Nytimes article

[Maya3]

I want to share this article from the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/ny...agewanted=1&hp

Maya

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: The debate continues. I thought it might just fade away, but I'm glad it hasn't. Here is the previous thread on it.

http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...ght=yoga+Hindu

Aum Namasivaya

[sanjaya]

Interesting article.

And on a sidenote, I find it telling that Deepak Chopra specifically pitches himself here as being above Hinduism.

[Maya3]

Deepak Chopra can seem a little arrogant sometimes, I have seen a couple of interviews with him. Sometimes he is good, but he can come off a little pompous.

Anyway, I really like how this article speaks about the misconceptions of Hinduism and I think it is a good idea that we let people know that yoga is Hindu. Also as it said in the article, it doesn´t mean that you have to be Hindu to practice or teach Hatha Yoga, but it should be clear where it comes from.


Maya

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam:

Has anyone here ever been to a Deepak Chopra lecture? Body language and the 'casual afterword' can be very telling as to the true motivations. I have seen several good lecturers at Teachers' conventions through the years. Despite many being great speakers, often the focus afterwords was "Here I am, please BUY my book!, I'll even sign it for you." or a quick departure from the scene altogether. Others were just downright friendly, and relaxed, and hung around casually just being nice.

My take on Deepak without ever being to a lecture is that he is of th efirst type, but I reserve judgment.

Aum Namasivaya

[sanjaya]

Regarding the topic of the article, I too think it's important for people to recognize that yoga is Hindu. And I think the Hindu American Foundation has the right motivations. Americans often do associate Hinduism with caste and cow/rat worship. We have an immensely rich culture and history, of which yoga is a part, and Hinduism ought to be associated with these things.

As to Chopra, he does strike me as arrogant. But my real issue with him is that in this article, he doesn't even claim anywhere to even be a Hindu. Why would a Hindu deny his own identity? And I'm pretty sure this isn't a case of misrepresentation by the author.

[TatTvamAsi]

Not only are these ungrateful untouchables (westerners) allowed to practice yoga, they have the gall to comment on its historicity as well!

Look at this part:

Ms. Desmond believes that yoga originated in the Vedic culture of Indo-Europeans who settled in India in the third millennium B.C., long before the tradition now called Hinduism emerged.

These mlecchas really think they were part of Vedic culture; and that was separate from Hinduism? hahahahahhaha.. they won't even be allowed to wash the floors of the temples. They could around back so that they can get last year's prasadam; that's what these animals deserve.

Do these apes know that we Hindus, I mean, Indians, taught them how to count as well? Those zeros in their paychecks, I mean, lack thereof, were also invented by Hindus.

Kudos to Aseem Shukla and others to put these cultural terrorists in their places. Cultural thievery, misappropriation, and denigration should be stopped at all costs, by whatever means necessary!

[TatTvamAsi]

Why would a Hindu deny his own identity? And I'm pretty sure this isn't a case of misrepresentation by the author.

It isn't. He denies his Hindu identity to appease those untouchables he "teaches". Those corpse-worshiping mlecchas are so dense and stupid, they don't know anything about India or Hinduism. If he were to emphasize his identity, it will affect his bottom line quite significantly. Remember, Chopra is a peddler of Quantum Quackery; a mish-mash of gobble-de-gook to drugged out, hippie, worthless mlecchas who have nothing better to do than sleep with 10 people a day and call it "TAYNTRAAA".

Also, on a side note, on Larry King Live, Chopra once was asked what "religion" he was, to which he replied, "I believe in Advaita". LOLOL.. He conveniently left out what that was a part of.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam:

I agree with Sanjaya and others.. Kudos to HAF. The gobbledy-gookers (and it should be noted that Brother Deepak is by no means alone with theft of Advaita, yoga, energy everywhere, etc. .. he stands out as a greater denier just because of his name) see "Hindu' as a curse word just like 'voodoo' might be because the leftover remnants of brutal demonisation. But I'd like to bet if some survey showed that Hindu Americans were gaining ground in dispelling those myths, that Deepak and others would be the first ones to jump on a new 'Hindu' bandwagon. I see not much more than $$$.

Aum Namasivaya

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: The more I look into it, the more disturbing it becomes. I went to Amazon.com and typed in such words as 'Advaita' 'reincarnation' and even 'Sanskrit' on their search menu. It is indeed very rare to see the word Hindu used at all, and the vast majority of writers at least have western names, although there is no way of verifying their inner thinking. Talk about Grand Theft Hindu!

Being a writer just now attempting to find an agent or publisher for my childrens' book, I was actually advised that first you should discover what is selling! Then write something on that. Nothing at all about writing what you WANT to write about, like something to do with what turns your creative mind! So the God of consumerism rules.

I feel like making a huge billboard beside the road beside our temple, and stating that the source Sanskrit, Yoga, etc can all be found over here. Sheesh!

Aum Namasivaya .... (duh, oh yeah, that just means 'be at peace', don't really know its origin, but I've heard it sung somewhere)