The Yogi and the World

At times, one wonders what is a yogi?  To become a yogi, do I need to perfect sacred practices or be adept at meditation? Read on…

Another year has gone giving way to the next. That is according to the calendar. In essence, nothing has gone or come. It is simply a question of perspective. But for ages, the human race has worked hard to segregate and to segment with the goal of making a better use of resources and with the intention of making sense of the external world. It has given us a system and a structure to work within. It has not come without a price though. 

The price is the conditioning of the mind. You automatically start to feel relaxed as night approaches. You are ready to sleep because the clock indicates it is night.

I am reminded of a verse from the  Bhagavad Gita; Krishna says to Arjuna:

या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जाग्रति संयमी ।
यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुनेः॥ (Bhagavad Gita, 2.69)
When it is night for all, the yogi is wide awake. When all are fully awake, it is night for the yogin.

At first, it appears to merely indicate the importance of the night for yogic practices. Like all other words that have come from Krishna, these ones too are not without a deeper significance. One who is committed to the path starts by working towards the un-conditioning of his mind. When does the whole world sleep? That is when they are not engaged in acts of sense gratification or any other activities of the external world. The day for the outward mind is when it is busy creating, fulfilling, and protecting your external world. What do people do all day? They are working towards, with, or for the material world.

The yogi is not interested in the ‘worldly day’, he has decided to challenge all conventional knowledge. With every sunrise, he sees a new year. Why actually, with every emerging moment a new year comes about. The Chinese have theirs start at another time of the year, the Hindus at yet another time, as is so for other cultures and religions. So, what you celebrate as your new year is also a derivative of the conditioned mind.

Now that we are in the new year of 2012, do you have a resolution? Something you would like to do! How about something different, something new, something unique? Something other than the usual financial, social, professional, personal, or family goals… How about living like a toddler? I am not suggesting that you get up every three hours and cry for milk, or that you walk around in diapers. I am alluding to becoming a toddler devotee or the toddler yogi.

A toddler, the one who has just graduated out of infancy, lives in the moment. He is not making plans about the future nor brooding over the past. A toddler cries when in pain, laughs when happy, giggles when tickled and plays when awake. He is inquisitive and explorative but he is not thinking about possessions. He lives with surrender. His mother, or let us say his parents, are his world. The toddler approaches fire and furry toy with equal awe. He relies on his mother to make decisions for him while he himself is established in a state of non-discrimination. He is not busy calculating, he is busy playing.

Becoming a toddler devotee means to live with surrender and becoming a toddler yogi is to always live in the moment.

Here’s to 2012:

1. Live in the moment:
That is do not sulk over matters of the past and do not be afraid of your future. Be disciplined but drop your worries. Nothing ever gets accomplished by worrying.

2. Let go of your anger:
Forgive people. No one can give you grief unless you let them. Everyone is a postman. They are simply delivering your parcels of karmic fruits to you. Don’t shoot the messenger.

3. Rise above right and wrong:
It is not always about good or bad just as it is not always about winning or losing. It is about playing. Enjoy the play.

4. Learn to be happy:
There is nothing wrong with having goals. But learn to be happy and content with what you have. If you are unhappy with what you have, no matter how much you may get, your state of happiness will remain unchanged.

5. Make it your memorable leap year:
Take a leap this year. Tread some new ground. Focus on giving without expectation. Try it. It will bring about a transformation in you. You may also want to read – The Journey of Life

I wish you a happy new year.

Peace.
Swami