Aiswarya (Self-reliance)


2) Our yoga practice teaches us that, ultimately, we need not be reliant on any external objects, appearances, or even people to find joy, peace, and equanimity.  Within raw-foodism we learn to use the immeasurable and practically inexhaustible gifts that nature has generously given to mankind in order to live a simple, uncluttered life.  A life that is free from the excess desires, diseases, and mental hang-ups that have proliferated in this modern era.

"Think as though it all depends on God, act as though it all depends on you"

How do we differ?

The fundamental differences between the Judeo-Christian traditions of the West and the many religious faiths of the East is often seen to be Monotheism versus Polytheism, heaven and hell versus reincarnation, or prayer versus meditation. This, of course, is an over-simplification, yet it is these key elements that tend to keep our two sides of the world in philosophical separation. As someone who has attempted to live and experience both sides I don't believe that either of these three apparent disagreements make any real difference when it comes to daily living. True, Hinduism has many Gods and many stories associated with their powers and personalities which would be blasphemy to a devout Jew or Christian, but the overriding core belief still comes down to an inexplicable force that charges the universe; the millions of Hindu gods, each with their own personal human-like frailties and desires are simply various aspects of a divinity that is difficult to name. True, the East is not so quick to condemn a soul to hell for a few mistakes made while here on earth, but being sent back to this confusing and chaotic plane after leaving the body is seen as ample punishment, basically hell in material form. And true, the West prays in full sentences to a single sympathetic God, while the East sits in quiet contemplation of some immaculate void, but once prayer goes deep enough, for long enough, not only does it resemble meditation, the two are practically synonymous.

To my view the real difference between eastern and western philosophy is that of the belief in a savior or Messiah. Ever since God expelled Adam and Eve from the mythical garden of eden, thereby telling humanity that it must fend for itself in a hostile and often dangerous environment, we in the west have been waiting for someone to come, in human form, that will lead us back to that elusive garden. Whenever life becomes too much to bear we can always fall back on the notion that the messiah will eventually deliver us from darkness to light. We await not just redemption of the soul but also sensory pleasures while on earth and in heaven. This savior mentality pervades our culture in every way. When electing a President we look for someone who fears God but has no fear of using military might to protect us. Someone who will defend our families, our borders, our standard of living, and even our values no matter what the cost in dollars or human life. Depending on the situation we create messiahs out of politicians, doctors, lawyers, and teachers, thereby minimizing our own responsibility.

In the east, however, there is karma - natures way of keeping the balance, not just in this lifetime but from one life to the next and throughout the whole of human history. Yoga teaches us that we are responsible for our own thoughts and actions. Every act of kindness, love, hate, jealousy, deceit, or even apathy comes back to us, and more importantly, to every creature on the planet. Like it or not we are all in it together. Just as you wouldn't blame any single drop of rain for a colossal flood, we can't blame any one person or single event for our present situation. It is only by constantly reminding ourselves of how powerless we are that we grow to become powerless. It is only by trusting that someone else knows what is best for us, or blaming someone else for our misfortune that we become weak and bitter. And while I personally do believe in a messiah and that the messiah takes human form, I also believe that this liberator is here on earth and always has been. If you are curious to know what the messiah looks like then simply find a mirror and study your own reflection.

Ultimately each one of us creates change, be it positive or negative, but how we choose to do that is another story. By living in a simple manner and leading by example you are sending a clear message to friends, family, politicians, and corporations that create governments. You are telling them that the world belongs to you as much as it does to someone who claims ownership of land, water, and oil. This can be very empowering, but greater power brings with it greater responsibility and most of us either shy away from responsibility or are outright terrified of it. But if we are to be consistent, living this lifestyle should also send a clear message to us. We must take responsibility for our place in this world, this includes our livelihood, our daily routine, our fears, addictions, and overall health.

At first this may be daunting and you may not feel knowledgeable enough or have all the tools at your disposal to create your own garden of eden. But learning how to do this is much more a matter of discipline and faith than it is of information and materials. When you are uncertain about a choice on your path let nature be your guide. Take advantage of all the resources that are now available but also remember that animals in the wild don't depend on instructional books and videos to know what to eat or drink and yet they are generally stronger and healthier than we are. With no industrial intervention and no medical miracles they manage to thrive and live a very full life, knowing little or nothing of cancer, heart disease, and the like, unless they have been domesticated.

I've often heard people say that we cannot make lifestyle choices based on how animals live because our bodies are altogether different and we as modern humans live a much more stressful existence than animals do. In truth, the inner workings of our bodies and that of animals, especially mammals, are not very different when it comes to how food affects our health, and animals in the wild have their own stresses in the form of predators, finding shelter and constant food gathering. So how is it that every creature on the planet can thrive on a diet consisting of 100% raw, uncooked food and yet just the mention of the idea to most people will make them look at you like a lunatic? When we take the time to give serious thought to our diet it becomes clear that we were engineered to live on what the earth provides - raw, unaltered plant food. The only reason that this sounds strange to most people is because of preconceived notions and sensory addictions.

We are all brought up to believe in two very stringent maxims without question: "Nobody's perfect" and "Life's not fair". In truth, however, everybody is perfect and life is completely fair. It is only what the Hindus call "maya", or illusion, that makes us think otherwise. If we measure perfection by the mistakes that we all make and measure fairness by a single lifetime then of course we may come to a negative conclusion. But if we believe that some part of us is created by and connected to God then how could we be anything but perfect. It doesn't matter that every individual has their own definition of perfection, as well as an innate talent for messing things up once in a while, these are just outward manifestations. True perfection can only be judged by a higher power, the same power that created us in the first place.

Eastern philosophy teaches us that our soul, or Atman, remains untarnished no matter how far we stray from the truth. We are here to learn a lesson. It may take many, many lifetimes just to figure out what that lesson is and then another few thousand years to comes to terms with what we have learned. But the natural and absolute law of karma balances out all inequity. Looking at how most people struggle in a single lifetime you would have to make a case for a fickle and unfair universe, but nature provides us with salvation when we accept that we are evolving as the universe does - over the course of millions and billions of years.