The C's have said they exist, so why not? The question is, how would you know if it's a true yogi or not?
"We see in the above paragraph what seems to be a description of what we might think are “ascended masters,” such as great yogis, saints, healers, and so on. Obviously, our understanding of such things is very limited." The Wave Chapter 58
"The third way is the way of the yogi. This is the way of the mind, the way of people number three. The heart and the body must not be particularly strong, otherwise they may be a hindrance on this way." Gurdjieff as quoted in The Wave Chapter 58.
I think even Gurdjieff's understanding was limited. This third way he describes is the way of the jnani. The true yogi (remember the root is yoke = union) is the master of all four ways.
“The inner circle is called the ‘esoteric’; this circle consists of people who have attained the highest development possible for man, each one of whom possesses individuality in the fullest degree, that is to say, an indivisible ‘I,’ all forms of consciousness possible for man, full control over these states of consciousness, the whole of knowledge possible for man, and a free and independent will. They cannot perform actions opposed to their understanding or have an understanding which is not expressed by actions. At the same time there can be no discords among them, no differences of understanding. Therefore their activity is entirely coordinated and leads to one common aim without any kind of compulsion because it is based upon a common and identical understanding.” (Ouspensky, 1949) also from The Wave Chapter 58
The true yogi occupies this circle.
Actually, I think I may have found one. How do I know? From my years of association with this individual, I can relate a story he tells of his hermetic travels in the Himalayan jungles to Mumbai. Of course, the story is hearsay, but it might be research-able through newspaper archives. He found a baby tiger whose mother had been killed by poachers. He proceeded to raise the cub to a full grown tiger. He tells the story of how he named he tiger "Ananda Jr." in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. The tiger followed him everywhere. This yogi, being a vegetarian and master of Ayurveda, ate very little, but the tiger ate what he ate, meditated with him, slept with him, wandered the Himalayas with him. At some point, he decided it would be fun to take this tiger to Mumbai, so they walked and walked, through villages along the way, and by the time they reached Mumbai (Bombay at the time), the news of their journey preceded them. Who is this tiger-yogi? Some came for his darshan, others just to gawk, and, naturally, some people wanted to put him to the test. One such person brought a cow to see if the tiger would become aroused. However, the tiger had been raised by a yogi on a vegetarian diet (please, let's not get into that discussion here, and I am not a vegetarian myself, but I do consider it quite possible that a true yogi, having mastered this 3D realm, would have no trouble with such a diet), and was not interested in the cow. So, the yogi sat there with the tiger on one side and the cow on the other side. He got some milk from the cow and gave it to the tiger, and the cow just continued to happily munch away on the grass. In relating this story, the yogi is full of humor and having quite a lot of fun, and as he concludes, it's like he is delivering a punch line: he passed the test of a true yogi. And he laughs heartily, as if he is testing those of us in the room. I still listen to the recording of that story with great interest, though I have heard it many times. It's always fun.
So, how do we know if it's true?
08-16-97
A: Pass the test.
Q: What do you mean “Pass the test”?
A: Discover.
The Wave Chapter 58
Ummm....can you tell where I am in the midst of reading The Wave?
So, like anything, we have to be patient and objective.
For me, the fruits of the teachings and the fact that he walks his talk are the best dispellers of my doubts. In the many personal exchanges I have had with this particular yogi, I often remark to him directly how it is difficult to accept the status of the true yogi. The first time I had private darshan with him, quite by accident having not even been aware that there was such a thing and not having ever seen or heard him speak prior to the day before, and not having even heard of him prior to the previous month, I said "I don't know you from Adam." Not being a "joiner" and having extreme doubts about the likelihood of enlightenment, although recognizing at least the potential within the infinite consciousness, I was reluctant to trust the whole situation. The circumstances of my meeting him were mysterious, and quite synchronistic, but I also tend to dismiss such things as just tendencies of the mind to make associations and detect patterns, which is the natural role of the mind, or so it seems. I find it very refreshing that Laura cautions about being overly enthralled by so-called signs. Nevertheless, in the midst of this yogi, whom I had never met, I suddenly started bawling uncontrollably. I felt completely comfortable weeping all over his feet (apparently it's quite a faux pas to do so, but he never mentioned it to me), and I had never bowed to anyone before in my life. I still am reluctant to do so, and I have told him that directly on a few occasions, and that the only thing I can "worship" is Truth, and if I bow, it's not out of worship, but simply as a sign of respect. His reply is always to very calmly let me know that it's quite alright and not to worry about it. And as I dive more deeply into the C's material and Laura's work, I find lots and lots of overlap between what this yogi teaches and what Laura has discovered. What I like about both is that it resonates with me, deeply, and even when I throw up my hands or throw myself on the floor and scream that I absolutely will not be deceived or lead into darkness.
What I find most interesting about this yogi and are the coincidences with Laura's work. He apparently has a lived quite a long time, based on anecdotal sources at least, and his intimations about involvement with alchemy and Himalayan masters, references (by others written accounts and some of his own stories) to hyperdimensional abilities (i.e. walking through locked doors), to me, are not necessarily marks of a true yogi. However, when you combine it with what is an obvious respect for free will, as his teachings and manner are all gentle, requiring nothing from anyone but encouraging and inspiring honesty and integrity, and promoting Truth as the highest virtue, those, to me, are the actions of a true yogi who
cannot perform actions opposed to their understanding or have an understanding which is not expressed by actions.
And recently, his tone has changed and he is speaking quite in line with the news as posted on SoTT. In one of his most recent discourses, he had this to say.
"Divali is another special occasion on which we honour (sic) the Divine. God should be loved and experienced, not feared. Throughout history, materialistic macho-type individuals have demonstrated tyranny and created fear by inciting terror in the hearts and minds of people to demand respect worldwide through colonial and material expansion. They have made their own god in their image to be similarly feared and respected through tyranny and fear and fanaticism. They are still doing so now in the name of God as a convenient model to justify their own desires to rule over family, community, country and the world. Fear and love cannot be harmonious companions. In contrast, Divali denotes humanitarian caring and sharing."
Leaving the cultural reference to Divali aside, what strikes me is the reference to "macho-type individuals". Though no mention is made of hyper-dimensional beings, it's understandable in the context of the talk he was giving, he does intimate that the male, dominator hierarchy is the problem, which corresponds well to his continual references to the divine mother as an aspect of consciousness that truly governs the universe in accordance with divine law, and also his references that nothing can supersede divine law, though it might take some time for karma to do it's work. I intend to ask him directly about references to gods and demons and how that might relate to hyper-dimensional, ultra-terrestrial beings when I speak to him next, hopefully in the next week or so.
I guess it turns out that have done a bit of proselytizing for this yogi (whom I won't name here). So be it. For what it's worth, this is in no way intended to be a my-guru-is-better-than-your-guru posting. From my perspective, the true yogi is a reflection of the guru in ones own heart. My experience is that there are no teachers; it is up to us to choose learning and through some process the yogi appears as as teacher to facilitate that leaning, which necessarily can only take place within the individual doing the learning. There is no personal savior except each as it's own. As I make it an effort every day to choose to "serve and learn" to the best of my ability, this is the yogi who literally just showed up for me one day, and it's been quite a ride since then.
