Dear friends,
There’s a good friend of mine who is an American living in India, where he has been a teacher of yoga philosophy for many years. He has been a disciple of Yogananda for over 50 years, and is one of those I have looked up to as a friend and mentor for many decades.
In India, it is thought that a great yogi will have developed esoteric “powers” of some sort. In Sanskrit the word is “siddhi.” At the end of class he was once asked, “And what siddhi powers have you developed?” He said, “none” and you could see the deflating energy in the room amongst the many students that had attended his inspiring talk. But after reflecting he paused and replied, "Well, actually, one. The power to be happy at will.” What a great response!
After all, what is the goal of yoga if not inner peace and eventually Divine Bliss? Every time we are affected by our circumstances or treatment by others we are affirming our dependence on outside factors for our peace and joy. Yogananda had a wonderful quote that the successful yogi can “...stand unshaken amidst the crash of breaking worlds.” Now that’s a siddhi power worth striving for! How often a little thing happens that knocks us out of balance for hours… or days… or longer, taking unwelcome residence in our heads.
Habitual positive attitudes do not come by chance. They take work and attention… as does every other area of life worthy of pursuit. But the nice part of dedication to the Path is that with each step forward we can feel a deepening sense of freedom from the chaos around us. My path is yoga, but any true path leads to the same ultimate goal. May your own search be tempting enough to you to persist and flourish in it!
Blessings,
David G., manager
for the Gang at East West