Pushkarmuni Abhinandan Granth

Author(s): Devendramuni, A D Batra, Shreechand Surana
Publisher: Rajasthankesari Adhyatmayogi Upadhyay Shree Pushkar Muni Abhinandan Granth Prakashan Samiti

Page 952

Can Yoga Pave the way for World Unity ?
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CAN YOGA PAVE THE WAY
FOR WORLD UNITY ?
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Smt. SITADEVI YOGENDRA
Yoga Institute, Santa Cruz, Bombay-56 The poser-Can Yoga Pave the way for World Unity ?-requires a general appraisal of
Yoga both as culture and science, the two chief indices of the evolutive attainments of Man, applicable either individually or on a mass scale. In fact, both as culture and science, Yoga is as old as civilization itself, for it challenges what is ignoble or uncontrollable in Nature and through its annihilation or control proves the superiority of Man in achieving the ultimate.
Ancient scriptures like the Vedas and even the recent findings with regard to Mohenjodaro and the Indus civilization indicate that certain primitive efforts towards man's physical, mental, moral and spiritual achievements existed in some form of secretly guarded practices of an archaic culture, (purātana yoga) even before the Aryans reached India. This represented the efforts, the paths, the stages of progress and the consummation of self-culture later refined added to and systematised and compiled in a metaphysical whole synthetically known as Yoga.
There are over one hundred different definitions of Yoga according to the systems of thought and the paths associated with it. What is important is their synthetic unity as the practical sum and total of all cultural endeavours of Man in his upward progress unto the Absolute, which to science must remain the maxim in the evolution of Man.
Culturally, Yoga thus is no more and no less than a scientific process of cultural evolution individually applied for elevating what is ignoble in Man to the noble and unto the realisation of the highest, the purest and the absolute in all planes of consciousness. No wonder therefore that the authorities on Yoga maintain that even the gods could not achieve Godhood except through Yoga (vină yogen devopi nā mukti labhate).
Scientifically, Yoga contributes to, and rests on, the fundamentals of such positive sciences as physical education, hygiene, therapeutics, psychology, ethics, sociology, mental hygiene, eugenics and such others, besides being a constant source of inspiration to such cultural arts as music, dancing, painting, sculpture, literature and others.
Since Yoga consists not in precept but in practice, it is really not necessary that the whole of Yoga-especially the subjective endeavours in the higher planes of the conscious and the subconscious mind leading to the Absolute (kaivalya)-be applied to pave the way for world unity. In fact, in the lofty sublimable process of Yoga, world unity, except in the plane of divinity, assumes a minor socio-political and mundane aspect which even the preliminary training it affords in the cultivation of such social virtues as universal brotherhood (maitri), universal sympathy (karunā), etc., and the habituation (abhyása) to its catholic (sārvabhaumaß), vows (yama-niyama) could easily guarantee.
For one thing, Yoga has recognised and concentrated on the individual as the constant unit for all practical purposes for the solution of world problems. For another, Yoga qualifies the individual as inheriting many impure traits, tendencies and instincts of animality along with