Month: October 2017

India is a vast land filled with many mysteries. From the Himalayas in the north to the Temples of southern India, there are stories, monuments, artifacts and people who make us question our ways of living and the nature of existence. The yogis and mystics of India are such people. Their lifestyles will perplex you, their philosophies will inspire you and their capabilities will astonish you.

If you go to holy places in India you will find many men with long locks of hair, dressed in saffron clothing and carrying a pot with water filled in it. These men sit in solitude and are often seen chanting the name of god with beads in their hands. Some of them are impostors waiting for their next target, a few are real men of devotion trying to find god and rarely, if you are lucky, you will come across a realized man who has won over desire and is filled with wisdom and knowledge. These rare individuals are usually not found in crowded places as they do not prefer the company of worldly men and women. They are always in an ecstatic mood and as they have reached the state, what yogis call, of no-mind.

Source: www.creativecommons.org
Three holy men sitting in Kathmandu Darbar Square.

Though not self-realized, many sages who live near holy places still possess the knowledge and supernatural abilities that attract men and women from all over the globe. People flock to these spiritual men looking for solutions to their problems or to be blessed by them so that they can enjoy a fulfilling life. Some will predict your future, others will bless you if you cannot conceive and a few will even communicate with your departed loved ones. However, people rarely go looking for such yogis to find knowledge.

Source: www.creativecommons.org
An ash-smeared yogi meditating in solitude.

There are even large gatherings of such yogis on special days. One such occasion is called the Kumbh Mela, held at multiple sites, where yogis from different religious sects gather and bathe in the river Ganges. The event is considered the world’s largest congregation of religious pilgrims and is held once in every 12 years. The words “Kumbh Mela” literally mean Kumbh fair.

Source: www.creativecommons.org
The Kumbh Mela at Haridwar, India.

I have never witnessed the Kumbh mela. However, visiting the mela will be a great opportunity to meet these men of knowledge and find answers to questions that put me in a deep thoughtful mood.

Once the yogi has implemented the yamas and niyamas in his life, he should simultaneously practice yogic techniques of concentration. Every human being is unique and has his or her own set of tastes and methodology towards life. However, even unique personalities fall under a broad personality type. Yoga has different paths to attain self-liberation for different personality types.

For people who have a scientific approach towards life, kriya yoga is the prescribed practice. This approach involves directly tuning the mind to higher energies and channelizing these energies into the different chakras or energy centers of the body. It also involves practicing asanas that prepare the body to withstand the cosmic energies and directly percieve god. This is considered to be the hardest path as it requires strict vows and discipline.

For the artists, who love identifying the emotional aspect of life, bhakti yoga is the answer. Through bhakti yoga, the practitioner chooses and establishes a personal relationship with god that he or she is comfortable practicing. People in different religions have either considered god as a father, a mother or a friend. According to yogic philosophies, one can consider oneself to be a lover of god devote him or herself to that relationship.

For the philosophers of the world, jnana yoga is a great technique of finding the supreme truth. Jnana yoga is all about perceiving god through one’s intelligence and gaining knowledge through scriptures and spiritual texts that have been passed on from generation to generation. The jnana yogis aspire to gain the ultimate wisdom that helps them understand their relationship with and their position in the universe.

Finally, for the worldly man or woman who emphasizes on the practicality of life, Karma yoga is the suitable path. Karma Yoga is the path of action that inspires the yogi to perform actions with detachment and fulfill his or her duty. The yogi does not care for the fruits of his or her action and only acts to for the benefit of the cosmos. This concept of performing the right action that upholds the society is defined as dharma in the Bhagavat Gita. Dharma evolves as the society evolves.

It is interesting to find that nature has provided so many paths to its children to choose from and reach the ultimate goal of realizing one’s relationship with the universe.  It is this inherent intelligence of nature that we take for granted in our life and are only able to realize once we make ourselves sensitive and conscious through the practice of yoga.