As we continue our series of articles that we trust are being beneficial to you, we hope that while you are reading this coloum either at home, while stuck in traffic or even at that lunch or coffee break at the office, you are practicing your yoga.
Today we bring to you the first great scholar who without him yoga would not have touched base with Guyana or another country in this hemisphere – Swami Vivekananda.
Swami Vivekananda was asked once: ‘To develop ourselves physically should one concentrate on exercise, yoga or martial arts?’ Swamiji responded, ‘either of these will do, they are all capable of increasing the physical strength but I would recommend Yoga as this does not limit itself to the physical development but develops the mind contributing to the spiritual development.’
The ancient Indian concentrated on the internal world, upon the unseen realms in the Self, and developed the science of yoga. Yoga is the control of the senses, will and mind. The benefit of its study is that we learn to control instead of being controlled. The end and aim of yoga is to realise God. To do this we must go beyond relative knowledge, go beyond the world of the senses. There is but one way to control the senses—to see Him who is the Reality in the universe. Then and only then can we really conquer our senses.
To every action there is equal reaction…. If a man strikes me and wounds me it is that man’s actions and my body’s reaction. … Suppose I have so much power over the body that I can resist even that automatic reaction. Can such power be attained? The books say it can. … If you stumble on [it], it is a miracle. If you learn it scientifically, it is Yoga.
Swami Vivekananda was the first Hindu teacher to actively advocate and disseminate aspects of yoga to a Western audience. Swami Vivekananda, toured Europe and the United States in the 1890s. He lectured extensively on Karma, Bhakti, Gyaan and Dhyaan yoga.
While sightseeing in Canton, China in 1893, Swami Vivekananda was bent on visiting a nearby monastery that was off limits to visitors, even when their party’s interpreter was trying to dissuade him. Suddenly, they were accosted with a tangible form of dissuasion in the shape of two or three furious club- wielding men who rushed at them with the intent of not just scaring them away. The rest of the party fled for safety. Swamiji caught hold of the interpreter’s arm and inquired what was the Chinese equivalent for “Indian yogi”. Swamiji repeated this loudly. The words instantly acted like magic. The men dropped their clubs and fell at his feet with deep reverence.
Truly it can be said that the words “yoga” and “yogi” have cast their spell on humankind for thousands of years. With the present revival and interest in Indian spirituality everywhere, yoga is now influencing more and more minds than ever before. And the danger of misinterpretations and misrepresentations is not small. Yet the charm persists in whatever form it is in, pure or diluted.
By: Ravi Kumar
International Joint Coordinator
Hindu Swayamsewak Sangh
