What is our understanding of Yoga? Parmahamsa Satyananda Saraswati explains the misconceptions which many have. There are some points of view which are repetitive and are like a stuck record.
To be a practitioner of Yoga.
- One does not have to leave one’s home.
- Marital relations do not stand in the way.
- One does not have to change one’s diet radically in the beginning.
The real aim of yoga is to attain peace and tranquility within. One does not have to give up one’s normal way of living. One does not run away from life; it is not the way to deliverance. Sansar is not maya, illusion. It maybe maya to the philosopher, he lives in a world of imagination, his feet are not solidly on the ground. Yoga is practical.
Never believe that the householder’s life is low, and renunciation is superior. Those who hold orthodox views are not fit to live in this world. The role of Yoga is very special. It can remove one’s mental and physical afflictions, it can bring joy in our homes. There is no rigidity in Yoga. One continues to enjoy the good life and still be a yogi. One does not have to renounce worldly ambitions.
Karma Yoga and Yajna
If one tries to force oneself to change then it will only harm one. One can enjoy sensory gratification, but do not allow them to overpower one. Heroism lies in remaining steadfast in life, even when the odds are against one and this leads to attaining the samadhi of self-equilibrium. Life is Karma Yoga and a continuous Yajna (worshipping of the supreme lord). Yoga restores resilience and vigor.
Yoga is powerful remedy against the forces of destruction which are ceaseless activity, anxieties, frustrations, and the exhaustion of mind and body. One’s aging process is also accelerated.
Swami Sivananda told Swami Satyananda that he must identify with the mind of a thief, that of a liar and the person who criticized him.
Put yourself into their position and that is how you can understand them.
Lastly Swami Satyananda stated that if one had a life of peace and harmony at home, if one was enthusiastic about life and if one did not let adversity crush one, one was a Yogi.
1975, discourse by Parmahamsa Satyananda.
Aim Hrim Klim