Nowadays the word yoga appears quite often in our everyday life. We can find it in the books, the newspapers, hear of it in the radio, on lectures or during the conversation with our friends. Probably you have already come across this concept and created your own opinion on yoga. Perhaps you associate the word yoga with a healthy and elastic body in an unusual posture, a motionless yogi in meditation or with the philosophy of the East. Yoga is all this and still much more.
It is very difficult to define yoga in just a few words. But surely yoga is one of the most complete and universal systems: it is a complete view of life, of the humankind and other living beings and of the whole cosmos. Yoga teaches us that all aspects of life mentioned above are inseparably connected and that only through realisation and experience of this completeness we can satisfy our inner hunger for the knowledge and everlasting happiness.
The science of yoga is a precious gift from the Indian sages who attained the complete realisation of all laws of existence. In spite of the fact that yoga geographically originates from India, its ancient wisdom is universal and eternal.
Let us take a look at yoga as:
- A universal principle
- A system of methods and techniques for the personal development
- A non-dogmatic and universal spiritual path
YOGA AS UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLE: Yoga is a general concept that represents the wholeness of all cosmic principles. The word yoga means union. Through the union of single elements and cosmic forces our planet and the whole universe were created. In this process of creation the cosmic principle of union is manifested - we can call it God, Cosmic energy, Love or Yoga.
There are thousands of solar systems in the universe and their existence is governed by some consciousness. This one, eternal, unchangeable and constantly awake consciousness is PARABRAHMA, which is present in every atom. PARABRAHMA is not a person; this principle has no form and no name. We just call it Light, Sound, the Absolute, Truth, Eternity, God. This highest principle, which balances and preserves the whole creation, is yoga. 
In the Bhagavad-Gita Krishna says to Arjuna: "I gave this yoga to the Sun.". How are we to understand this? The Sun is also not a person. The Sun is a part of the universe, its light and energy enables and preserves our life. This power or energy that through the union and condensation became the Sun, is yoga of which Krishna speaks. This yoga, this principle, is therefore much older than the humankind and it is not something, that was invented by the human.
The interest for yoga awoke in humans when these fundamental questions arose in human minds:
Who am I ? Where do I come from ? Where am I going ? Why am I here ? Am I fulfilling my task ?
Since the beginning of the humankind, man tries to solve the mystery of the meaning of life. We know by experience, that life is connected to suffering. Every single living being is striving one way or another to be happy. But everything we hopefully cling to, sooner or later disappoints us or disappears in time and we find ourselves again at the beginning of our search. But are we indeed nothing but helpless leaves carried by the wind of destiny and circumstances that we cannot change?
Many thousand years ago in ancient Asia a teaching emerged, that offers a different perspective of the world and the universe, a new philosophy and perhaps - the solution. This science, Yoga-Vedanta philosophy, was developed by the Indian yogis and sages, who through deep meditation attained the complete knowledge of all laws of existence, found the meaning of life and liberated themselves from the eternal interchange of pleasure and pain. They were guided by the wish to help all people in different life situations and without any external instruments. They were searching for the method that would depend only on things that are available to everyone: body, intellect and mind.
The essence of Vedanta philosophy is the unity (non-duality) of all existence - we all are one. This may be hard to understand and even harder to realise. We all say: my body, my hands, my head, my thoughts, my feelings, ...and we all identify ourselves with the word "I". But who is the one that says: this is mine and this is me? You are not this body, intellect, thoughts, feelings or experiences. You have all this but this is not you. Who are you then?
You are the Self, the immortal ATMA.
Let us make an experiment: somebody holds a book in his hand and asks you whose book it is. By the gesture of your hand you indicate that it belongs to you. Surely you have pointed to the centre of your chest and thus saying that the book is yours. This gesture does not depend on your culture, country or race, it is international and universal. You have not pointed to your head or stomach, but to the area of your heart. When we write a letter, we always send our heartily greetings and not "greetings from the head". We can say, that this what we call "I", has its place in our hearts. The Self, the Atma dwells in our hearts. It is a divine, living light that never dies. Death can only destroy the body, but it cannot harm the Atma. The Atma lives for evermore, the Atma is life. Yogi says: "I am SAT-CIT-ANANDA ATMA - I am Truth, pure Consciousness, I am blissful, I am divine Self."
How can we explain the words "We are all one"? Take twenty cups and fill them with water. Put them in your garden on the night of the full moon and take a look at them. In every cup you will see the moon on the water surface. But are there twenty moons in the sky? No, there is only one, which reflects itself in all cups. Therefore we say: One in All and All in One.
In all living beings, humans as well as in the animals, dwells the same Atma, which is pure divine light. God reflects Himself in all living beings just as the moon reflects itself in different cups. If the water is not pure enough or its surface is not still, the reflection will not be clear. The moon in the sky, however, is always the same, untouched, only its reflection changes from cup to cup. Similarly, God is always within us, but we are not aware of this because our mind and consciousness are not pure and calm enough.
Can we see God? And with what eyes? God has two aspects: NIRGUNA and SARGUNA. NIRGUNA is His universal form that cannot be seen with our physical eyes. We can perceive it with our inner senses as a transcendental light or sound, or experience it as the universal knowledge and wisdom. And if you want to see God in the SARGUNA form, look at the Creation and discover Him in all living beings. God reflects Himself in every cup of life.
YOGA AS PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Everyone would like to be healthy, content and happy and we are all striving in our own way to achieve this. But especially nowadays people all over the world suffer more than ever in the history of the humankind from stress and burdens, which they are not able to control anymore. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to relax, people usually find their comfort in tranquilizers, sleeping pills, alcohol and the like.
Yoga teaches us, that peace and contentment can be attained only by balancing our whole being on all levels of existence. We know that we consist of many aspects: physical body, mental body, subtle body and causal body. If we want to be happy and content, we must balance all of them. Methods and techniques of yoga offer us a perfect way to realise this goal: they lead us systematically and gradually through body postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama), relaxation, contemplation and positive way of thinking towards physical health, calmness and knowledge of oneself. They also help us to give up all illusions and complexes, which stand as obstacles on our way towards happy and fulfilled life.
Yoga is, first of all, a practical way - we must realise and achieve everything by ourselves. Nobody can give us health, happiness and contentment, nor can we buy them or attain them by some external means. They lie within ourselves and only our own effort will help us to find and realise them.
On our way towards the Self-realisation we gradually discover all our inner qualities and feelings, be they good or bad. It is said, that the path of yoga is sometimes harder than the fight of a heroic soldier, because a yogi must conquer his inner enemies like lust, anger, attachment, greed, jealousy and pride. In this battle it is very important that we understand and accept ourselves without any feelings of guilt or disappointment, and that we are prepared to give up all bad habits, that are binding our true Self.
Yoga is a system of exercises and methods, which can lead us towards enlightenment, but only if they are practised with confidence, discipline and firm decision. These exercises and techniques are a part of the ancient treasury of knowledge, which has been passed on from the spiritual teachers to their disciples for many thousands of years.
Yoga consists of several ways, which are inseparably connected. Every stage of our development requires a particular kind of yogic discipline, which again depends on the disciple’s inner nature. Karma yoga is the way of selfless work for the benefit of all living beings. Bhakti yoga is the realisation of love and devotion to the noble principles. Gyana yoga means the development of knowledge and understanding of the laws of existence. Raja yoga consists of techniques and exercises that increase the abilities of our body and develop the potentials of our intellect and mind.
YOGA AS NON-DOGMATIC SPIRITUAL PATH
Although we speak a lot of God and say that yoga is the way to God, yoga is not a religion nor a religious sect. God is a universal principle, cosmic light, eternally awake consciousness which pervades all existence. This God is one, and dwells in all. We gave Him different names and images - we call Him Holy Father, Allah, Ishwara, Divine Will, Love, the highest Self and so on. There are as many images of God as there are people on the face of the earth. Everyone creates one’s own image of God and opinion on God according to the level of one’s spiritual development. Who imagines God according to prescriptions of others, has only a "borrowed" picture of Him and no own living vision.
The essence of yoga and all religions is actually the same - spiritual development of the person and the realisation of the Self and God as the final goal. Unfortunately, with all religions this goal somehow faded through time and got nearly lost: simplicity and directness were replaced by mysteriousness and inapproachability, God became something distant, limited by systems of dogmas. On the other hand, the knowledge of yoga is always transferred from people who realised God themselves to those who are still searching for Him. Such people, the real spiritual masters, can still be found nowadays. But we must be very cautious who we give our confidence to, for there are individuals who just imitate spiritual master's behaviour on the outside, but do not have the highest knowledge and their teachings are incomplete or even misleading. We can recognise a real spiritual master not by his looks, but we must listen to our heart.
Yoga unites positive principles of all world religions: non-violence, understanding, help, forgiving, charity, ....
Yoga teaches that everybody can attain and realise God. There is of course no universal recipe, everybody must find his own way. Yoga can help and guide us in our search, it offers to a seeker many thousand years of experiences and living examples of holy men and sages who attained this highest goal.
It is not important which religious belief (or none of them) we belong to, for yoga will support us in every kind of positive thinking and way of life. Yoga unites positive principles of all world religions: non-violence, understanding, help, forgiving, charity, ....
As such, yoga is a universal spiritual path, which is based on one’s own experience and not on the experiences and regulations of others, the meaning of which is changed and lost in the course of time.
Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji says:
"Brothers, you are mistaken if you think that you contradict each other by belonging to different religions! Instead of this you should live next to each other as brothers, for we are all children of one divine father. God is in all of us. It is not important whether you are Moslem, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist or Jain - if you really live according to your religion, you will all realise God."
The author of this article His Holiness Swamiji reguarlly visits Australia. you may also view his spiritual lectures and live webcasts on line for free at http://swamiji.tv/
