Christian Answers for the New Age
JAY SHETTY: WISDOM OF THE WORLD By Marcia Montenegro
You may have seen videos on YouTube of Jay Shetty, a popular self-help guru whose videos are even posted by Christians. But be aware that within his witty admonitions are kernels of New Age, Hindu, and Buddhist spiritual views.
Former Monk
Shetty at one time was a monk on “the Hindu Vedic path” (source, interview with National Geographic at https://bit.ly/2BLUQE6). All descriptions I came across describe him simply as a “former monk,” not specifying the spiritual tradition. This way, some may think he was a Catholic, Buddhist, Hindu, or other type of monk, making him appealing to every religious background.
Videos
If you listen carefully to some of his videos, you can catch the spiritual beliefs behind them. One video on Visualization is at https://bit.ly/2NghXYz. This is not about focus or imagination, but rather visualizing something in order to make it happen.
This type of visualization is intrinsic to the New Age and the occult – found in all areas of those two fields, especially in sorcery. Why sorcery? Because the principle behind this is that you have the power of your will to alter reality and/or to manifest something into reality.
New Agers believe this is done with thoughts and words, since you have a divine nature; and the occult does it with spells, incantations, or magical rituals. In another video, Shetty states this:
“When asked what the biggest mistake we make is, the Buddha replied: “The biggest mistake is you think you have time.” From video “Don’t waste your time” at https://bit.ly/2KPF4IH
CANA: Shetty continues on how we should not waste time, breaking time down into how much time we spend sleeping, grooming, working, on social media, doing chores, eating, etc.
First of all, there is no way to authenticate that Buddha said this: Buddha’s teachings were not written down until about 500 years after his death. Secondly, if Buddha did say it, what he meant is that there is no time because there is no self, no mind, no universe, etc.; there is only formlessness, which is the true nature of reality. So of course, he did not believe in time (this view plays into Mindfulness).
Buddhism is not about learning to be peaceful or do good deeds; its goal is to realize the true nature of reality because that is the only way to liberation from rebirth. That includes realizing there is no self and that the reality you see is not real.
Shetty ends the video with these words: “for those who love, time is eternal.” Sounds nice, but what does that mean? Time had a beginning and so it does come to an end; so it’s not eternal. How does love make “time eternal?” But there is eternity and, with or without love, we will all be in it.
Eternity with or without God?
Jesus spoke of this:“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.” John 6:47
“Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” John 8:24
CANA: Jesus, the Son of God, came as man so that the could be the perfect sacrifice for sins. He died on the cross to pay the penalty for sins so that all who believe in him are forgiven and have eternal life with God.
Shetty’s Mission
When asked what his mission is now, Shetty replied: “To share life-changing wisdom in a way that makes people feel entertained, in a way that’s active, dynamic, and innovative….<snip>…I’m [also] passionate about spreading a movement of unlearning what the world has taught us: what our families taught, what school has taught, what we’ve picked up from around us.
To allow [people] to go back to being self-aware of their own interests, needs, and concerns. It’s disconnecting from what “makes sense” to what actually moves you and what makes sense internally.” — From National Geographic interview
CANA: Please read the above carefully, because Shetty has just repeated what most motivational and self-help teachers have always said: You must unlearn everything you know and start with a blank slate in order to see everything differently.
This is really reprogramming the mind. Shetty believes he is doing a good thing but he himself does not know the need for Christ and forgiveness of sins.This goal to change perception is the purpose and heart of programs such as est from the 1970s, all cults, people like Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, etc. It is also the stated purpose of Jesus according to New Thought, a movement claiming to be Christian but which denies the essentials of the Christian faith: that Jesus came not to die for sins, but to alter man’s perceptions of who God is and who man is.
This need to change perception also sums up the purpose of New Age teachings as well as Buddhism. Many hear of Buddhism’s “beginner’s mind” and it can sound quite appealing, but Buddhism wants you to unlearn everything you’ve known and start at ground zero so you can see things from the Buddhist worldview and learn “the true nature of reality” (according to Buddhism).In contrast, Jesus, fully God and fully man, already knows your heart, desires, fears, and hopes.
There is no need to change perception of reality but rather a need to see the reality of needing forgiveness for sins and reconciliation with the true living God. Jesus, the Son of God, came as man so that the could be the perfect sacrifice for sins. He died on the cross to pay the penalty for sins so that all who believe in him are forgiven and have eternal life with God.
Jay Shetty’s “Wisdom“
Jay Shetty is not just a self-help guy with snappy sayings; his ideas have an underlying spiritual worldview, but it’s a worldview completely at odds with what Jesus taught. Shetty has the wisdom of the world, but does not know Christ, and Christ himself is “the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30).
“Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe…..Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:20-21, 25
CANA: Jesus, the Son of God, came as man so that the could be the perfect sacrifice for sins. He died on the cross to pay the penalty for sins so that all who believe in him are forgiven and have eternal life with God. “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.’” John 6:35————————–
CANA article on Motivational Teachings, “In the Image of Man”https://bit.ly/2NmsgukWho is Jesus? http://bit.ly/2WwtBax
Facts on Jay Shetty
Jay moved to New York in September 2016. Jay moved on from HuffPost to create his own viral video agency and grow his brand. He now works with the biggest brands in the world. He has been invited to keynote at leading companies including Google, L’Oreal, Facebook, Coca Cola, HSBC, EY, Microsoft and Accenture. In 2016 he won the ITV Asian Media Award for Best Blog and came 3rd in the Guardian Rising Star Award in 2015.” – from https://bit.ly/2BISxBv
