By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

If one is in search of spiritual enlightenment, should he or she avoid success in all other matters? How many Yoga practitioners think that success is a bad thing? Abundance, success, and achievement are shunned by many Gurus. There is a logical reason for this, but there is also a drawback for all of humankind.

One of many reasons, for embracing poverty, is to practice Aparigraha (non- possessiveness). Yet, those who tell others to enjoy poverty, give this advice to keep greed “in check.” It is true that greed can make slaves of all of us. Chasing power and material wealth can be a never ending struggle.

Those who become consumed by covetousness are never happy – no matter how many possessions they have or how much power they hold. On the other hand, the fear of succeeding holds our entire species back. If all of us refused to advance ourselves, we would still be drawing on the walls of caves.

It is one of humanity’s greatest qualities – to explore, create, and become innovators. At this time, no other species on this planet can be so constructive or destructive. We have the ability to create the world of our dreams or our nightmares. It is up to us whether we succeed or fail.

The problem stems from one undeniable fact: Humanity will not sit still. If you look at our history, you could debate the crimes, wars, and injustice against humanity by human beings. The desire to progress, and the desire to suppress, has been in conflict since our humble beginnings. What logical method can we practice to train the mind and solve conflicts?

In a word, it is “Yoga” that has managed to cross every boundary of race, religion, gender, nationality, and social status.  Some fundamentalists will disagree, but not one of them wishes to create a world of peace, tranquility, or bliss.

They use race, religion, gender, nationality, and social status as dividing points to create anger and hatred. A fundamentalist is a person, of any religion, who rigidly embraces extreme political, philosophical, and social viewpoints.

The objective of all fundamentalist thought is to divide humanity into hostile warring groups. Yogic philosophy is the opposite of fundamentalist thought.

Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root “yuj,” which means to join, unite, or attach. The deeper meaning of Yoga is important because most of us want spiritual growth. The rewards of self-realization and truth, through concentration of mind, cannot be understated.

Therefore, success is a by-product of Yoga practice. Your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health, will improve with practice. There is no need to fear achievement because it cannot be prevented, when one lives a Yogic lifestyle.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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