WHO IS A YOGI?

[Guest guest]

WHO IS A YOGI?<br><br>"Not a sword-swallower,

crystal gazer or snake charmer, but one who knows the

scientific psycho-physical technique of uniting the

matter-bound body and soul with their source of origin, the

Blessed Spirit. He is a Yogi who says:<br><br>"I shall go

within <br><br>To bring Thee without <br><br>Where I am

.....Thou must come." <br><br>Such an Enlightened One

....dives deep within the Soul thru meditation, and brings

God-realization ...without, to apply it in worldly life. He is a

Yogi who acts for all, and not he who shirks activity

or is a fugitive from the battle of life. If we all

go to the forest, we will have to build a city there

and face the problems of life just the same.

<br><br>A business man, literary man, artist, musician,

laborer or king; all can be Yogis, if they so choose. A

Yogi aspires to know the Spirit thru living according

to the spiritual laws of life, thru renunciation of

all material fruits of success and by devoting such

fruits to the good of all. Such a man as the Hershey

chocolate king, who has given his entire fortune of eighty

millions to a school, and now works in his own factory,

has accomplished a renunciation equal to that of

great saints. <br><br>We must struggle to attain

success and have the broadening experiences of life. Many

would-be Yogis say, 'My wife died, I lost my wealth; hence

I will forsake everything and become a hermit.'

Why, they have nothing to forsake! Such sacrifice is

not real. It is the renunciation of the fruits of

successful action, the translation of selfish ambition into

selfless service for all ...that is true

sacrifice."<br><br>—Paramahansa Yogananda

[Guest guest]

The Bhagavad Gita so beautifully gives

definitions of yoga. I am reminded of them, seeing

Paramahamsa Yogananda's dictum.<br><br>The Gita says -Yoga

karmasu koushalam - Yoga is but dexterity(otherwise

translated as (inner) well-being) in action, ie being

wholesome even when engaged in worldly activity.<br><br>It

also says - Sidhyasidhyou samae kritvaa samatvam

yogamuchyate - Equanimity attained, having made attainment and

disappointment the same, is called yoga. Yoga is equanimity of

the mind, non-rejoicing in victory and non-lamenting

in distress. As krishna says, 'even here is

difference won, by those whose mind is in equanimity, for

Brahman is faultless and unruffled (in

equanimity)'.<br><br>May the Gita lead us on the right path,<br>strongboy