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Just as the knowledge of science is not limited to a country, a culture or a religion, in exactly the same way, knowledge of yoga does not belong to a particular race, religion or culture. It incorporates a universal all-inclusive philosophy. The common people here thought that yoga was a way of self-realization designed only for ascetics. But when the great masters said, "No, yoga is not only a way of self-realization", then the people said, "O.K. we accept it as a physiological science." This definition is also wrong. When Saint Patanjali was asked, "What is yoga?", he replied, "Atha yogaanushaasanam." It is a way of disciplining oneself. This discipline and balance is not only external, restricted to the physical body or intellect alone, but is a restructuring of the whole personality. This personality in turn inspires and motivates our actions, thoughts, samskaras and emotions.
Yoga is a discipline which encompasses all the dimensions of the human personality. It is not just a form of physical discipline, it is not just a form of mental discipline, nor is it spiritual discipline. If we have to call it anything, we should call it the discipline of life. However, due to our distorted mentality, due to our limited perception, due to our limited vision, we consider it to be a physical culture, we consider it to be just a process of attaining mental relaxation and concentration. However, it is not that, because the main roots of yoga lie in tantra, and tantra is composed of two words, tanoti and traayati. 'Tanoti' meansa to enlarge, to expand. 'Traayati' means to liberate. Expansion of what? Liberation of what? It is expansion of consciousness and liberation of the energy principle (shakti). The aim of tantra and yoga is to liberate this inherent energy principle or shakti. To repeat, it is the expansion of consciousness, it is developing an integrated, broad vision of life and liberation of the dormant potentials of human personality which is the meaning of tantra and which is the meaning of yoga.
With our distorted views of life, with our distorted personality, we have considered yoga to be something else. This idea has to change. The whole of life is yoga. This idea has to evolve. The whole of life is a process of yoga. In this day and age, we need to create a yogic revolution in order to integrate human beings, in order to integrate human societies, in order to bring about a harmony in nations, in philosophies, in thoughts.
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