Expressions 103: There are times in a Yogi’s journey when he feels unsettled; whereas everyone around him feels settled and confident in the place they are in. During such unsettling times, the seeker Yogi must remind himself that he is doing double duty, lifting double the burden compared to an average world-oriented person. A Yogi has to fight two battles at the same time. The first battle is that of education, livelihood, relationships, responsibility and achievement of the material world. This battle has to be fought by the laws set by a partially evolved world. The second battle is an inner one. It takes an equal amount of strength to overcome one’s own deluded self. A Raja Yogi must value his willingness and his ability to fight two battles at the same time. This valiant act leads to “para-krama” - achievement so great that it is beyond logic.
Most people, unfortunately, find it hard to fight the first battle - the battle of their daily lives. They find themselves routinely entangled in their own web of workplace pressures, business worries, relationship complexities, motivation issues and, plain -and simple, greed - to earn more, to buy more, to acquire more, to be more. The forces that challenge the worldly person don’t spare the Yogi as well. The Yogi is also subjected to the duality, insecurity and competition of the world. Additionally, the Yogi has to also maintain the fitness of his faith lest he will be pulled back into the very delusion that he aspires to get out of.
The Yogi, with special grace from Divine, reaches out to his inner being to muster all the remaining power he has to go deeper within and find the God that resides within him; the God that is the meaning, purpose, miracle and mystery of life. This act of “para-krama” spiritualizes the purpose of the Yogi’s life and keeps enlightening him day by day.
Therefore, O Yogi, if you feel unsettled in the material world - put your feet firmly on the ground and use the power from your inner being to bring life back into focus. Remember the two battles that you fight and remember why it is critical that those two battles be fought. Remember that one leap in the discovery of your Self is more than a hundred leaps in temporary material progress. The world will remember great worldly achievers; they are important. The Universe, however, only remembers great Yogis for they transcend humankind, planets, space and time.
Shailesh