The Banyan Tree

Today, I write about one of the enduring metaphors of India. In a passage from the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna states that “There is a banyan tree which has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.”

The verse refers to the reflection of the tree upon water, where it appears to be opposite to reality—that is, the reflection shows the branches down and the roots going up. The original tree, growing on land, is compared to the spiritual world whereas the reflection is seen as the material world. The tree of this material world is only a reflection of the real tree of the spiritual world.

The name Banyan has an interesting origin. In the Gujarati language, baniya means "grocer or merchant," not "tree." The Portuguese observed that the shade of the tree was frequented by Banyans (a corruption of Baniyas, a community of Indian traders,) and confused the name of that community for the tree. By 1634, English writers began to tell of the banyan tree, a tree under which Hindu merchants conducted their business. The tree provided a shaded place for a village meeting or for merchants to sell their goods. Eventually, "banyan" became the name of the tree itself.

The tree is also mentioned in other texts and traditions. In Tamil texts, Shiva, as Dakshinamurthy, is nearly always depicted as sitting in silence under the Banyan with Rishis (Seers) at his feet. The tree is thought of as perfectly symbolizing eternal life due to its seemingly unending expansion.

Shiva under the Banyan Tree

The banyan tree is the national tree of India. It is also called Indian or Bengal fig. It is considered sacred and can be seen near a temple or religious center. An old custom offers worship to this tree.

The metaphor of the Banyan tree suggests the following: that to attain spiritual realization, one has to understand the flickering nature of the material world. Sometimes, as waters move on a lake, the reflection of the tree appears and disappears. One who transcends material existence is able to understand this, and focuses his gaze on the real tree instead of its reflection. Thus, according to the passage, one who knows this truly, knows the Vedas (the texts of spiritual wisdom.)

The Yoga Zapper

Mohan Ashtakala is the author of "The Yoga Zapper," published by Books We Love. 

Ancient Egyptian Yoga?

Yoga asana from Egyptian Hieroglyph

The practice of yoga is currently associated with India. And it is certainly true that an unbroken chain of teachers and students, along with an enormous library of texts, has survived in that country. Today, the word yoga has become synonymous with India and, in the West, with some of the great teachers of the past century such as Pattabhi Jois and B.K. Iyengar.

But the yoga tradition itself does not claim any nationality. Indeed, pointing to the spiritual roots of yoga, many masters have claimed it to be universal. To understand this assertion, one needs to examine yoga’s roots. Originally, Indian yoga was practiced in the forests by mendicants who had renounced the world. Some of these forest-dwelling yoga lineages still exist—one, called the Nath sect—remains popular in India.

From a carving in an Egyptian temple

Thus, it can be understood that, in a general sense, anyone who retreats from human society and into solitude to engage in spiritual practices is doing yoga. In all traditional cultures, whether in ancient Europe, the Middle East or China, yogis, by different names, would have been familiar.

In the early period of Egypt, during the Old Kingdom, Egypt was referred to as Kemet, or simply Kmt, which means “the Black land.” The inhabitants called themselves "remetch en Kermet", which means the "People of the Black Land." The term refers to the rich soil found in the Nile Valley and Delta. The great temples along the Nile, built during that time, showed, in hieroglyphic texts, a stunning number of persons in familiar yoga poses.

Kemetic yoga, or African yoga, focuses on breath-work and meditation, and aligns itself with the spiritual beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. It combines physical exercise, meditation, self-philosophy and healing through the stimulation and movement of essential life energy throughout the body. The concept of life energy, called prana in Sanskrit, was widespread throughout the classical world, in Greece, India, China and Egypt.

The modern version of the ancient Kemetic system was developed from primary research conducted by Dr. Asar Hapi and Elvrid Lawrence (Yirser Ra Hotep) during the 1970s. Kemetic yoga is gaining interest, in mostly the Black American community, with more studies and books being published, such as those authored by Dr. Muata Ashby, and with classes being offered in yoga studios in America.

Mohan Ashtakala is the author of "The Yoga Zapper," (www.yogazapper.com) published by Books We Love (www.bookswelove.com)

India and Ancient America

One of the epics of India, the Ramayana, contains a chapter which tells of a remarkable journey through the centre of the earth.

Ancient Hanuman coin

During the battle against Ravana, the King of Lanka, Lord Rama and his brother Lakshman, two of the main protagonists of the tale, are captured by Mahiravana, the step-brother of the evil king. Guardian of a tunnel to Patala-loka (Patala – below the feet; and loka – abode or kingdom.) 

Mahiravana carried the brothers down into the bowels of the earth for a distance of 90,000 yoganas (a yogana equals approximately 12 kilometers or seven and a half miles.)

According to the legend, the tunnel went in a direct line, starting at the tip of peninsular India, through the center of the earth, and re-emerged at the other side, which would place it somewhere in South or Central America, possibly in the land of the Aztecs or the Inca. Indeed, in the epic, the land where they ended up is described as covered with gold. In the end, Hanuman rescues the brothers, they return to India, and continue their battle against Ravana.

This tale is just one of many that inspires writers to hypothesize about civilizational connections between India and ancient America.

For example, ancient Mexican Aztec doctrine of the World's Ages—the universe being destroyed four consecutive times—is reminiscent of the Indian Yugas. The Yuga system postulates that the time is divided into four repeating ages that differ in terms of spiritual qualities. Even the reputed colors of these mythical four ages, white, yellow, red and black are identical with and in the same order as one of the two versions of the Indian Yugas.

The Decimal system 

Another interesting similarity is the use of zero. The Mayas of Yucatan were the first people, besides the Indians, to use a zero sign and represent number values by the position of basic symbols. The similarity between the Indian zero and the Mayan zero is indeed striking. The decimal system and the use of zero was reputedly invented (and used first) by the Indian mathematician Brahmagupta. In 773, zero reached Baghdad where it became part of the Arabic number system, and later on, introduced to Europe by the Italian mathematician Fibonacci (c. 1170–1250), who grew up in North Africa.

Mayan numerals - 1 to 19

So far as the logical principle is concerned, the Indian and Mayan mathematical system and representation of zero are identical, but its expression is not. While the Indian system of notation is decimal (based on ten), the Mayan is on based on units of twenty. Consequently, their 100 stood for 400, while 1000 stood for 8000. Disputes about the common origin of these two numeric systems continue amongst scholars, in the absence of conclusive evidence. As chronological evidence stands today, the Mayan zero appears to be anterior by several centuries to its Hindu counterpart.

Mayan Numerals 20 to 29

Many other similarities exist, such as mythologies, rituals such as the use of fire, and even in temple architecture. 

Did a connection between India and America exist in the past? No one knows, but it does make for interesting discussion!

Mohan Ashtakala is the author of "The Yoga Zapper," published by Books We Love.

www.yogazapper.com

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The Meaning of Land

Traditional societies around the world understood land in ways different from the modern interpretation. In many countries, especially the “developed” ones, land is considered to be a commodity—in other words, something having economic value.

Yet, such a definition of land is quite a modern phenomenon. A look back at the epics, whether the Odyssey or the Iliad in Greece, or the Mahabharata or the Ramayana in India, shows the landscape to be dotted with sacred spaces—whether mountains, rivers or groves. These sacred places, where the individual could connect with the spiritual, became celebrated in literature, in festivals and in the cultural lives of the people.

In aboriginal cultures throughout the world, this understanding survives. They show a much more nuanced view of land than the dominant culture’s; one which includes spiritual, physical, social and cultural connections. Indeed, if there is one singular, distinguishing feature to all aboriginal religions, whether in America, Australia or Brazil, it is this relationship to the land.

Autrailian Aboriginal (Palyku) woman Ambelin Kwaymullina explains: “For Aboriginal peoples, country is much more than a place. Rock, tree, river, hill, animal, human – all were formed of the same substance by the Ancestors who continue to live in land, water, sky. Country is filled with relations speaking language and following Law, no matter whether the shape of that relation is human, rock, crow, wattle. Country is loved, needed, and cared for, and country loves, needs, and cares for her peoples in turn. Country is family, culture, identity. Country is self.” [1]

With the arrival of colonialism and now globalization, this relationship is being damaged. An increasingly global free market has meant disappearing borders, skyrocketing corporate profits and an increase in wealth for some. But not everyone has shared in the benefits of globalization. In every corner of the world, the traditional lands of Indigenous peoples are under threat as governments and corporations seek to dispossess the people and exploit their abundant natural resources.

Linda Bull, a Cree from Goodfish Lake First Nation says the problem of globalization is not new. According to her, Native people in Canada have been fighting it for generations under another word - assimilation. Globalization and assimilation both seek to separate indigenous people from the land, to make them disappear. The Cree people have not forgotten their connection to the place. Protection of the land is crucial for Native people because, according to her: "when our lands disappear, we too all will disappear." [2]

[1] https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/land/meaning-of-land-to-aboriginal-people#ixzz4k5lQ5cKg

[2] http://www.ammsa.com/publications/alberta-sweetgrass/globalization-blamed-cultural-losses

Mohan Ashtakala is author of "The Yoga Zapper." published by Books We Love.

Christmas and Non-Christians

PURCHASE FROM AMAZON

Christmas, though by definition a Christian holiday observing the birth of Jesus Christ, is surprisingly celebrated by a vast majority of non-Christians in North America as well. According to an article in the Voice of America[1], nine in ten Americans, including eighty-one percent of non-Christians, celebrate this holiday.

Several religious holidays that fall around Christmas time—Hannukah, Kwanzaa and the Winter Solstice—have their own rituals. Followers of other religions in Canada and America—Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and others—have adopted some of the basic Christmas traditions, such as having a Christmas tree in their homes.

Christmas, while being a joyful season, can sometimes be confusing to newcomers. There is always a desire to “fit in” yet, for many, the question arises as to which of the local traditions to embrace. The answer seems to be: whatever one feels comfortable with. One of the most common is the Christmas tree. A 2013 survey[2] by the Pew Research Center states that about three-fourths of Asian American Hindus and Buddhists, as well as one-third of American Jews report having a Christmas tree in their homes.

Gift giving is a part of all cultures: during Eid for Muslims or Diwali for Hindus, for example. This practice, already familiar, has become widely taken up during Christmas as well.

Christmas trees and gift-giving are easily adaptable due to their non-religious connotations. Sometimes, however, the exchange goes deeper. Christmas becomes an occasion to reach out to various communities.

“It would be typical of mosques to have a sermon on Jesus at this time of year, praising him as one of the great prophets but distinguishing Muslim belief from Christian belief,” says Ihsan Bagby,[3] an Islamic Studies professor at the University of Kentucky who researches American mosques.

In the temple I attend (I’m a Hindu) religious services are organized on Christmas day, mostly because congregants have the day off. These observances have now become a tradition. While the ceremonies are Hindu, mention is always made of Jesus Christ and his message, and it is not at all uncommon for worshippers to wish each other Merry Christmas. An aura of holiness pervades the day.

In the end, what distinguishes Christmas celebrations, in both Christian and non-Christain communities, are themes familiar to all: sacredness, family, love and friendship.

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[1] http://blogs.voanews.com/all-about-america/2015/12/23/vast-majority-of-us-non-christians-celebrate-christmas/

[2] http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/12/23/christmas-also-celebrated-by-many-non-christians/

[3] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/17/muslim-christmas-celebrations_n_1154229.html