Yoga is coming back to life. The science of yoga is being revived. Lack of insight in man was the cause of the loss, or rather, the disappearance of this ancient yogic culture. It was put aside, hidden and forgotten. It was replaced by materialism, together with pleasure seeking. Man wanted more and more possessions, wealth and status. This materialism has driven man and society to the edge of total collapse.
At this present time, when man is poised on the edge of this crumbling precipice, he is starting to think: ‘What have I done?’ and it is at this moment that he begins to search within himself and finds that his ancestors, yours and mine, had a way of life, a culture called ‘yoga’. We are starting to relive it again. It is nothing new. Neither brought nor implanted from outside, but something that is already in the collective consciousness of all humanity.
Yoga is a mighty world culture Yoga should be given, not for the sake of yoga, but for the sake of the human being. Yoga is a way to perfect bliss, anandam. What is the aim of yoga? Samadhi. What is the effect of meditation? Shanti. What is the effect of dharana? One-pointedness. What is the effect of pranayama? A good brain. What is the effect of asanas; a light and healthy body. What is the result of niyama? A system or science of life. What is the effect of yama? Breaking down the complications in life. Yoga is a science of therapy, a science of self-improvement and a way of discipline. Yoga is actually a science for mankind, for his body, mind and spiritual growth. Besides all this, however, yoga is a culture and every nation must have a culture.
Culture is the backbone of a nation. Races which had absolute power have disappeared from the face of the earth, leaving no traces behind them. Nations with military might have been destroyed. Countries with political cultures have failed, but a country with a culture based on yoga has eternal existence. It can survive through the vicissitudes of life, the accidents of history and the ravages of time.
Yoga is not a political matter; it is a science of man’s inner personality. It is a subject which is sincere, earnest and great. Yoga can improve relations and create international goodwill. Yoga is beneficial for the individual and, at the same time, it is also beneficial for the whole of humanity because it is a science which has brought natures, cultures and boundaries together, and has brought time and space under one canopy.
Yoga is a mighty culture in the making, and very soon, it is going to direct the experiences, behaviour, thought and perception of mankind. Yoga is a way of life, a culture of tomorrow. In the coming times, yoga is going to direct the events of the world’s history, and you have a definite role to play in this. It is up to you to accept this great science with love, with admiration, with hope and with sincerity.