We are used to these three words, using them often as synonymous. What do they actually mean? Let’s start with the easy one: “Union”, it comes from the Latin word: UNUS meaning One.

Bingo; Yoga the Sanskrit word is said to come from the root “yuj” or joke, meaning binding together into one. So, Yoga, we find in most ancient yogic Literature described a State of Oneness.

Easily said, but what does that mean: One, is actually not a number as such, because if there is One there is nothing to count! From a philosophical point of view, numbers start with TWO.  So “One”, in a deeper sense – describes a kind of State where nothing is outside. In a deeper, philosophical sense… One is all – inclusive.

Now that is hard to imagine, especially in our time; where we are used to dissect everything, analyse everything into the smallest particles, compartments, or ideas. We consider everything as separated.

We unquestionably understand that “You” are different from me – and in a manner of speaking that is correct: yes – you are different from me, but in another way, it is not!

If I take the concept of humanity, then, despite that we are different, we are all Human; so, on one level we share – on another we are different.

When we talk of Oneness, when we talk of YOGA, we look at the highest, most inclusive of these “Umbrella terms,” where we recognize the unity, despite the diversity. It means Yoga is a state of total inclusiveness… where we are aware and live from the perspective, that yes, we are all different, all unique – but at the same time we are all One. Since we are so used to logic, this sounds like a contradiction. But then logic is just another invention of the human mind, another mental learned concept! Not necessarily universal truth. For example, it excludes imagination, intuition, vision etc. etc.

To have the wider view, for example, we have to include opposites, we have to develop a knowing that is inclusive.  This is the teaching of Taoism, which, in a simple way is behind the well-known symbol of Yin and Yang.

This inclusive State of perception, of seeing the world, the universe is also at the root of Yoga. The method of how to get to that state of inclusiveness; that wider vision is also called the practice of yoga, or the path of yoga. And yes, that’s where confusion starts.

So, there is Yoga, the state of being, the goal, what is also called Samadhi; Kaivalya; Enlightenment…

And there is Yoga the method which leads us to that State; i.e. the awareness of One-ness, of inclusiveness from which then to live.

The first commentator on the Yoga sutras, Vyasa, simply states: yoga is Samadhi!

If we look at the root of yoga, this may become clearer. For that we have to go way back in history.

What we call history is a very short span of time; even if we include’ so called ‘pre-history,’ we only talk: say about 10 thousand years from now – at the most, but humans, as we know them, homo sapiens – have existed for 200 thousand of years.

And that is not all; millions of years back, there were also forms humans and all these versions had tools, had families, even “cultures.” About 70’000 years, within these many types of humans, a “Cognitive revolution” happened something shifted in the brain of some of these ancestral lineages, so that they could perceive something abstract, something that is not there. More abstract communication, thinking etc. developed; i.e. thoughts that were not connected to the input of their five senses.

They started to communicate not just: watch out there comes a lion; or over there is a beautiful banana tree, let’s go! But communication changed level, to something like: do you know that woman’s child died?  Meaning empathy and abstraction was the beginning of the branch of humans, we still belong to the beginning of the history of “human sapiens” (homo sapiens – knowing humans).

Language was developed and people started to communicate about what they observed, what they felt, so with that they started to learn from each other. Means Communication of abstract feelings, thoughts ideas developed for the next 58’000 years. And with this developed the awareness of how embedded one was in all of existence.

Awareness of their surrounding grew; self-awareness grew and the knowledge of their connection with all that was around. They lived in harmony with it.  For nearly 60’000 years homo sapiens lived with the awareness of being embedded in all that was around Him and Her. They moved in accordance with the seasons, their observations, their needs.

Then around 12’000 years ago, they started to sow seeds, stayed near them for a while, watched them grow, harvested, and then moved on.

This grew into what is called the “agricultural revolution” and with it the human being’s mind changed slowly but dramatically! Its values changed!!!  Gradually people stayed in the place where they had sown the seeds, they build shelters near it, and other people did the same. Then they started to fence things in, not just to protect from animals, but more importantly – to mark that, which is mine!

This in time, had disastrous consequences; it changed the mental perceptions and people developed the attitude of ownership, — and “separation”.

This is mine! Now followed the thought: I have to protect what is mine; my land, my “food source’; my possessions became important (including possessing woman and animals…) and with it the drive to defend one’s possessions grew.

This shift in the way of life (like all experiences, then and now), effected and shaped minds; i.e. slowly it started conditioning minds differently and with it a certain “mind-set, “culture” was born. A culture with its many influences and characteristics… but also with its borders!  The sense of ownership, of possession, of separation – grew and with it, almost unnoticed came another shift!

A tremendous illusion which in time expanded colossal: Man arrogantly assumed that he has power over nature!             

This mental shift is at the base of one of the stories that shaped Western culture, probably more than any other. In Genesis (Bible) it describes this step: God himself tells people to make the earth and all that live on her… their dominion.

God gave not only permission, but commanded (one could say) to use, (which then easily got interpreted, into and exploitation) what is on earth. It paved the way to enslave and even kill – that which is “in the way” of me and mine, which reached the extreme point of allowing even to kill other humans.

We never question that story? We believe, or put it aside as a Myth, a story; but myth are based on deep insights from that cognitive shift, that we talked about earlier. Myth contain Truth!

Think. What happened? Mankind lived in Paradise, and he was driven out of it! Meaning: he lived in harmony with nature, and in harmony with natures forces, the Divine Energies of life… (let’s just simply stay with this; and not divert into the what and why’s).

In terms of anthropological evolution, this story describes and records a distinct step, were mankind parted from the old ways (Those that had served him for 58 000 years!!… of living in harmony with nature, ) Just let this perspective sink in!

For all the previous time of existence mankind understood that he was part of nature, and so he looked for guidance to nature, observed its laws – venerated its energies and its higher uncomprehend able forces – call them Gods if you must. Now with the consequences of the agricultural revolution, man’s mind slowly developed a pattern a base value, of being  separate, better, autonomous in charge – and his aim was just that: To use this ability to control for maximum “ownership,” benefit/profit.

We can easily recognize here the root of the mental attitude of our present society; the Paradigm, the basis of thought – which eventually led to the overuse of this power, that brings us through “history” to the devastating state of the world at the brink of suicide, today!

Although, anthropologically speaking – not all humans went that way… we could safely say, that one branch of humans (as happened in human history before) went that way, while others stayed and continued to live in harmony with nature as they had for thousands of years. The arrogant “new human” called them (and still does today) primitive, because these people live content in harmony with Nature, and doe so even today, in their own ancestral ways, – until – the “new human” (modern man) drives them out or kills them (as we see still in our days for example in the Amazon ; especially Brazil etc.).

But some, even today, managed to stay “out of the way”, of the effects of the “New human” and the consequences of their evolution did not touch them; they were and are content, had and have few illness and until today  have no need of mobile phones as they communicate by telepathy; they have no need of TV’s and weather forecasts as they know the behaviour of Nature… etc.  They have no need of technically perfect hospitals, because they have a huge knowledge of medicine, to cure the illnesses they encounter (which are much less than modern man suffers from).

They have developed themselves; learned from nature, evolved… whereas the ones ’that branched off into domination of Nature’ – have developed the matter; developed highly sophisticated technology but impoverished themselves; they rely on technology instead of cultivating their own minds and hearts; they are impoverished and conditioned through the cultural impregnation, that only matter matters!

Of course, this is simplified! Yet contains essential truth.

So, what is at the root of the present state of the world, is a paradigm that holds humans as superior; as separate – and forgets that humans only exist in total co-operation, even dependency with all else. In other words.. we have lost the awareness of One-ness – and consequently destroy “all-else” including ourselves.

The cultural paradigm is so prevalent, so dominating – that it shapes –

fundamentally our Minds i.e. conditions it, in myriads of ways.

The way to save our world, or rather safe humanity as we know it; is to change that cultural imprinting, that cultural paradigm, that “enculturation “that we have all suffered.

And that is exactly what the ancient Rishis,  say 5 or 7000 years ago tried to do. The ancient Rishis have seen this dilemma! 

You see, as we realize that human history, as we know it, is a relative new phenomena, we think the ancient wise Ones, the Rishis, were long ago, but in real terms, its only 7000 years ago.  Now the first time the word Yoga was mentioned in writing is in the Rig Veda (5.81.1) meaning, may be 3000 years ago, and that no doubt long oral traditions preceded it) it says,    the wise Ones…

“Yoke the mind in yoga

They yoke the intelligence in yoga;

They, the great wise ones who belong

To the expansive wisest One.”

Means what? Means the ancient wise Ones (Rishis) saw that the human mind was going in the wrong direction and they found ways to control it, tame it, and directed it back to that understanding – in which they are aware of the Oneness of all of existence and thus live in harmony with all other!

In other words, they lived themselves – and called people back to live – according to the “Sanatha dharma”, the “eternal laws”!  The Rishis knew we are essentially all One, in   Union. A multitude of expressions of that Oneness (the Divine, Ultimate Reality – whatever name you want to give THAT which we experience as nature!).

This is the origin of Yoga, its working on the Mind, to rectify that part which was damaged by the cultural conditioning, that falsely tells the human: he is the master over nature!  He is separate from all other existence.

This cultural imprint, this culture gone wrong, is the source that makes us suffer in a million ways – even today!!

Now if the ancient wise Ones knew this since millennia, then we could ask: why has this perennial wisdom had no effect? Because the “New-humans” were so convinced about the progress they made, that they simply killed other humans that do not fit!

The “perennial wisdom”, though – cannot be muted, it is still alive in the indigenous people, and in the real Yogis of all times, which again and again try to call our attention to this base phenomenon that causes the damage to all of creation.

Let’s restate:

What is that wrong perception?

Man’s indoctrination that he/she is a separate Being, which has power over others, over nature and all that it includes.  We have forgotten that we are ultimately, no matter how many technical alternatives we imagine we find, totally connected even dependent on nature. We are One!

And Yoga is a tool par excellence in reawakening this knowing, because its intention is to clean your mind from those mental patterns of separation, superiority, and exclusion!     Start seeing again the ONENESS of all existence.

Develop a mind that is: “chitta prasadanam” meaning: peaceful, tolerant, in harmony with all there is.

This ancient way, can be one of the “New Ways Forward!.”

WE all effect everything else! We DO EFFECT….

Means. we can turn things around, and can use the power to EFFECT positive change!

And thus, help Humanity to change their Mindset… and come back… to see and Live from the Awareness of total interconnectedness… or… in Yoga Speak: Oneness!

And that means: Not only return to see we are part of Nature, i.e. change/purify the mind from habits and tendencies, but also purify Nature itself, hey – because we are Nature! Purifying ourselves means purify earth water, fire, air, and space!

Which means, social activism, spiritual activism.

Means taking part actively in changing how people think; how we and society lives.          And to do that from the point of spiritual awareness; meaning:

from the awareness that all is totally related.

Meaning:

EVERYTHING EFFECTS EVERYTHING ELSE!

Because there is no separation, no separate existence!

And this is LIVING Yoga and has been – the core teaching of Yoga since ancient times. We are all connected in Total One-Ness!

Oneness with all existence and that which not yet exists!

“Including all, excluding nothing,” as Swami Rama of the Himalayas taught!

Today, science and Mystics of all manner of streams know: we are basically ONE!  It is Reality! We are one in Life, in existence and therefore we totally affect each other; whatever we do affects the rest of existence!

We need to wake up and stand up; to realize as, the famous Buddhist teacher Thich Nath Hahn says:

We inter-are; everyone inter-is; they inter-are; we are interbeings!!

To bring back that kind of thinking, acting, living has a consequence it means living for the good of ALL, living acting from the awareness of Oneness

Or in Buddhist terms, living with the awareness of dependent rising;

Or in the language of the First Nations: living in peace with “all our relations!”

We are relational beings; that to have concerns for others is to be human; to live from the Awareness of Oneness… is the only way forward.

http://www.swami-nitya.com/bio—long-version.html

Hari Om