The Renewed Mind - Pillai
The mind tells you "it can't be done"; the Spirit says that with God all things are possible. The mind says you surely won't get what you need; the Spirit says your Father knoweth what things you have need of and they will be supplied out of His riches in glory. In this way, the negative and depressing thoughts of the mind are commanded out, and are replaced with the positive promises of God's Word. The mind is an instrument in our hands. We must command it. The Renewed Mind At the age of twelve, Hindu children begin the practice of Yoga or union with God. They fast and pray, and look within to find God. They believe that the kingdom of God is within them. Breathing exercises are used; life or prana is breathed in through one nostril and evil things are breathed out of the other nostril. These techniques keep the mind from wandering during periods of prayer. Hindus believe that the mind is of the flesh, and consequently it is contrary to God. Thus they work continually to renew the mind toward Godly things. Paul refers to this; he says, Romans 12:2 Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. From the age of twelve, then, Hindu children continue with this renewing of the mind throughout their adult lives. I know that Christians could benefit from these teachings; in fact there are several verses in Paul's letters which instruct Christians to gain control of their minds; but these are largely overlooked by the Western world, because they are not understood. The Hindus believe, and Scripture agrees, that the things of the flesh are contrary to things of the Spirit. The mind and all the rest of the senses are of the flesh. The mind is likely to be full of dread and fear; the Spirit is full of love, peace, joy, longsuffering, and so forth. Therefore Yoga practice trains the mind to be in union with the Spirit, and to bring it into subjection to the Spirit.
From this work
Topic: flesh vs. spirit,logospedia Format: Verified Digitized Pages: 3 As a convert to Christianity from Hinduism, Bishop K.C. Pillai came to the Western world on a singular mission: to teach the Eastern culture of the Bible. Although Christianity is generally considered a western religion, the Bible itself was written and set in the Orient, and it must be viewed through the light of that eastern window. The Bible is filled with passages that perplex the Western mind, and yet they were readily understood by the Easterner. When the reader becomes knowledgeable of the oriental idioms, customs, and traditions of the Biblical setting, these Scriptures become clear. God called Bishop K.C. Pillai to reveal these Biblical truths he called Orientalisms. At the time of the Bishop’s early life, his native India had remained an isolated country for thousands of years. Therefore, the customs and man