The Individual and Society

Excerpt from a speech given in El Salvador, Central America after attending the World Yoga Convention in Bogotá, Colombia, 1975

I will give you an idea, a concept, which you should be able to fully appreciate: society is nothing but the product of man’s mind. This means that according to the mental states of individuals, so too is the state of society. We always complain about social structures and social patterns that we don’t like and with which we disagree.

However, the way to obtain complete transformation of society is to bring about the transformation of the individual, and this is achieved by meditation. Systematic practice of meditation brings about a transformation of the whole consciousness of the individual, his mentality and attitudes. And if there exists a group of these individuals, then without a doubt the society will change.

Yoga gives mental peace and balance, but what does yoga give to society and to mankind? The answer is simple – by changing the consciousness, the mental structure of individuals, yoga will bring about real and positive change in the social structure and the collective consciousness of man.

YOGA, Vol. 15, No. 4, April 1977