Modi Leads India Yoga Revolution

The Sanskrit word "yoga" may mean union but, for some in India, yoga has never been more divisive.

梵文“瑜伽”是团结统一意思，但对有些印度人来说，瑜伽最近却给他们带来了分裂的危险。

June 21 marks the first ever International Day of Yoga, an event that’s driven by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A faithful yoga practitioner for years, Modi persuaded the United Nations last year to devote a day to the ancient discipline.

6月21日是印度第一届国际瑜伽日，这个活动由总理纳伦德拉 莫迪发起。作为一个多年练习瑜伽的忠实教徒，莫迪去年向联合国申请选定一天作为瑜伽日以纪念这个古老的锻炼方式。

This Sunday, around 45,000 people in New Delhi attempted to break the world record for the single largest session of yoga.

本周日，新德里45000人一起练习瑜伽试图打破众人一起练习瑜伽的世界纪录。

Modi was present at the public demonstration which included civil servants and students, many of whom were ordered to practice their chaturangas and downward dogs ahead of the event.

莫迪本人也出现在现场，同时有很多公务员和学生参加本次活动。在活动之前很多人都被要求练习支架式和下趴式瑜伽动作。

Similar yoga events are being held all around the globe. odi’s worldwide yoga vision, however, isn’t sitting well with everyone. Some in India’s Muslim community, which makes up around 15% of the population, say they are feeling marginalized.

世界各地都有与此相似的瑜伽活动。但莫迪的全球瑜伽视角却并不合每个人的味口。占印度总人口15%的穆斯林群体认为这样做会让他们被边缘化。

Religious associations

宗教联系

Although it’s viewed mainly as a form of physical exercise in the west, yoga carries religious associations in India.

虽然瑜伽在西方世界只是一种锻炼方式，但它在印度却有宗教含义。

Muslim associations like the influential Islamic scholars group, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and several prominent imams have taken issue with a common sequence called "sun salutations" which they interpret as sun worship.

穆斯林教徒有很多协会比如颇具影响力的学术团体，所有印度穆斯林个人法协会以及几个重要的伊玛目都以“太阳致意”为名处理事情，也就是崇拜太阳之意。

"Om" which is often chanted in yoga classes is also a sacred sound in Dharmic religions.

瑜伽课上大家总吟唱的“om”在达摩教中是非常神圣的。

"We do not know how it has been approved by the UN," Abdul Rahim Qureshi, an All India Muslim Personal Law Board spokesperson told CNN.

“我们不知道联合国为什么会通过这个决定，”所有印度穆斯林个人法协会的发言人在接受CNN采访时这样说道。

"A true Muslim cannot take part in yoga. The yoga is made compulsory for the primary and high school students. What are they teaching little children? The government should not take up this cause of yoga and impose them on non-Hindus.”

“一个真正的穆斯林教徒是不能参与瑜伽活动的。现在小学和高中学生都必须练习瑜伽。他们给小孩子们灌输了什么？政府不应该接受瑜伽课程这样的提议，并强迫非印度教人练习瑜伽。”

To ease the backlash, Indian authorities reassured the public that sun salutations would be dropped from the event, though chanting "om" would still be a part of it.

为了缓解冲突，印度当局向民众作出担保，信奉太阳的信徒可以不用参加此项活动，但吟唱“om”的规矩并没有改变。

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来源:China Daily 官网爱语吧作者:孙梦光