There are some parallel practices that resemble yoga in ways, but the yoga traditions are from India, and transcend specific religious creed. Sikhism arose in India. Sikhism arose as an inspiration from the moral creed of Islam, but did not espouse the cultural and militant views, nor did they adhere strictly to pacifism either. They don’t see Mohamed as the last prophet. They follow the teachings of a man they believe to be inspired after Mohamed, and feel that Mohamed did not see perfectly clear.

I knew someone in university who took off his turban, and cut his hair for the first time. His family was disturbed. They would be, because their world views are based on religion, and not loosely defined secular creeds.

There was a lot of cross pollination among these faiths, even if not formal integration. So if you were to look into ancient Indian belief, it would seem sort of amorphous. They didn’t have the idea that they could use no other way of viewing things. It’s diversity today is what takes so many seekers there, and a similar spirit is what inspired founding our Reflection Island in Second Life. That the spiritual paths all exist in one world, and that we live in that world together.

A seeker has “it” in the veins. Yes, lead by their hearts, or their intuition. Something deep in what in India they call the atman, the individual soul, but they say the Atman and the Brahman are one. More simply said the truth is you, the way is who you are, and is found in you, and you are in the world. Where Indian beliefs differ though is the view of truth being in the world.

One school of Indian thinking is that no action is meaningful. So do what you must, but know that you will be united with Brahman. The other see action as meaningful, because you exist not only with your current people, but with your descendants also, and you will see the consequences of your karma with them. Basically, the universal spirit is in the world, or that it is in a heaven like state. This is where they disagree, but mostly they won’t shed blood over it. It is probably good they won’t shed blood over it, their lives are hard enough, no?

Yes, it is a complex subject. Well, it is interesting. One branch of the Aryans, the militants, move into a barren desert like land, and say fight to survive, and don’t tolerate the infidel. The other move into a lush, but even harder environment, and though their life is harder, they say live in peace and take what life gives you, and respect that.

Such a difference from one root. Yes. When later their cultures met again, they met as foreigners. They did not recognize each other, but in the Indian scripts they even have a traditional prayer to atone for sinning against the foreigner, because the foreigner is God also. It is a very old prayer, and there is some evidence that Indian religious thought influenced even Greek philosophy. I do respect the spirit of their prayer.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~