We'll change this time.

Kirby read an excerpt from the book, "The Tree of Yoga" by B.K.S. Iyengar, today in class. I found it so inspiring, that i thought i'd share it with the rest of you. Take from it what you will, i certainly got something out of it:)

Faith
I am sometimes asked whether it is neccessary for a yoga practitioner to believe in God. My reply is very simple: 'If you don't believe in God, do you believe in your own existence? Since you believe in your own existence, that means you want to improve yourself for the betterment of your life. Then do so, and perhaps it may lead you to see the higher light. So there is no need for you to believe in God, but you have to believe in yourself.'
Do you believe in yourself? Do you believe in your own existence? Are you here or are you not? Do you believe that you are existing, or do you believe it is just a dream that you are living? This very experience of living wants you to live as a better person than you are. That is the divine spark of faith. From that, all the rest will follow.
There is a tremendous difference between belief and faith. I may believe what Christ has said, but that does not neccessarily mean that i follow him. When i was suffering from tuberculosis and got healthy through yoga, i did not believe that yoga was going to cure me. It cured me. That gave me faith. Faith is not belief. It is more than belief. You may belive something and not act on it, but faith is something you experience. You cannot ignore it. If you ignore it, it is not faith. Belief is objective-you may take it or leave it. But faith is subjective-you cannot throw it out.

I hope you understand me when i say that believing in God is secondary. The fact that you are existing is primary, is it not? You are a living example that you are living. And as you are living, you want to improve. You want to be better than you are. This is the golden vitamin which will enable you to progress.
That you are existing yourself, is faith. You do not believe that you are living. Your very existence is faith that you are living. But why are you living? To be a better person. Otherwise, you can just die! Let me see you die! Go and fall in the ocean! Why do you not want to fall? Because you want to live. Why? That is what you must find out. That is faith.

Song of the moment: Waiting - Shiny Toy Guns

This photo was taken from deviantart.com. It was taken by *incisler and is entitled "SesSIZ SeS".