At present, every individual human soul is completely devoid of real peace and happiness. Today, modern man is like the ‘biblical prodigal son’ gone astray and insane in the wilderness of value-free world of rank materialism, corrosive corruption, nasty sexism and sensualism, voluptuous consumerism and fickle sentimentalism. Man’s mind is quite negatively aggravated by his willful segregation from values and spirituality, blind indulgence in Seven Deadly Sins – lust, anger, greed, attachment, ego, indolence and jealousy – due to his wrong identification with body, his transient delights of sensual pleasures and his dogmatic divorce from God. Thus, the materialistic mania and consumerism craze of the so called modern human beings have thrown the vehicle of human health and life out of the regulated gear and also out of the much-glorified values-led trodden track. So, the urgent need of the hour is to work for the forward movement of spiritual discipline and promote values and spirituality among the human souls of the world through yoga and Rajyoga meditation. Keeping this in view, the United Nations Organization (UNO) officially declared June 21 as International Day of Yoga (IDY) accepting the proposal of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The most popular concepts of yoga are postures (asanas), physical exercises/stretches, breathing exercises, and other techniques to relax and focus the mind serve only the physical benefits of the human being or soul, thereby turning man into a complete consumerist (Bhogi). In contrast, Brahma Kumaris’ Rajayoga Education System (RES), which promotes holistic development, peace, health and happiness, has become inevitable and indispensable as the crying needs of the hour to educate students, in particular, at school, college and university levels, and also other individuals, in general, in Rajyoga Education & Healthy Value-based Lifestyle Education for the holistic development of their personality. Rajayoga is called the ‘King of all Yogas’ in the sense that it gives us a clear understanding and realization of our soul/spirit/self and God-realization by enabling the soul to reunite, reconnect and re-commune with the Supreme Soul in order to regain our lost Paradise and lost values, virtues, powers, qualities. In fact, it is the yoga par excellence, which makes the human soul as Yogi in Action (Karmayogi).
Rajayoga is a sacred way of life, which involves four principles of life such as taking pure sattvic food/diet (Aahar), good conduct (Achaar), thinking and positive thoughts (Vichaar) and behaviour (Vyavhaar). It also involves spiritual study, silent meditation practice, inculcation of divine virtues and maintaining of healthy relationships and rendering of selfless service. The life of a pure yogi celebrates the spirit of universal love, cooperation and harmony in life and maintains equilibrium in adverse situations, thereby demonstrating the values and spirituality in practical life and ensuring his inner calm and composure in the face of trials and tribulations.
In 1948, the World Health Assembly defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The individual human soul/being is a composition of body and soul and is called a Jeevatma [Jeeva (body) + Atma (soul)]. So, sound holistic health has its mental, emotional, psychological, moral and spiritual dimensions and manifestations. Human life is, thus, the result of coordination between body and its sense organs, on the one hand, and soul and its mind, intellect, impressions, on the other hand; and Raja Yoga is the key element for maintaining this coordination. Raja Yoga is called the Life-saving Herb (Sanjeevani Buti), as it generates the health-recovering and life-giving spiritual energy in its practitioners.
Values and spirituality are inextricably linked with Rajayoga meditation, which links the soul/spirit to the Supreme Soul, the ultimate supreme source of values, virtues, powers and spirituality. All kinds of values are demonstrated by our actions (Karma). Our actions begin as thoughts, feelings and emotions. Values and spirituality are to be developed together because values are seeded in spirituality. Their relationship is inextricably interrelated, interlinked and interdependent. When spirituality is developed, values emerge; and when values are developed, they increase spirituality. Rajayoga meditation makes this development and emergence practically possible.
Rajayoga meditation gives a new, pure, positive and proactive mould to lifestyle through its capacity of bringing inner psychosomatic changes in the soul or consciousness. Lifestyle is the way a person lives, and his way of life and style of living reflects his attitudes and values, virtues, powers, potentialities and qualities. A values-framed, values-led and values-based life is self-capable, self-empowering, meaningful, fulfilling in the sense that the person is the embodiment of values that he practically implemented and held in his personal and public life, and it is also very useful in serving the family, society, nation and world with the altruistic spirit. Let us take the opportunity of the International Day of Yoga, June 21, 1017, to lead a pure, peaceful, yogic and values-and-spirituality based life.*
– Dr. Brahma Kumar Yudhisthir, Ph.D., Associate Editor,
The World Renewal Magazine, Shantivan