A Yogi Must Certainly Be a Theist

Shrii Shrii Anandamurti

“One has to remember the fact that yoga occurs between jiivátmá (unit consciousness) and
Paramátmá (Supreme Consciousness)”, says Shrii Shrii Anandamurti. “That means, yoga is meant
for theists and not for atheists. Yoga is not for people who perform worldly actions under the
influence of atheism. Whatever deeds, small or big, good or bad, personal or social or national, are
done by an atheist, their philosophy of life is based on atheism. That person cannot pursue the path
of yoga. According to the aphorism Saḿyogo yoga ityukto jiivátmá Paramátmanah, one has to
accept the reality of jiivátmá and Paramátmá. So the fact is that yoga sádhaná [yoga practice] is
possible only for theists.” Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, (1921-1990), was a spiritual master in the
tradition of Shiva and Krishna, who founded the international socio-spiritual movement Ananda
Marga (“the Path of Bliss”). – Richard Gauthier, St. George Utah, February 15, 2023.

You cannot make a person a yogi just by teaching them a few ásanas. Yoga means “Saḿyogo
yoga ityukto jiivátma Paramátmanah”. The fundamental goal of yoga is the union of jiivátmá
[unit consciousness] and Paramátmá [Supreme Consciousness]. It is the supreme unification of
these two entities, and as a result the jiivátmá ceases to have a separate identity. The yoga
[unification] effected by mixing sugar and salt is not the spiritual yoga. But if a sweet drink is
made by mixing sugar and water, so that they become one, this is similar to spiritual yoga. In the
sweet drink, one does not find the separate existence of sugar. This is not merely addition, it is
unification.

In this context, one has to remember the fact that yoga occurs between jiivátmá and Paramátmá.
That means, yoga is meant for theists and not for atheists. Yoga is not for people who perform
worldly actions under the influence of atheism. Whatever deeds, small or big, good or bad,
personal or social or national, are done by an atheist, their philosophy of life is based on atheism.
That person cannot pursue the path of yoga. According to the aphorism “Saḿyogo yoga ityukto
jiivátmá Paramátmanah”, one has to accept the reality of jiivátmá and Paramátmá. So the fact is
that yoga sádhaná [yoga practice] is possible only for theists.

Who is a theist? In ancient days, an ástika [theist] was considered to be a person who
acknowledged the reality of jiivátmá, Paramátmá and the Vedas. Subsequently in the Buddhist
age, the word ástika underwent a change of meaning. According to the changed meaning, ástika
came to be considered as one who accepts the reality of any one of the three, that is, jiivátmá,
Paramátmá or the Vedas. Veda means “valid knowledge or real knowledge”. Veda does not
stand for a particular book. Veda means the highest knowledge, spiritual knowledge. This is the
real meaning of veda. Suppose somewhere there are detailed instructions about how to steal or
commit burglary. This is also a kind of knowledge. But such kinds of knowledge cannot be
termed veda. Spiritual knowledge is the prime necessity, and I would say that from this
perspective [that is, if we define veda in this way] that one who accepts the reality of jiivátmá,
Paramátmá and the Vedas is a theist.
This is the correct explanation of the word yoga. The change in meaning that occurred in the
Buddhist age was not at all helpful. How can spiritual progress be possible for one who accepts
jiivátmá but does not accept Paramátmá or the Vedas? In which direction then should the
jiivátmá move? In order to advance spiritually, in which direction should the jiivátmá move?
What will happen if the person does not think about Paramátmá? Likewise, if a person accepts
Paramátmá but not jiivátmá, the individualʼs existence will be in danger. And where there is no
jiiva [unit self], even to talk about progress will be irrelevant. So a yogi has also to accept the
reality of jiivátmá. And who will do the actual work of making the connection between jiivátmá
and Paramátmá? This is the role of spiritual knowledge. So one is compelled to accept that
spiritual knowledge has a role to play. Without spiritual knowledge how can a person move
ahead, how can a jiivátmá progress towards Paramátmá? So a theist is one who accepts jiivátmá,
Paramátmá and veda. Here veda means “spiritual knowledge”, not pouring ghee as an oblation
into the fire. Here veda signifies “knowledge about the process that helps the jiivátmá to move
towards Paramátmá”. So a yogi has to be a theist. If someone says, “I am a yogi but an atheist, I
do not believe in scriptures and texts,” then you will say – “No sir, you are not a yogi. You are
committing hypocrisy in the name of yoga.” You should be careful about the frequent misuse of
the word “yoga” nowadays.

In this connection you should remember one thing. In the Sanskrit language, the verbs yuiṋj and
yuj do not have identical meanings. Yuj means “to add”, while yuiṋj means “to unify, to become
one without any difference”. In the same way, jiivátmá and Paramátmá become one. The
jiivátmá no longer has any separate identity. It has merged itself in Paramátmá. Brahmavid
brahmaeva bhavati – “One who knows Paramátmá becomes Paramátmá Himself.” He no longer
has any separate existence. In the spiritual domain, yoga is used in this sense (in the sense of
“unification” and not in the sense of “addition”). You should remember that maybe one has
learnt a few ásanas such as shiirśásańa, sarváuṋgásana, pashcimottanásana, and so on, but does
one thus become a yogi? It does not happen like this. It is not so easy to become a yogi.

Just as people have an existence in the physical sphere, they have an existence in the psychic
sphere too. In the physical sphere they have their quinquelemental body. In the psychic plane
they have their mind, and in the spiritual plane, they have their átmá [soul]. A person may
develop the quinquelemental body with a few exercises, but that will not make him or her a yogi.
Progress in the physical sphere cannot lead to unification with Paramátmá. Similarly, a person
tries to expand their mind through progress in the psychic sphere. One may come closer to
Paramátmá, and even envision the possibility of merging in Paramátmá, but in spite of this, the
mind functions within a fixed periphery. People operate in the world within the confines of a
limited circumference. Because of this, they cannot completely merge in Parama Puruśa
[Supreme Consciousness]. There is a bondage, a boundary, around the mind. So, a yogi has to
expand his or her mind and remove the bondage. This bondage is the bondage of Máyá. One can
become a yogi only when this bondage is removed. Only then will human mind and Cosmic
Mind become one.

What is the method to remove such a bondage? If one says, “O Mahámáyá, please leave my
mind of your own accord so that I can become one with Paramátmá,” will Mahámáyá do it so
easily? No, She will not do any such thing, because the function of Mahámáyá is to keep the jiiva
in bondage. If a person declares war against Mahámáyá and Mahámáyá gets vanquished in the
battle, then the person may become one with Paramátmá. But the problem is – human beings are
small creatures. Their capacity is very limited. How can human beings, with their limited
capacity, wage a war against Máyá, who is infinitely powerful? You must have noticed that
human beings have so many weaknesses, so many inadequacies. So Bhagaván Krśńa has said

Daevii hyeśá guńamayii mama máyá duratyayá;

Mámeva ye prapadyante Máyámetáḿ taranti te.

This Máyaʼ, though a tremendous power, is My power. It is not at all easy to wage war against
Máyá. What is the way out? Only one who takes shelter in Paramátmá can escape from the
clutches of Máyá. So the first and last thing is complete surrender.

30 June 1979 evening, Patna, India

Reference
Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, “A Yogi Must Certainly Be a Theist”, Published in: Yoga Sádhaná [a
compilation], https://www.pathofbliss.com/Sys/Store/Products/304193, accessed February 15,
2023

Website: https://richardgauthier.academia.edu/research , Contact richgauthier (at) gmail.com