Sadhguru (Isha Foundation)
What religion you belong to has nothing to do with your ability to make use of the yogic systems, because Yoga is a technology.
Technology does not make any distinction as to what you believe and what you do not believe. Whatever you may believe in or not is purely a psychological process – it has nothing to do with making use of a technology.
Yoga is Hindu just the way gravity is Christian.
Just because the law of gravity was propounded by Isaac Newton, who lived in a Christian culture, does it make gravity Christian?
So, Yoga is a technology. Anybody who is willing to make use of it can make use of it.
It is ridiculous to even think that there could be a religious tinge to Yoga.
The Hindu Label
Why the Yogic sciences have gotten labelled as Hindu by a few ignorant people is because this science and technology grew in this culture.
And because this culture was dialectical in nature, naturally they delivered the science in a dialectical manner, involving the cultural strengths of the nation on the land, which is essentially the Hindu way of life.
The word ‘Hindu’ has come from the word ‘Sindhu,’ which is a river.
Because this culture grew from the banks of the river Sindhu, or Indus, this culture got labelled as Hindu.
Not a Religion
We need to understand this – Hindu is not an ‘ism’; it is not a religion.
You can worship a man God and be a Hindu; you can worship a woman God and be a Hindu; you can worship a cow and be a Hindu; you can give up all worship and still be a Hindu.
It does not ascribe to any particular belief system.
You can do whatever is best for you and still be a Hindu because it is a geographical and cultural identity, not a religious identity.
So, because this science and technology of Yoga grew and prospered in this culture, naturally, in some ways it has gotten associated with the Hindu way of life.
The fundamental process of my work has been just to take away the cultural tinge from the Yogic sciences and to present Yoga as a pure science, as a technology from which everybody can benefit.
Isha Foundation New Zealand conducts free monthly Isha Kriya and Isha Upa Yoga practices for the public. For more information, please call 022-4637811; Website: www.ishaYoga.nz
Ranked amongst the 50 Most Influential People in India, Sadhguru is a Yogi, Mystic, Visionary and Bestselling Author. On January 26, 2017, the Indian government conferred on him the title of ‘Padma Vibhushan,’ the second highest Civilian Honour for exceptional and distinguished service
