In this Weekly Wisdom, Gurudev shares wisdom on how to attain yoga through moderation, abstinence, new abilities, and freedom from desires.
When does yoga really happen to you? How can meditation happen? Who’s a yogi?
Those who can’t attain yoga include those who eat too much, don’t eat at all, or sleep a lot or don’t sleep at all. Moderation in eating, activity, and rest is the rule.
A yogi has a balance of activity and rest. That’s why our meditation courses include a little physical activity, yoga, and service.
Laws of moderation
We breathe through our nose. We eat only through our mouths. These are physical laws that we need to honor.
That’s an exception to every rule. But generally, you have to moderately balance your rest, activity, and food habits with a peaceful mind.
Being enlightened means your mind isn’t on the small things, not sitting and thinking about lust. When you’re idle, the mind goes into lust, but when you’re busy, it doesn’t.
Abstaining for inward focus
Taking a vow means that for some time you abstain. For whatever time period, you stop pleasurable indulgences because pleasure makes the mind go outward.
Our purpose is to turn the mind inward. If you’re engaging in pleasure, then there’s conflict. When you want to go deep inside, take time—one or two months, one or two weeks, or even five days. In the silence course, you abstain and turn inward.
Afterward, do what you want. But when you want yoga to happen, Krishna says, “Put your attention on me.”
You become what you think
He says, “Think about me, work for me, keep your mind filled with me,” because whomever you think about, that person’s consciousness or attention will enter your system.
If you think about a horrible situation, your nervous system undergoes that. If you think about a bad guy, your system starts assuming him. On the other hand, if you think about someone very pleasant, happy, good, or loving, your system becomes them, because thoughts mold your consciousness.
You shouldn't hate because it makes you gradually become like that person whom you hate. Stop hating not for their sake, but for your own. You shouldn’t hate someone because that fills you with their thoughts.
If you put your mind on Krishna, you get confidence. You get that peaceful state.
Gaining merit
What happens when you take your mind away from little desires and thoughts that disturb you? Your mind stays like an undisturbed flame. There’s no wind. The flame is stationary. In the same way, your mind remains stationary.
The mind becomes laser-focused. With that, yoga and many abilities will dawn in you. You become more powerful.
Even to enjoy life to the fullest, you need merit or ability, and yoga gives you that ability. In that state, the yogi enjoys bliss and loves life. He’s in touch with his own nature and with the source of happiness and joy deep within.
To get that source of happiness you need to pay a little price. You need to make a little effort and those efforts include moderation, balance, and restraint from other little desires.
Attaining freedom
You don’t have to stand on nails, shave your head, or fast all your life to become a yogi. Let go of the small desires, those distractions that disturb you, whether yours or someone else’s.
There are 3 types of desire. One type derives from your own innermost cravings. Another occurs when you don’t have desires but someone else’s desire makes you do things. The third type is when the time or past karma makes you do certain things, and it isn’t because of your or someone else’s desire.
But when you’re a yogi, you have a say over all this. That’s nirvana and freedom from karma. Then what happens?
Immense pleasure dawns in your life, beyond the senses, but your intellect can grasp it. So much joy, pleasure, and happiness dawn in you.
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Editor’s note:
To experience Gurudev’s ancient secret to modern well-being, SKY Breath Meditation (Sudarshan Kriya) for yourself, register for the Art of Living Part 1. SKY has helped millions of people worldwide improve all aspects of their lives.
