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| (Pic courtesy: www.ideachampions.com) |
For ages it has
been said that everybody has a purpose in this world. Robert Bryne quoted that
the purpose of life is a life of
purpose. Millions of people are oblivious to this, whereas, millions aim
to seek their purpose in this world. Art, travel, introspection and serving
others doesn’t justify what so many people are searching for. It doesn’t quench
the thirst of the soul. A few drops of water don’t make a river. Purpose,
however, can be simplified to a one dimensional view.
A
bird must fly and it must sing out to the rains, it is what the human eyes see.
The true purpose of the bird though, can’t be figured out by imagination or
with science. Only the bird knows what it flies for. Similarly, a human must
walk, sleep, eat, think and express. In a two dimensional view, humans create,
build, destruct, feel and interpret.
Our
purpose is known and yet, not discovered by many. The shocking thing is that
the answers we’ve been waiting for, to the questions that we can’t really form,
have been known all this while. In Yoga hide all of our answers and our true
meaning.Yoga is to a man what flying is
to a bird.
Yoga
is an ancient science, an art, a spiritual discipline and an ascetic practice. It is an abstract
concept. Yoga is practiced by people to cure diseases of the body and mind, as
an exercise routine, as a stress-reliever and also as a way of life. Yoga
originated in India and has been kept alive by Indians for centuries. It is a
path to spiritual growth which is approximately five thousand years old. The
purpose of yoga is to unify the lower personality with the higher personality.
It is the method of encouraging union with the finite, the transitory self and
the infinite, the eternal self. Disciplined practitioners of yoga, Yogis are
devotees or performers of ‘jog’, meaning, union with God or the supreme power.
A true Yogi knows that the entire universe is situated within his own body and
they master themselves, controlling their minds and bodies.
A Yogi is a person who realizes himself in
spite of the worldly illusions and desires around him. A yogi believes in yoga
as a religion. He can attain ‘siddhis’ or powers by awakening the ‘Kundalini’
power by purification of the mind and body by ‘Pranayama’ or control over
breathing, continuous meditation and practicing Yoga. If a Yogi gains control
and access to all the seven ‘chakras’ ofthe body, the ‘siddhis’ are awakened.
This is a rare phenomenon in the modern world.
Not very different from a Yogi, a ‘Jogi’ is person who has abandoned all
worldly ties and does not indulge in any sexual activity. Yogis worship Yoga
and Lord Shiva. The literal meaning of Yogi and Jogi is the same: union with
God. Lust, rage, greed, attachment, ego
and envy are the six evils a Yogi must win over. The interesting transition of a Yogi to a Jogi
happens when he denies all worldly offerings, is not bound by family ties and
realizes his true purpose and becomes free. They shun what a still Yogi allows
himself. They see through human relations, craving and attachments.
A saffron body-cloth, little personal
belongings and undisturbed long hours of meditation comprise the life of a Jogi.
Their calling is not limited to a few Yoga asanas, it is beyond that. Jogis
claim to attain pure connection with the supreme power. Yogis and Jogis live their lives at the notes of a Tibetan meditation bowl
which sings at the frequency of the manifestation of the universe. Yoga is the
way to finding our true purpose. A Yogi finds it in Yoga alone or maybe,
beyond. A Jogi finds it on every road ever built or yet to be built. The
transition of a Yogi to a jogi is painful and brave yet, blissful in its own
way.
