu? Can I convert?

Hindu Puja offering

In the Hindu tradition, you are a Hindu if you accept the authorities of the Vedas. Your beliefs and practices make you Hindu. Rituals, ceremonies and official acceptance by any religious authority or institution are neither required nor possible.

However, it is important to note that the twentieth century witnessed a Hindu revival as a reaction against proselytizing religions. This developed in to a political movement that introduced proselytization in to Hindu Dharma. This is not a traditional practice. 

Why is Jain Yoga so inaccessible?

Mahavira, by unknown indian artist

Practitioners of Jainism amount to less than 2 million in India. There are a number of reasons why Yoga practices of the Jain Tradition are so inaccessible.

1. The strict adherence to Ahimsa (non-violence) makes Jain Yoga difficult to practice. Over millennia the Jain Tradition has maintained this principle of non-violence as the highest. All practitioners are strict vegetarians. Not just meat is forbidden, but also roots such as potatoes and onions. It was impossible for persons engaging in farming for instance to observe this principle of non-violence since ploughing the earth meant destruction of microscopic life forms. Thus the practitioners of the Jain tradition have over centuries been affluent merchants, jewellers and traders.
2. The vows taken by monks and nuns are so strict that it is almost impossible to keep these vows in modern life. Monks and nuns may not use any form of transport and keep their mouths covered to prevent accidently destruction of life. They may eat only in the homes of Jains, where food has been cooked according to strict rules.
3. The philosophy of the Jains is the only one of all gnostic traditions that has been neither influenced by historical changes nor by contact to religions of the book such as Islam and Christianity. At the same time it is too inflexible and many modern Jain families are not able to maintain their strict rules of adherence.
4. While texts of Hindu and Buddha Dharma for been translated in to English and thus become available to many outside the community, the same has not been the case with Jain Dharma. The books remain in the ancient language of Pali or in the local languages, mainly Gujarati or Hindi.
5. Most teachers of Hindu and Buddhist Dharma have sought out students all over the world and taught in many languages. These teachings are not available generally in English or any other non-indian languages, since most of the teachers, mainly monks called "munis" and nuns called "sadhavi" speak only local indian languages. 
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   Bhakti Yoga, mysticism and spontaneous spiritual experiences

   

   Spontaneous Spiritual Experience is the dawn of a new life
   Spontaneous spiritual experiences lead to the systematic study of Yoga. Bhakti or Devotion is thus the beginning as well as the end of the our search.
   Everyone who has had a spontaneous spiritual experiences becomes a seeker. For some fortunate ones the spontaneous spiritual experience shatters all past illusions and makes a mystic of the man.
   Depending on the intensity of the spontaneous spiritual experience, it can transform a person completely so that he is never the same again. Many such dramatic experiences have been recorded in history. Saul was transformed when he saw the light and became St. Paul. In the Indian tradition mystics revel in song and dance, easily uplifted by the mere name of the Beloved One. Anandamayi Maa had many such spontaneous spiritual experiences. Others were known as Bhaktas or Bhakti Yogins such as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu or Mirabai. 
   

   Spontaneous Spiritual Experiences in daily life

   It does not have to be a great saint or yogi. Even you could have had a taste of this joyous nectar. Perhaps you experienced a stillness when you went for a walk on a moonlit night. May be  a personal tragedy or a terrible loss made you aware of a Higher Reality. Or was it in that moment of extreme pain, that you suddenly stopped and a deep calmness descended upon you?
   Most of us have experienced a state of joy, sometime or the other. Childhood, a time of innocence and naturalness, is the time when many of us have had spontaneous mystical experiences. Most of us forget these beautiful moments when we get caught up in endless activities of our daily lives. But some of us don't.
   

   A Glimpse of the Divine

   All of us who have had this glimpse, even if only for a moment long for THAT.
   Everyone is looking for THAT something that makes their life meaningful. Many seek THAT in fast cars or expensive clothes. Some look for THAT in alcohol, some in a promiscuous lifestyle. This seeking takes on a different quality if it is not channelized in a healthy and balanced way.
   In search of the "flow" or that moment of complete freedom from desire, longing, expectation and hope, the seeker takes to external aids. External aids such as alcohol, drugs, initially bring about a state of heightened awareness and tranquility, but alas, this state is not sustainable. In fact it takes the seeker even further away from that which is being sought. 
   We don't like to talk about these personal glimpses. Some think it is too private to talk about. Others are afraid of being laughed at. And this makes it all the more difficult to regain that wonderful treasure. We are seeking something and do not even know what it is called. We cannot describe it and are unable to share this earth shattering event with others. Most of us cannot recapture THAT experience and at some point realize we need help. 
   Spontaneous Spiritual Experiences and Fleeting Samadhis
   It is when we except that we need help that help appears. The old Indian adage still holds true: When the student is ready the Master appears. The modern seeker does not want religion, he wants techniques that will help him recapture THAT experience at will. And that is what Yoga can provide. 
   Yoga knows such spontaneous spiritual experiences as fleeting samadhis. 
   Many Yoga texts speak of fleeting samadhis, most prominent among them is the Tripura Rahasya. Chapter 16 of Tripura Rahasya boldly declares that "Fleeting samadhis go undetected because people are not so conversant with it. Fleeting Samadhi is indeed being experienced by all, even in their busy moments; but it passes unnoticed by them, for want of acquaintance with it."
   Using the systematics techniques of Yoga accompanied with a solid philosophy the seeker or mystic becomes a Yogi or a Master who can attain and maintain this state of joy at will and can rest in the blissful state of Samadhi. In this state the Yogi is One with All and is All
8.  

Bhakti Yoga and the stream of Wisdom

The Master said to the seeker: Witness everything!

Close your eyes and watch your breath. When you sit quietly you hear yourself breathing. The sound reminds you of the sea, it reminds you of the beach. And before you know it, you are walking on the sand looking for seashells, building castles and enjoying the cool breeze.

The moment you become aware of it, the stream of thoughts and images disappears and your attention returns to the breath. But then in a while, comes another thought. Silently, quietly. Didn't catch it, did you?

Once again you return to your breath. And once again a thought comes.  What do you do?

Stop your Yoga practice? Condemn yourself? None of these.

Just relax. Let the stream of thoughts, images and memories flow. Be a Witness.

Follow the stream to the Source of Wisdom. The Source is silent.

When you enter here you drop all your identities, gave up all your old roles, you go beyond all opposites, beyond pain and pleasure, beyond sorrow and happiness, beyond good and bad. You become One.