Friday - June 22, 2007

Six Short Questions and Answers

Would you explain your life and mission?

Our life and mission are the same thing: The self-realization of the members of our ashram through the practice of yoga and renunciation–and helping others do the same through the information, philosophical and practical, given on our website.

What is “self-realization”?

It is the full knowledge–by direct and permanent experience–of the Self (Atman), our eternal, immortal Spirit. Since our Self (jivatman) and the Supreme Self (Paramatman) are essentially one, even though distinct, it is also knowledge of God. The result of self-realization is perfection in consciousness and freedom from all conditionings and karmas, and total liberation from the cycle of birth and death. It is absolute freedom (moksha). A self-realized person is truly a “god” within the greater Being of God.

Is it necessary for me to be married or unmarried to succeed in yoga?

Both married and unmarried people have been great yogis. It is the “yoga life” that matters, not marital status. There is no need to be married or to be unmarried. What is needed is to be a yogi.

What about miracles?

The more supernatural or miraculous a thing may be, the more normal it is–in the sense of being closer to the Source.

Does the one who writes the fine articles on celibacy have a Catholic background? Or has there been study of the Catholic Church Fathers? I am curious.

The articles on brahmacharya (celibacy) were written by traditional (orthodox) Indian Brahmins. It is very doubtful that they would have studied Catholic Church Fathers. As you will notice, the basis of their thinking is brahmacharya as a matter of spiritual expediency, as a facilitation of spiritual life, and not the virtue-versus-sin approach of Christianity in general.

What is the difference between the air and ether elements?

Ether–akasha–is the substance within which all the other elements exist. It is space, but not in the ordinary idea of emptiness. It is, as I said, an actual substance–a substratum containing all that “is.” Think of it as the canvas and the other four elements as the paints.