Hindus are critical of international pop icon Lady Gaga for what they see as trivialization of revered system of yoga in her new video in which she appears striking yoga postures completely naked.Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that yoga was a revered age old tradition and deserved more seriousness and respect. Such depiction by Gaga was kind of distortion of the esteemed practice for Gaga’s self-serving agenda and could be upsetting for the serious and genuine seekers and devotees.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that yoga, referred as “a living fossil”, was one of the six systems of orthodox Hindu philosophy and was highly venerated in Hinduism. It was actually a serious mental and physical discipline by means of which the human-soul (jivatman) united with universal-soul (parmatman).
Rajan Zed points out that some sages have described yoga as the silencing of all mental transformations, which leads to the total realization of the Supreme Self. Some have used yoga attempting to gain liberation by removing all sensory barriers. According to Patanjali, author of the basic text, the Yoga Sutra, yoga is a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical, Zed adds.
Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.
According to an estimate, about 21 million Americans, including many celebrities, now practice yoga. – Eurasia Review
