ANCIENT SPIRIT, RELIGION and GODS
Guruji, it seems like the spirit was born first, before even gods came into being?
Guruji: yes
In a hierarchy of things can we say that gods are products of creation?
Guruji: gods also take birth in the stream of time and disappear again back into the stream of time.
But spirit prevails?
Guruji: spirit is just a drop of time.
So who is more ancient: the spirit as per say or the certain gods?
Guruji: the spirit: even gods are the spirit. even gods have spirits.
Regarding the religious beliefs and the slow transformation of the whole cultural landscapes like we say the religions were by products of monarchy or vice versa - their time came and they’re about to live; what do we view yoga as? Shiva Ji is the first Guru of yoga and he is still a divine force?
Guruji: from the primordial times, and from the vedic time only yogis were treating everybody as equal. But in all religions so much discrimination of classes and castes took place… I will say that every religion was born at the time of monarchies: so only yoga fits the times of democracy.
Modern people practice yoga and consider it a non- religious thing: however if you don’t respect the Guru, who gave you these teachings - you’re not practicing at all?
Guruji: I disagree with them absolutely. Yoga is the part of Hindu philosophy, one of the six philosophies which hindu is given - Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa, and Vedanta. So Yoga will always remain part of the Hindu tradition. No matter how you sell it, saying that Yoga is an international knowledge - originally it is from India. And the tradition of the Guru and disciple discipline will continue. If you have no respect for the Guru - you will have no respect for the teachings also.
So it can't be uprooted and it can't be said: we’re learning only that portion without exploring all the other parts of the teachings?
Guruji: No. This is how they are peddling yoga in the west.
This approach is popular today.
Guruji: But they are not sincere seekers - they just want to lose some weight or improve health or to do some physical training: that is enough for them.
I know it’s a rude assumption - but can we still call yoga the religious following then?
Guruji: There is a difference between dharma and the word “religion”: any organized system of beliefs is called religion; but in India we say -it is an eternal way, or sanatan dharma, a continuous process of exploring the truth and expressing it in many different ways. In Hinduism so-called religion does not depend on one single organization. it’s open for discussion, open to explore new - and it is open to so many things. but as long as we keep to our roots, keep watering them - we will continue to grow in many different ways.