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In yet another Christian strike against yoga, the governing body of the Orthodox Church in Greece states that yoga is 'incompatible' with Christianity. Their statement came after after Greek media recommended yoga as a way to combat stress during coronavirus quarantine. "[Yoga] is a fundamental chapter in Hindu religion... it is not a 'kind of physical exercise'," the Holy Synod said in its statement this week.
Recently other Christian denominations and clergy have railed against Yoga.
Last year a church hall in Devon, England, barred a yoga class. "Some will say at its root it is an eastern spirituality which they would not feel sits well with Christian spirituality," said the Venerable Mark Butchers, Archdeacon of Barnstaple.
In 2010 a pastor in Seattle, US, called the practice "demonic".
And in 2008 Malaysia's leading Islamic council said yoga could corrupt Muslims but backed down from issuing a fatwa after a backlash.
Recently other Christian denominations and clergy have railed against Yoga.
Last year a church hall in Devon, England, barred a yoga class. "Some will say at its root it is an eastern spirituality which they would not feel sits well with Christian spirituality," said the Venerable Mark Butchers, Archdeacon of Barnstaple.
In 2010 a pastor in Seattle, US, called the practice "demonic".
And in 2008 Malaysia's leading Islamic council said yoga could corrupt Muslims but backed down from issuing a fatwa after a backlash.
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Let courage chaperon your fear; confidence escort your worry. When you act courageously
and confidently fear and worry are drained of their power. - Victor M. Parachin
and confidently fear and worry are drained of their power. - Victor M. Parachin
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As a person, we must have courage to over come adversities and setbacks in life. The more we overcome, the braver we become. Buddhism talks about 'attainment of Buddhaood': this attainment is not possible if one just has compassion and wisdom. One must also have courage. - Hsing Yun
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'THE ONLY WAY FORWARD IS TO DO OUR BEST' - BUDDHISM MONK OFFERS GUIDANCE ON RACIAL UNREST IN THE USA
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, a highly respected Tibetan Buddhist teacher and author acknowledged the upheaval and suffering experienced by all of us here in the USA. In his published letter he said that meditation is not enough in a crisis such as this.
Rinpoche’s full letter reads:
Dear friends, community members, and fellow meditators,
We are living through a time of unprecedented upheaval and suffering. The global pandemic has already disrupted every aspect of our lives. As if this were not challenging enough, those of you in the United States are now witnessing and perhaps even directly experiencing the pain and anguish of communities being torn apart by the suffering of black men, women, and families that has not been truly heard, acknowledged, and addressed.
Our response to suffering is often to meditate. We meditate to see our own blind spots more clearly. We meditate to open our hearts fully to the suffering of others. And we meditate to heal our own wounds so we can truly be of service to others.
But prayers and meditation are not enough, especially in times like this. Meditation must be accompanied by wise, compassionate action.
The Buddha himself lived in a time of tremendous suffering and injustice. The caste system of ancient India was an unjust system that led to great prejudice and violence. This was the same system that gave the Buddha - as a young man - immense power, wealth, and privilege. He was a prince. He had so much to lose and nothing to gain by disrupting the caste system, yet that is exactly what he did.
When the Buddha formed his own community, he upended the age-old traditions of the caste system and allowed people from all walks of life into the sangha. It was not perfect. Women were not afforded the same status as men. But it was a revolution at the time. He did not simply pray for the suffering of the caste system to end. He used the power he had to actively change the systems of his day that were causing so many people to suffer.
Suffering takes many forms. It is true that we suffer individually. Yet the principle of interdependence helps us to see that ignorance and the suffering it creates are not merely individual experiences. They manifest in our families, our communities, and in culture and society, just as much as they live in each one of us individually.
To engage suffering with wisdom and compassion, we must look at these webs of inter-connectedness. We must acknowledge the role we are playing in the greater whole. We must use the power we have to help when we can and to support others when we cannot.
This is the example the Buddha set for us 2,500 years ago. Then, as now, there were no easy answers. Samsara is messy. The only way forward is to do our best. And although we will certainly make mistakes, if we allow ourselves to be guided by wisdom and compassion, our mistakes will lead us closer to a world that no longer values one life more than another.
Sincerely,
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Rinpoche’s full letter reads:
Dear friends, community members, and fellow meditators,
We are living through a time of unprecedented upheaval and suffering. The global pandemic has already disrupted every aspect of our lives. As if this were not challenging enough, those of you in the United States are now witnessing and perhaps even directly experiencing the pain and anguish of communities being torn apart by the suffering of black men, women, and families that has not been truly heard, acknowledged, and addressed.
Our response to suffering is often to meditate. We meditate to see our own blind spots more clearly. We meditate to open our hearts fully to the suffering of others. And we meditate to heal our own wounds so we can truly be of service to others.
But prayers and meditation are not enough, especially in times like this. Meditation must be accompanied by wise, compassionate action.
The Buddha himself lived in a time of tremendous suffering and injustice. The caste system of ancient India was an unjust system that led to great prejudice and violence. This was the same system that gave the Buddha - as a young man - immense power, wealth, and privilege. He was a prince. He had so much to lose and nothing to gain by disrupting the caste system, yet that is exactly what he did.
When the Buddha formed his own community, he upended the age-old traditions of the caste system and allowed people from all walks of life into the sangha. It was not perfect. Women were not afforded the same status as men. But it was a revolution at the time. He did not simply pray for the suffering of the caste system to end. He used the power he had to actively change the systems of his day that were causing so many people to suffer.
Suffering takes many forms. It is true that we suffer individually. Yet the principle of interdependence helps us to see that ignorance and the suffering it creates are not merely individual experiences. They manifest in our families, our communities, and in culture and society, just as much as they live in each one of us individually.
To engage suffering with wisdom and compassion, we must look at these webs of inter-connectedness. We must acknowledge the role we are playing in the greater whole. We must use the power we have to help when we can and to support others when we cannot.
This is the example the Buddha set for us 2,500 years ago. Then, as now, there were no easy answers. Samsara is messy. The only way forward is to do our best. And although we will certainly make mistakes, if we allow ourselves to be guided by wisdom and compassion, our mistakes will lead us closer to a world that no longer values one life more than another.
Sincerely,
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
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Try to combine meditation with yoga because physically it is very important to relax the body. - Godwin Samaratne
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Give thanks for everything in your world that cooperates to give you life and strength. - Ignatius Loyola
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(public domain image www.pixabay.com)
Because the bamboo plant can survive harsh winters,blistering summers and fierce storms it is an important symbol of enlightenment in Buddhism. Like the bamboo, enlightenment requires persistence, strength, flexibility and adaptability. The presence of bamboo also creates a sense of quiet and peace while providing shelter for human and other beings. It is especially venerated in China, Korea and Japan where the relationship between Buddhism and Bamboo is tightly linked.
For example, many Buddhist temples grow and nurture the plant on their properties. In addition, some temples include the word ‘bamboo’ in their names. Various bamboo species are named after the Buddha such as “Buddha Belly Bamboo”, “Mercy Buddha Bamboo”, and “Arhat Bamboo.” Buddhism has also inspired various wisdom statements around the bamboo plant –
Bend but don’t break. Be flexible yet firmly rooted.
You can lean on a bamboo stick but not on a rope.
Like bamboo, be resilient and bounce back.
The higher the bamboo, the more it bends.
Commit to continuous growth.
Anytime you face a major life obstacle, bring to mind the bamboo and it’s ability to adapt, adjust, survive and thrive. Do the same.
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We all carry in our mind streams the seeds of both positive and negative karma, and thus have the potential to be both good and evil. That is the case until we achieve the higher wisdom by which the power of inner karmic instinct is transcended. - Glenn Mullin
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Give your time. Give your money.
Give encouragement. Give love.
Give abundantly. - Stephen Dela Cruz
Give encouragement. Give love.
Give abundantly. - Stephen Dela Cruz
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It’s possible to practice alone, as individuals. But you might lose your practice after a few
months because you don’t have a sangha to guide you, to protect you, to support you. That’s why a good practitioner always tries to build a sangha in his town or village. Even a buddha needs a sangha. - Thich Nhat Hanh
months because you don’t have a sangha to guide you, to protect you, to support you. That’s why a good practitioner always tries to build a sangha in his town or village. Even a buddha needs a sangha. - Thich Nhat Hanh