Four Yogis

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Four Yogis

 

My grandmother once told me a story of four yogis. The first was a Bhakti yogi,

one who felt that devotion and love for God in his physical form was the right

way to please him. The Bhakta's emotions ruled his heart and soul.

 

The second was a gyana yogi. He let his head rule over everything else. He

viewed everything with intelligence and reasoning. He was not the emotional

kind.

 

The third was a karmayogi. He was a workaholic. He felt that without work there

was no life. He practised that 'Work is worship' and it was the only way to seek

the favour of the Almighty God.

 

The fourth was a Kriyayogi. He felt that work, form and emotions all were

illusions. Everything around us is just cosmic energy. Unless every action,

thought, word or deed was directed to the transformation of energy and

channelling the same, nothing would be right.

 

" Well " , said Grandma, " Since all these four yogis were so different in nature,

they could never pull along together, they never agreed to do anything jointly.

But surprisingly one night they were strolling together in a forest and it

started to rain. They ran for shelter to an ancient Temple.

 

There was an old Shiva Lingam in the centre. Four pillars around it held up an

old creaky roof. But it was enough to shelter them from the rain. Soon, the

rain became more and more violent and started coming down in sheets. The storm

was full of fury and the wind whistled through the forest as the trees swayed

dangerously all around. The four yogis huddled closer and closer for fear of

being blown away by the mighty tempest. Eventually all of them were hugging and

clinging onto the Shiva Lingam in order to anchor themselves to the ground.

 

Suddenly they felt something happening to them all. There was a Divine presence

emanating from the lingam and enveloping them all in its overpowering embrace.

It was like a homecoming. Each one thought the same thing. " All these years I

have performed yogic penance but never felt your presence Lord, as I feel you

now! Why today of all days? Why in the middle of this forest, in this stormy

night! " And God said compassionately " Today all four of you have got together.

Till you did that, how could I have come? "

 

In the core of our hearts, these four aspects of our personality fight over each

other. Sometimes we try Bhakti, Gyan, Karma or Kriya to win over the Lord. But

if only we were to try moderation and let each have its own place in our life

and let all of them coexist, in harmony; God would soon accept us as His and

that would be a homecoming for us too.

 

In society too it is very important to learn to tolerate each other and other

schools of thought or viewpoints. Too much rigidity leads to fanaticism.

Flexibility in thought, word and deed is congruent with a well-groomed

personality. Unity in diversity is beautiful.