
Guru Purnima: A commitment to individual evolution
The word 'evolution' means something transforming itself into a higher possibility gradually. Charles Darwin told you that you were all monkeys, and then your tail fell away, and you became human – you know the story. When you were a monkey, you did not choose to become a man. Nature just pushed you on. When you are in animal nature, evolution happens anyway – you do not really have to participate in it. But once you become human, once a certain level of consciousness has come, there is no more unconscious evolution for you. Only if you consciously seek it, will it happen.The birth of the Yogic SciencesDarwin talked of biological evolution about 200 years ago. Shiva, the Adiyogi or the first Yogi, talked of spiritual evolution more than 15,000 years ago. Guru Purnima signifies one of the greatest moments in the life of humanity. It was on this day that Adiyogi transformed into the Adi Guru, or the first guru. The essence of his teaching is that every atom in this existence – including the sun and the planet – has a consciousness of its own; but what they do not have is a discerning mind. Once consciousness arises with a discerning mind, it is the most powerful possibility. This is what makes human life so unique.On Guru Purnima, Adiyogi started the transmission of the Yogic Sciences to the Saptarishis, his first seven disciples, and opened up this phenomenal possibility: that a human being can evolve beyond all limitations set by his physical nature, if willing to strive.When we say 'yoga,' we are not talking about twisting your body or holding your breath. We are talking about the very mechanics of life and how to take this piece of creation – you – to its ultimate possibility. This phenomenal dimension of human consciousness, or the possibility of the individual becoming a window to the universal, was unleashed on this day.How long was the actual teaching where Adiyogi propounded everything to the Saptarishis? The numbers are probably more metaphorical than factual. Maybe it took 12 months, or 12 years, or 144 years. We do not know. But everything that can be explored was explored by these seven people. After Adiyogi's transmission was complete, the seven sages set forth to spread the Yogic Sciences throughout the world.After thousands of years, the spine of knowledge that Adiyogi created is still the source of almost everything that you can call spiritual on the planet. Today, nearly 2 billion people around the world are practicing some form of yoga. Over all these years, there was no campaign, papacy, or enforcement. Other teachings and belief systems have been forced upon people. But nobody put a sword to someone's throat and said, 'You must do yoga!' It has lived for over 15 millennia because of its sheer efficacy.Time for commitmentadvertisementGuru Purnima is a celebration of the possibility of individual evolution, emancipation, and liberation – mukti. More than just a celebration, it is a commitment that 'we will evolve.' Being a guru is not an exalted position of power, but of commitment and sacrifice. Adiyogi sacrificed his own freedom, blissfulness, and ecstasy, and was committed to transmitting what was happening within him. So many other wonderful beings have committed themselves to this along the way in these thousands of years – do not waste that commitment. It is time that you commit, if not for everyone's wellbeing, at least for your wellbeing, that this must happen. (Ranked amongst the fifty most influential people in India, Sadhguru is a Yogi, mystic, visionary and a New York Times bestselling author. Sadhguru has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 2017, the highest annual civilian award, accorded for exceptional and distinguished service. He is also the founder of the world's largest people's movement, Conscious Planet– Save Soil, which has touched over 4 billion people)- Ends(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Must Watch

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