India has been a mystic country for centuries and still remains mystic as numerous human fellow beings were initiated in to becoming a realized Yogi. India and neighbouring Tibet, China have produced realized yogis (sages, siddhas, saints, mystics and spiritual leaders).

Shiva is referred to as the Adi Yogi or the First Yogi. Out of emptiness in space you see stars and galaxy forming and finally collapsing to nothingness or emptiness. Shiva in his un-manifested form or Rupa is emptiness, nothingness or shoonya and the unmanifested energy state is termed to be Purusha or Masculine. This un-manifested state in modern science has been referred to as Singularity. Shiva in its manifested state is Prakriti (Creation) or nature and the manifested energy state is termed as Shakthi or Feminine. In the entire existence there is vast non-dual oneness and there are many manifestations of dual and many forms of creation are rooted in duality of nature. Many of the manifestations have resulted in life. At an instance of Brahman (space and time), life was created and life is maintained by Vishnu which is a manifestation of life energies in to higher forms. We evolved from single cellular organism in to multi cellular organism and evolved as a Human being. Due to this duality there is a leela (game). Duality is light and darkness, life and death, masculine and feminine. What was one has manifested in to two. Due to this conflict of duality the conscious being seeks union to become one. The union is two opposites making an attempt to become one and this union is referred to as Yoga.

Yoga is an ancient science of India and it literally means Union. The four realities in yoga are Karma Yoga (Selfless Action) using the Body; Bhakthi Yoga using love, devotions and emotions; Gnana (Intelligence) Yoga using mind, Kriya Yoga (by transforming energies). We as a human being are made up of four components Body, Mind, Emotions and Life Energies. We are subjected to both animal and divine nature. Through Yoga we can bring in a union by aligning our Body, Mind, Emotions and Life Energies with the divine by working with the subtle life energies or Prana. God is our inner self and once we bring in our awareness or consciousness to higher dimensions, we experience god or blissfulness. Yoga is not only about twisting your arms and legs. One has to be initiated in to Yoga by a Guru.

It has been astounding that these countless Yogis were realized due to the power of the Himalayas and in neighbouring Tibet and these realized yogis went on initiating yoga and these disciples were enlightened and experienced that dimension of life that was beyond the current state of mind. It is so sad that modern science still do not have any explanation to the miracles and feats achieved by these yogis. One can only come in to higher state of awareness and experience these miracles and feats achieved by these yogis. It is well known fact that the first yoga class was conducted in Mount Kailash.

Some of the few realized masters, yogis, mystics and scholars that I remember from the countless are Sri Ramakrishna (1836), Swami Vivekananda, Kabir (1398), Kriya Babaji Nagaraj, Mahavatar Babaji or Shiva Baba(203 AD), Shri Shirdi Sai Baba, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri (1855-1936), Yogiraj Lahiri Baba(1861), Adi Sankaracharya, Swami Raghavendra Swamy. Jesus Christ etc. Each one of them has been unique in either their scholarly teachings or the miracles they have performed and common man could not fathom the experiences of the divine dimension of these yogis. There has to be a study or thesis conducted on the achievements of these yogis.

There were two great realized yogis Patanjali and Gautama Buddha who imparted the Yoga teachings in absolute clarity. Patanjali delivered the Yoga sutras in its absolute content and he has left nothing for anyone to describe. He also described in detail the Seven Chakras and the 72 thousand nadis. Gautama Siddhartha after his enlightenment was known as Gautama Buddha. Gautama Buddha imparted his yoga teachings in common language known to common folks and attracted so many followers and had enlightened thousand of his disciples. Gautama roamed in absolute nakedness and no one questioned him as to why he was naked. Gautama also described in detail the Seven Chakras and the 72 thousand nadis and his expression of yoga was simply clinical. Gautama talked on attaining mastery of Nadis (energies point) and how to have control on Nadis by practicing various types of pranayama. Gautama even talked about all his previous lifetimes and the kind of person he was and came to a conclusion that he was a single cellular organism (Amoeba) at one time. He talked about Kalpas (Atom) and the 8 Atakalpas (sub-atomic particles) in detail 2500 years ago. He also described in his absolute awareness that we are all living in a virtual world and the world just seems to be there and our perception of reality is just relative. He also described that our body is appearing and disappearing in one millionth of a second.

Krishna was one yogi who was absolutely from a different dimension. The time of Krishna’s birth is still debated if it is 3500 or 5000 years before BC. Scientific evidence proves that he was born around 5000 BC time. There is a school of thought his formless karmic energies were not from this karmic structure and the Rishi Yogis performing powerful yagnas received the his formless karmic energies from a different planet and constellation far away from the earth. Krishna was complete in his realization and performed so many miracles and feats and left everyone spellbound. Krishna had his Sudarshan chakra which was a mystical weapon and it was not any boomerang but it was presumed that the Sudarshan chakra appeared and disappeared in his forefinger.

The culture of Ancient India was so rich and no where in the world life was explored and experienced as it was done in India. There was a mature society and man and women had equal rights and enjoyed all aspects of life together. There was always an ambition of youth in India to be initiated in to Yoga and they would take pilgrimage to Himalayas to be initiated in to Yoga by a Guru. Yoga initiation is a very important to an individual growth and to realize one’s potential and reach that dimension of life which is beyond the perception of current state of mind.   

 

April 23, 2006