Yoga Michigan

An important teaching of yoga is vairagya, or “non-attachment.” The following is a parable:

 

A king of a small country rode his chariot each morning to check on his kingdom. Each time he passed a certain field, he saw a yogi sitting in meditation under a tree. At first the king was just curious, but after time he started thinking: “Rain or shine, that yogi always seems so blissful. He must be enlightened. I should have him stay at my palace. By observing him, I will learn how to become enlightened myself.”

​

One morning, the king had his chariot stop in front of the field and walked up to the meditating yogi. “Pardon me for disturbing you, but I would like to ask you something.” The yogi slowly opened his eyes and smiled, “Yes, what can I do for you?”“I am the king. Each morning as I ride through my kingdom, I see you peacefully meditating here. I would like to make life easier for you. Please come and stay at my place. I will provide food and shelter and everything you need, so that you can live without any worries.” The yogi slowly got up and said, “As you wish.”

​

The king was taken back by how quickly the yogi agreed to come with him. As they headed to the palace, a thousand thoughts began rushing through his mind: “That was too easy. Even though I am the king, most people would have said they needed time to think about it, or time to get ready, or asked questions. What made him so eager to accept my offer? Come to think of it, an enlightened person prefers to live in poverty and would never agree to stay in a palace. Maybe he is not enlightened. What if he is after my fortune? Would he steal from me? Maybe it was a mistake to invite him. But as king,I have my pride. I cannot go back on my word and tell him that he cannot come after all. What should I do?"

​

They soon arrived at the palace. The king gave the yogi a tour, then showed him the room he would be staying in. It was huge and decorated with exotic hand-made furnishings and jewels. There were windows which overlooked a beautiful garden. The king said, “I hope this room suits you. It is the best guest room in the palace. I have also assigned you a servant to make sure that you are comfortable. If there is anything you need, just call upon him.”

​

The yogi simply said “thank you,” which made the king worry again :”If he were enlightened, then why did he not refuse the luxury and ask to stay in a simpler room instead? Why did he not refuse to have a servant? Could I have misjudged him? Could he be a lazy peasant looking to freeload? Perhaps he knew that I toured my kingdom every morning around the same time, and he went to that field 5 minutes before I passed by every morning to put on a blissful act, hoping that I would notice him and bring him to live in my palace!"

​

As the king struggled with his doubts, several months went by. The yogi continued to meditate each day. He stole nothing and made no demands, which left the king more puzzled. One day the king could no longer stand it and decided to question the yogi. “When you accepted to live in my palace without giving it much thought, it crossed my mind that you were after my wealth. But even after coming here, you continue to meditate like you did in the field as if nothing changed. We are now both living the same luxurious lifestyle, but there is a difference between us that I cannot pinpoint. Tell me, what is the difference between you and I?"

​

The yogi replied, “First, you should realize that I did not come here for my own reasons but for yours. If you doubted my intentions, then why did you not discuss them immediately instead of inventing stories about me and tormenting yourself with them for the past few months? As to the difference between you and I, I will explain it but not here. You would have to come with me to the edge of your kingdom."

​

The king agreed, and they rode the chariot together to just outside of the kingdom. After they got off, the yogi said, “Please come. This time you can stay with me.” The surprised king replied, “You must be joking! I can’t do that, I am a king! I have a kingdom to rule, a family to feed, a palace to maintain, and tons of problems and responsibilities to attend to each day. I can't just leave like that!" The yogi gently said, ” That is the difference between you and I. I do not have a kingdom to rule, a family to feed, a palace to maintain, and tons of problems and responsibilities to attend to each day. That is why I can be equally peaceful at your palace as I can under a tree in a field."

​

At that instant the king realized that the yogi was indeed enlightened. He dropped to his knees and bowed. “I am deeply sorry that I doubted you for all this time. I realize that you are a great soul and that there is so much I can learn from you. Please come back to my palace with me and be my guru. You can live there as long as you’d like."

​

The yogi replied, “Thank you for such a generous offer, but we both know what would happen if I returned. You will soon find other reasons to doubt my intentions or to find fault with me. It is your nature. My role in your life drama is now ending, so it is time to move on.” With this, the yogi turned his back and walked off into the horizon. -- The End

​

When speaking of non-attachment, many people equate it with asceticism, that is to say, a wise person must live in poverty and shun any kind of material indulgence. While it is important not to overly indulge in sensory pleasures, the true meaning of non-attachment is to not become attached to our life story. We can still be thankful for the house that we live in, partake in delicious meals or appreciate beautiful art and music. We just need to accept that all of it is passing and none of it belongs to us.