Yogi – An Elevated Artist

They say an artist sees what the sun cannot see. His eyes are penetrating and his concentration amazing. Artists and musicians are born. But that is only the initial gift of God. Perfection in both the areas has to be achieved by relentless practice. Yoga means to strive for pinnacle of perfection. Body becomes like the musical instrument for a practicing yogi.  From the same instrument, a musician is able to generate various ragas. Similarly from the instrument called body, a yogi is able to attain spiritual disciplines.

Yoga is both the view of life and the way of life. Through yoga, one removes the negativities and non-essentials of life. Take the example of a sculptor. What does he do? From a raw stone block, he chisels out that which is not statue and a beautiful figure of his conception emerges. Its perfection indicates his studied and disciplined approach to his art.

Yoga is a disciplinary art as well. For perfect result, an individual needs to develop the faculties of the BMI (body, mind and intellect) in a balanced manner to achieve refinement. That you do yoga asana for one or two hours is one aspect of it.  That exercise must lead to a noble pattern of life. It must have bearing on one’s secular activities throughout the day—nay throughout life. Truth and perfection are total concepts. There is nothing like partial truth and partial perfection.  Sincere striving will lead to a healthy body, pure mind and a creative personality. Perfection is the other name for an artist.

Yoga is firing the inner Light missile. The war missiles are created for outer destruction and they have a fixed range and pre-decided destination. Their range may be 250 miles or 2500 miles etc. The missile of yoga that ignites the Light (positive energies within) has no fixed range.  Its range is limitless. The deeper it goes, the more beneficial it is for the individual as it is meant for inner construction.

Individual effort is of high importance in yoga. No one can implant yoga in you. Teachings and books on yoga do the role of a signpost. They show the direction to which the path will lead.  Unless one walks that path with self-efforts the destination can never be reached. Signpost is not the goal; it is the indicator. Treatises like that of Sage Patanjali certainly inspire. Such sages have experienced the truth of yoga and their experiences can become your theory. Their experiences can be your experiences not by reading, not by discussion alone, but by your own experience.

How does a yoga aspirant   need to react to the world of objects? Adi Shankaracharya(1) in his text, ‘Bhaja Govindam’ says it in a beautiful verse.

“Jaapyasameta Samaadhividhaanam

Kurvavadhaanam Mahadavadhaanam”

Along with meditation, practice of yoga to reach total inner silence is to be performed with care…with great care, with no let up in sincere efforts. The ultimate goal of this evolutionary process is Self-realization. Having achieved that state, nothing else remains for the human being to achieve.

(1)   Adi Shankaracharya (788-821 AD), a great Indian Philosopher; a Realized Soul.