Posts

Iijima Sensei - Bukkyo Yoga

Image
This is a picture of Iijima Sensei. Iijmia Sensei had a teacher as well; but Iijima Sensei was one of my teacher's teachers. My teacher was Reverend Ryugen Watanabe Osho, aka Swami Premananda: "the Yogi from Japan". Ryugen Osho also had other teachers, The Maharaj-ji who named him Swami Premenada, for instance. I also had other teachers throughout my life in Yoga and Buddhism and several spiritual practices. But it was with Ryugen Osho that I came to be on my own path as it flows on today. For all these teachers, and all those who came before to walk this path, I am eternally grateful.

Yoga Blog Beginnings

Our Yoga at the temple was often called Zen Yoga by Swami Premanda of Shiva Ashram, or IIjima Sensei used to call it Bukkyo Yoga; I've also heard it referred to as Dharma Yoga, Japanese Yoga or Buddhist Yoga. But actually we have many Yoga traditions in our past and practice. So let's just call it Yoga. There are many traditions and aspects of Yoga. In some schools different aspects are accentuated and in others they are diminished or taken out all together. Especially in the West some of the more religious aspects might not be accepted by those of other religions, so for them it's best to leave the religiosity of yoga out of it or at least lay it to the side. They are all Yoga in my eyes. But for me Yoga includes it all, and though all of it matters, it may not all matter the same all the time. Yoga, as it was taught to me is Union or to yoke together all aspects of life. To be unified with all that is... with reality as it is. For some this could be devotional Bhakti