S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 5 - 1 S p r i n g 2 0 1 9 2 9 Gejza M. Timčák is not a part of the Christian theology it was met by dislike in the Christian hierarchy. In 1989 though, The Congregation for Matters of Faith issued a document signed by Cardinal Ratzinger (the later pope Benedict XVI.), which admitted that certain spiritual techniques that come from Orient are used by Christians. Here TM, Zen and Yoga were included. They were included because of their non-religious character (Ratzinger 1998). The Catholic view on Yoga also underwent some changes. Presently Yoga and its position from such point of view is starting to be freed from some suspicion of its being a risk. Kalliath (2016, n.d.) gives that “[t]here are scholars who argue that yoga has nothing to do with any religious tradition, although it should be recognized that yoga is, by and large, associated with the Hindu dharma and way of life. Yoga was a discipline and a way of life for seekers and seers in their quest of the Divine even before organized religions came into existence. We can go so far as to say that it is encrypted in the collective DNA and chemistry of the Indian psyche and is now being accepted globally as a way of life beyond religious bias and geography. Yoga has already become the patrimony of humanity, a unique contribution of India to the whole humanity.” Kalliath (2016, n.d.) concludes that “[p]erhaps Christian Yoga offers a new methodology for exploring an Asian version of Christ. It is all the more important for the Church in India to explore the promise of yoga since our attempts at inculturation have lost momentum. If the initiative for Indianization comes from the people at the rank and file, it will be more likely to be accepted and to endure. There can be no doubt that yoga has immense potential for being an Indic expression of the ‘Joy of the Gospel’. The promise of yoga is that it would indeed help us live out the identity Jesus ascribes to us when he says, ‘You are [already] the light of the world’, words that are so reminiscent of the Buddha, who says, atma deepo bhava (Be a light unto yourself)! It is precisely along these lines that we can present the role of yoga in Christian spirituality as a veritable way (sadhana) to the inner sanctum of our being – the Kingdom of God Within.” Jain (2017, 1–7) offers more information on new “Yoga strains”– there are also Yahwe Yoga andChrist Centered Yoga, WholyFit or PraiseMovers. Evidently the opposition from traditionalist churches created a new way of presenting Yoga to various interest groups. She cites a number of Catholic priests, who acknowledge that Yoga brought them closer to God. She suggests that Yoga, has never belonged to any one religion, but has always been packaged in a variety of ways. Thus, history has shown that people whether with or without religious affiliation can practice Yoga without losing their faith. As the question of various concepts of God – they are not really an issue in a commercial postural Yoga. Those few, who care about the philosophical aspects of Yoga, could decide in what way Yoga could support their quest for holistic health and/or spirituality. Corigliano (2017, 1–12) considers it natural that Yoga and Christianity not only meet but have vital interactions that may lead to a number of positive effects on Christian people of all ages. She also cites the mobilizing effect of Western Yoga practice to Indians, who seem to have lost enthusiasm for Yoga. Similarly, Stoeber (2017, 1–17) relates that an Indian/Hindu organization (Hindu American Foundation) launched a “Take Back Yoga Campaign” in 2008. This reflect the fear of cultural misappropriation of Yoga by Westerners. Stoeber cites also that purely physical Yoga may lead to narcissist attachment to body, what is true. He also discusses the doctrinal issues that tend to appear in such a context. He mentions the issue withmantras. It is an interesting point, as – in principle – both Christianity and Yoga uses mantras. Thus “O Lord have mercy on me” is a mantra, the rosary is used like a mala. Still, some mantras can be translated in an Indian way (like Om namo Bhagavate Rudraya meaning a remembrance of Lord Rudra), or in a Western way – remembering the Absolute consciousness (which is the concept behind Rudra). In a study related to Transnational Transcendence (Csordas 2009), one chapter is devoted toGlobal Breathing by P. van der Veer. The author analyzes the role of Yoga in the rise of nationalism in India and later the spread of Yoga related spirituality in the US and in the West in general. Though his definition of Yoga is very imprecise (“Historically yoga is an ancient system of breathing and body exercises.” Csordas 2009, 265–266) and he does not seem to have read the key works on Yoga [9], he makes an interesting point on a possible cause of Indians perceiving Yoga as a national heritage item and that Westerners often took Yoga as a new tool for Eastern type of spirituality as opposed to Western materialism. He observes that Vivekananda (disciple of Ramakrishna) was able to present Yoga to the Western world as a system of core Indian spirituality devoid of any specific devotional context (thus it does not need temple worships and theologian debates). He also informs that Yoga has become a political tool (“national heritage” issue) (Csordas 2009, 267). This dilutes Yoga and could make it more difficult for Christians to adapt yoga techniques even for its health or spiritual benefits. On the other hand, Indians may feel that Yoga is a part of their religious tradition and can be transmitted only by persons well versed in Hindu religion, i.e., mostly by Indians.
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