Living in Freedom
by B.K.S. Iyengar • Pune, India

When many of us think of freedom, we believe that it means the pursuit of happiness. Political freedom, as Gandhiji knew, is essential, as the ability to direct our lives is essential in our ability to reach our full potential. Economic freedom is also important, for grinding poverty makes it difficult to think of the life of the spirit. But equally important to political and economic freedom is spiritual freedom. Spiritual freedom actually requires greater self-control and the ability to direct our lives in the right direction. This is the Ultimate Freedom, the fusion of our individual souls with the Universal Soul as we release our own wants and wishes for a higher purpose and a higher knowledge of the will of the Absolute in our lives.

The challenge for the spiritually free man is to live according to five qualities:
1) courage, 2) vitality, 3) right and useful memory, 4) awareness through living in the present moment and 5) total absorption in his activities. Spiritual maturity exists when there is no difference between thought itself and the action that accompanies it. If there is a discrepancy between the two, then one is practicing self-deception and projecting a false image of oneself. If I am asked to give a demonstration before an audience, there is bound to be an element of artistic pride in my presentation. But alone, I practice with humbleness and devotion. If one can prevent the inevitable egotism from entering the core of one’s life and activities, it means one is a spiritual man. In this state, regardless of the mind, intelligence and consciousness, he is led from the illuminative wisdom of the core to live a righteous life. He lives from his heart in truth and then expresses it in words.

A spiritual man, with his knowledge and wisdom, perceives the differences of age and intelligence between himself and others, but he never loses sight of the fact that the inner being is identical. Even though the man possesses an inner knowledge of such depth and subtlety that he visibly lives in a state of exalted wisdom, he also visibly lives with his feet planted firmly on the ground. He is practical and deals with people and their problems exactly as and where they are.

The free man is both innovative and open– even revolutionary– as I have been in my yoga practice. But he will also be steeped in tradition, through culture and heredity. The yogi is rooted in his own experiences and the discoveries he has made through yoga practice. Yet he must continue with an open mind to catch the subtle discoveries that flash up in the sadhana (practice) and use them to further his inner development. While the yogi is grounded in traditional ethics, texts on the science of yoga and scripture, he has his own authority as a free man. By free, I mean one whose practices have followed the path of detachment and renunciation to their conclusion that is the unconditioned freedom of kaivalya (eternal freedom).

For the average practitioner, it is important to remember that learning to live in freedom is a progressive process, as we free ourselves from the habits of body, emotions and mind. As we gain greater skill, we must always be mindful of how to use our growing power ethically.

Excerpted with permission from Light on Life, 2005, Rodale Books, 304 pgs., $24.95, www.lightonlife.org

B.K.S. Iyengar has been practicing and teaching yoga for 70 years and has authored many books. On Oct 14, there will be a Live! Light on Life event at the NY City Center. Tickets: (212) 581-1212. For more info, go to: www.lightonlife.org