You may have heard of Jewish (Kosher) Yoga or Christian Yoga. “What prompted it?”, you may ask.
A combination of suspicion and fear has embroiled the Judeo-Christian world. The appearance on the surface is anxiety related to idolatry and heathenism. A drift to paganism is unfathomable.
The objections are not just a difference in opinion on practices, but on the philosophical level as well. It is not just the idea of chanting the mantras (मंत्र), which the Torah and the Bible don’t sanction. It is also the fear that the sprouting of divinity in a human will shatter the idea of a God as the creator. It will also blend the boundaries between the creator (God) and his creation. Mantras are confused with prayers, which cannot be offered to the false gods. Moreover, Yoga’s philosophy of looking inward to understand creation and control yourself is antithetical to the idea of submission to God. Even the stillness of the mind, that Yoga develops, is feared in the Judeo-Christian world for it allows the Satan to enter and wreak havoc.
The doctrine of separation between the savior and the saved, God and sinner is the bedrock of Judeo-Christian theology. Even the Messiah and the Prophet are aspirations that are unachievable, although one must strive to be like them. However, the potency of Yoga threatens that separation.
In the Islamic world, the opposition to Yoga is pretty straightforward. In Islam, Muhammad is the example to strictly follow, and submission to one God (Allah) is the edict. If Muhammad didn’t do it, you don’t do it either. Imitating anybody, other than Muhammad, is not allowed in Islam. Yoga is contrary to Tawheed, which states that if you join the worship of Allah with others, you deeds will go in vain and you will be amongst the loser.
धार्मिक छवियाँ 