Meditation and Yoga (Marxist opinion)

[Yefim Zverev]

Recently I have discussions with a friend and need your help about rhetoric and agitation.
What are your opinions on Meditation & Yoga or other stress management methods ?
There are sects which are gathering people in weekends forming yoga and meditation groups. The groups claim that they are cleaned from stress of the society. They tell that society produces stress and it is something that we mentally produce rather than it is produced by environment alone.
They also make lots of advertisements about their sects. They give out handpapers etc. The guy came to me and told. If you want to know reality and join us ? wtf man ? They are so devoted. You can't believe
Instead of joining to a leftist group and discuss these people spend all their times on meditation and yoga and chit-chat to get rid of stress of the week they stay together at nights on weekend and make meditation stuff in darkness. They are %98 of time apolitical.
So they do not criticize system much. They do it only a little bit.
They claim everybody must have such spirituality and the earth will change. Ghandi said the same. He was against class war. He said if bourgeoasie also meditates and gains spirituality and stuff it will give up exploiting laborers. That sounds ridiculous to me.
Though I need some good concrete rethpric to fight against them and make myself understood.
When I enter a philosophical discussion on dialectical-materialism and other philosophies that leads to nowhere because their thinking is different at all. They ignore materialism.
They also claim marxists and communists are unable to change anything because they have inner contradictions with spirit or such.

[Zealot]

There's nothing wrong with meditation itself but when it turns into religious wingnuttery, as you've described, then it stands in stark contrast to Marxism and materialism. Marx always stressed action and criticized the Young Hegelians for their idealist methods of trying to change things. These Yoga cliques sound similar, in fact worse, since it sounds as if they've shut themselves off from the world in meditation rather than trying to change it.

[hatzel]

I very much doubt that people putting their limbs at strange angles once a week will do much to inhibit the socialist movement, no...

[Yefim Zverev]

There's nothing wrong with meditation itself but when it turns into religious wingnuttery, as you've described, then it stands in stark contrast to Marxism and materialism. Marx always stressed action and criticized the Young Hegelians for their idealist methods of trying to change things. These Yoga cliques sound similar, in fact worse, since it sounds as if they've shut themselves off from the world in meditation rather than trying to change it.

That is exactly what I mean


There's nothing wrong with meditation itself but when it turns into religious wingnuttery.


He mentions about the whole philosophy as a religion. Not as a sport activity. He claims the truth is there. :)


I very much doubt that people putting their limbs at strange angles once a week will do much to inhibit the socialist movement, no...

If it had been so only a sport. I would not have opened this thread. So please try to understand before posting spam.

They also make anti-communist and marxist propaganda.

[hatzel]

They also make anti-communist and marxist propaganda.

...yeah, so what? Lots of people say lots of things...

[Yefim Zverev]

...yeah, so what? Lots of people say lots of things...

Not that simple. That is organized propaganda included in the religious teaching

Many workers go to these gatherings instead of political discussions.

Seems like they are also co-operating with other religions. In their pamphlets I read all religions include truth. Such metaphysic brain drugs against masses.

[hatzel]

Stuff that lacks relevance remains irrelevant, though...


Many workers go to these gatherings instead of political discussions.

Can't remember the last time I went to a political discussion - not least one arranged by a socialist party - that wasn't mind-numbingly boring and thus a waste of both time and bus-fare so I can't exactly say I blame them...

[Althusser]

I really don't think there is a Marxist opinion on it. It is what it is. Meditation is supposed to silence your mind, make you think clearly, and see things the way they are. It's supposed to be a very internalized experience. Yoga relaxes muscles.

"All religions have truth" is a load of PC bullshit. My "Religions of the World" high school teacher fed us that garbage. I put that "theology majoring" imbecile in her place easily with simple historical events, the means of spreading religion, the power that religion had over society, and just the pure fucking hypocrisy of it. We visited a mosque and that crazy neckbeard fuck told all the students that those who know of Islam, but do not join, all go to hell no matter what. I NEVER let my teacher live that up.

[Yefim Zverev]

Hinduism is exactly what I talk about. But certain parts of it which can adopt western living style.

[Yefim Zverev]

Can't remember the last time I went to a political discussion - not least one arranged by a socialist party - that wasn't mind-numbingly boring and thus a waste of both time and bus-fare so I can't exactly say I blame them...

You enter a political discussion here at least. Or else you read books try to learn talk with other people so they wake up from their alienation. But those people just drug themselves.

These people suffer from hard-working and social chaos and they blame themselves for it that they are not enough strong to bear capitalist life instead of criticizing capitalist system itself.

Actually those gatherings are simply adaptation of workers (mostly office workers since they have more time) to the system.

[Deicide]

crazy neckbeard fuck

http://www.threadbombing.com/data/media/20/ROFL_MAO.jpg

[Revolution starts with U]

They are correct that the degree to which you're pissed off about class struggle makes no bearing on it ending, or even doing anything about it. Anger is an emotional response created in the mind. Only action changes things.

Some seek stillness by retreating from normal society. Those who find stillness find it right here, right now, no matter where they are.