CHAPTER 5: Who is a True Yogi
If one truly wants to discover Yoga, then one must be a true Yogi. Who is a Yogi? A Yogi is one who lives in constant Yoga, Union with the Divine. Is this even possible? Actually, it is impossible! How can one be a true Yogi? The simple aspiration of being in Yoga, of living a life of Purification, seeking Illumination and desiring Unification, are the hallmarks of a true Yogi. Just referring to oneself as a Yogi doesn’t make somebody a Yogi. In fact, it is very difficult to know who is a true Yogi because only the one who is in true Yoga experiencing the Divine Union feels this blessing of being a true Yogi. For a true Yogi, it hardly matters what the world thinks. He is not a practitioner of worldly Yoga, nor does he wear the garb of a sanyasi or renunciate. The true Yogi is in a state of Bliss, far above the shackles of this world.
A true Yogi is aware of Yoga and how it is the way to achieve Liberation, our ultimate goal of Life. Very few of us realize that our ultimate goal is Liberation from this world and Unification with the Divine. We all seek Happiness as our Life goal and at most, we seek to be liberated from misery and suffering.
Can a human being escape suffering? We all realize that we suffer as the ego, mind, and body, but a true Yogi transcends this. He is Illuminated with the Realization that he is not the body-mind complex, nor can the ego make him sink in the world. He is so united with the Divine, that although he is embodied in a body-mind complex, he lives as the Divine Soul. A true Yogi knows he cannot escape from action and thus he doesn’t try to do so. There are people in this world who try to renounce the world itself, but this is not possible as long as we are alive. A Yogi balances his life so that he enjoys freedom in action not freedom from it. Although he lives like a normal human being, he has complete control of his ego, mind, and body.
We, human beings are like a chariot with 5 wild horses. These 5 horses are our senses. Unless we have a strong mind to control these 5 horses, like reins that keep the 5 horses of the chariot under control, our 5 senses make us go wild with passion and cravings and we lose control of the chariot, our life.
The Yogi controls both his mind and his 5 senses, the reins and the 5 horses of his chariot, as the charioteer of his life. He is in complete command, despite circumstances. To him, this world is Maya, a cosmic illusion. It is like a theatre, a drama or a show. We are just actors, we come and we go. Normal human beings get entangled in this show called life, but the Yogi lives as an observer, unaffected by the cosmic drama that is being enacted on planet earth.
Living as a charioteer with complete control of his ego, mind, and body, living as an observer of this drama on earth, the Yogi is peaceful and blissful, knowing he is a manifestation of the Divine and is constantly connected with the Divine. He lives in the present moment, conscious of the NOW, in Yoga, in Union, enjoying the Peace and the Bliss, as he has realized the Truth.
This Realization not only liberates him from petty annoyances, like fear, worry, anger and anxiety, but it also ultimately liberates him from a possible rebirth and the possible recurrent suffering we human beings experience as we live on earth. This, however, is not possible with every practitioner of Yoga. Even though we may know what true Yoga is, we cannot be liberated from suffering, until there is a Divine union of our Soul with the Divine.
A true Yogi is like a good SIM card, that is constantly connected with the satellite, never losing its network connection. What happens to our mobile phone when we go out of our network area? We are said to be in a roaming network and our SIM card starts searching for network partners. It starts pinging all available networks to connect and be online. A true Yogi does not roam like this SIM card. Wherever the Yogi goes and whatever the Yogi does, his Divine network doesn’t get disconnected. He is always in Union with the Divine.
All this is possible because a Yogi who has experienced Illumination lives with Detachment and Dispassion. He renounces pleasures and cravings which offer temporary pleasure and enjoys everlasting bliss and peace. He does not seek happiness but is always in a state of bliss. A Yogi is not a slave to the pleasures of the senses, to the body and mind. He has transcended such desires, initially, through his Discrimination, but as he evolves, his Divine Union is unaffected by these worldly attractions and distractions.
We must be clear that every Yogi doesn’t become a true Yogi. There are various stages in a Yogic journey. Once a seeker understands the myth about Yoga, and starts his journey to discover the truth, he starts the Yogic experience of life. He tries to remain in Yoga, in Divine Union, but he is constantly disturbed by his own ego, mind, and body. He uses the power of his intellect to Discriminate every thought, calmly and Peacefully. Along with this, he creates several disciplines that keep his ego, mind, and body under his control. Normal human beings get carried away by cravings of the body and desires of the mind. But the Yogi remains unaffected. He continues to enjoy his Peace and Bliss, being united with the Divine, although all around him, there is turmoil.
Every seeking Yogi who seeks to become a true Yogi, experiences this war within. It is Yoga that helps him kill his mind, control his body and transcend his Ego. First, the seeker tries to remain in Yoga, then Yoga helps the seeker realize the truth. Unless we attempt to be in true Yoga, not just through physical exercises and breath control, unless we spend time in silence and introspect, contemplate, renounce worldly cravings and seek the Divine, we cannot evolve on the Yogic journey.
A true Yogi who is advanced in his state of Yoga is not just liberated from misery and sorrow as he lives on earth, he is liberated from taking rebirth as his Soul unites with the Divine. This only happens when a true Yogi lives in constant Yoga, experiencing the oneness with the Divine.
Those who are trying to get to this ultimate point, continue their efforts of renouncing cravings, discriminating thoughts, living with detachment from possessions and things and disciplining the mind and body.
A true Yogi is always seeking the Divine and nothing else. He has realized the Truth about life. And while he lives with peace and joy, he overcomes the slavery that enslaves and imprisons a normal human being. Transcending the desires of this material world, a true Yogi lives in Yoga. He is constantly connected with the Divine, with the ultimate goal of Liberation. He seeks nothing else and being a true Yogi, his Yoga leads him to Liberation.
Who is a true Yogi?
One who is united with the Divine,
Who has transcended cravings of the body and mind,
Overcoming the desire for Women, Wealth and Wine.