HindusimDiscussion_REL2300

.docx

School

University of South Florida *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

2300

Subject

Religion

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by HighnessFinch3769

To start off, the Hindu practice of yoga’s purpose is to attain enlightenment, also known as ‘samadhi’. This version of yoga is spiritual, rooted in the religion of Hinduism, and can be interpreted as a way to unionize with the divine. Yoga includes the practices of meditation, well posture, and other examples. Other important concepts such as mantra, guru, and avatar are used in Hindu yoga. The eight step sadhana is the “path often called ashanga yoga, or the yoga of eight arms” (Melton 14). This path includes yama (ethical disciplines), niyama (rule of conduct), asana (posture), pranayama (breath control), then leads to pratyahara (sense control), dharana (concentration), and dhyana (meditation), and with those seven steps all lead to samadhi, the eighth step. In western yoga, the focus of yoga is to practice flexibility and as a form of relaxation and meditation (in a way, somewhat similar to Hindu yoga). Once the first important organization in the US showed up, called the Self-Realization Fellowship in 1920 founded by Paramahansa Yogananda, instructional yoga and techniques were available “through a wide variety of sectarian Yoga organizations, nonsectarian classes, and television programs” (Britannica 10) in the US by the next 50 years. I think that yoga should be a term covered in “A Closer Look” section because of the misunderstanding between the western and Hindu cultures regarding yoga, and how the west disregards or misunderstands the true meaning of yoga in terms of the Hindu practice. The capitalization and profitable success of yoga should be reflected in this section and how a religious practice to attain enlightenment was misused and disrespected. References

References Melton, J. Gordon. "Yoga." World Religions: Belief, Culture, and Controversy , ABC-CLIO, 2023, https://religion2-abc--clio-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/Search/Display/1577604. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Yoga". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Jan. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yoga-philosophy. Accessed 8 February 2023.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version