SPLENDOR OF YOGA -- PART --10

IS YOGA RELIGION?
YOGA is very often confused with dogma and sectarian religion; especially it is very often mistaken as unconditionally bound to Hinduism. This belief of close linkage of YOGA and dogmatic religion is strengthend by one definition of YOGA very popularly quoted:"YOGA IS A UNION OF THE SOUL WITH THE SUPER SOUL OF GOD".

But, the standard scientific YOGA and its texts do not subscribe to this view.In fact, Our YOGA guru Patanjali bases his YOGA system mostly on the philosophy which is either atheist or at least non-committal about God. Patanjali has accepted an additional principale some what equivalent to God, but he has left it open to the aspirant whether to accept it or not.

THIS IS A VERY CLEAR INDICATION THAT EVEN ATHEIST CAN FOLLOW AND SUCCEED TO THE HIGHEST STAGES OF YOGA.

THUS YOGA, IS UNIVESAL, AND IT IS AVAILABLE TO ANY MAN OF ANY RELIGION AND IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

WHAT YOGA CAN DO FOR THE MODERN WORLD IN ITS PREDICAMENT?
YOGA, being complete in every scientific disicpline for creating highest integration in Man, is a very vast science. It has also a history of several milleniums 'Naturally', therefore, it has developed several schools with their own techniques, methodologies and philosophies. One cause of such variety has been due to the variable nature of different individuals. All these YOGA schools and their methods are really speaking useful for the progress and well-being of the whole human race. But the present day-humanity, majority of whose members are pressed by the rush of the march of time and the unavoidable evils or difficulties of the predominentely materialistic outlook of life, may find it not very easy to take real benefit from all this vast treasures of the science of YOGA. Yet, the health and efficiency of body and mind are of fundamental importance for every human, even today. This, YOGA can satisfy with the least amount of expenditure of time, labour, as well as money.

In fact even the modern medicine is recognizing more and more that in the future, man will have to face the stresses of such speed of life in a greater and greater degree. The native belief that the present materialistic progress providing greater, and greater comforts and external environment will solve all our problems, and make man happy, is proving to be a
very false illusion. The comparisons of glaring mental health statistics of the various countries can easily open our eyes to this fact. The most advanced countries have the highest percentage of persons being put in to mental institutions every year and in general, an inverse relationship will be found in the state of progress of nation and the percentage of persons admitted for mental treatments.
The YOGIC techniques provide either independent or atleast ancillary treatment for a number of psychosomatic and psychological disorders. YOGA can make its own remarkable and substantial contribution.In fact, some individuals and private institutions on their own are doing this service to humanity to some extent. Even Medical men are appriciating the special potentiality of YOGA and they themselves taking recourse to this method of therapy very often when they find that all other things in their repertory are of no avail.

LET US HOPE THAT OUR NATIONALISTIC GOVERNMENTS WITH THEIR PROGRESSIVE OUTLOOK WILL NOT FALL BEHIND IN MAKING USE OF THIS GREAT TREASURE OF OUR ANCIENTS BECAUSE OF FALSE, PREJUDICED OR INCOMPLETE UNDERSTANDING.