After a long tiring day, all of us automatically fall asleep. This is a natural response of our bodies. But, what about us? Do we (souls) also fall asleep? What does it mean for a soul to fall asleep?

A soul is said to be awake about something when it pays complete attention to it. A soul is said to be asleep about something when it does not pay any attention to it. Depending on what we pay attention to, we are either called yogis or normal human beings. Find out who you are! 

(Refer to the definitions of awake and asleep once again and now read through the below)

  • A yogi is awake about the inner power that is the source of everything. 
  • A normal human being is awake only about what is visible to naked eye – the skin texture, or a colour, or shape etc. 
  • A yogi is asleep when it comes to what is visible to the naked eye. 
  • A normal human being is asleep when it comes to the inner power. 

Sri Suka is such a yogi. One day, when he was walking by a pond where a group of beautiful women were bathing half-covered. They did not even feel a need to cover themselves fully because they knew that he is asleep when it comes to seeing body as an instrument of pleasure. They knew that he is only awake about the inner power as the true owner of the body and the soul. He kept his body intact as an instrument under the control of that inner power, but he hasn’t become a slave to it for satiating its desires.

A- must- read – True- definitions- of- being- Awake and Asleep

Is it practical or (even necessary!) to be a yogi for people like us?

A must read – True definitions of ‘Being Awake’ and ‘Being Asleep

Let’s first look at necessity of being a yogi.

If you want to participate in Olympics, training for it is necessary, and not optional. This holds true for anything, small to big. If you want a comfortable state of affairs in this body as well as when you leave this current body, then such knowledge is necessary, and not optional. 

Coming to practicality of being a yogi, Krishna in Bhagavad Githa states an easy way to attain this state.

yatho: yatho: nissarathi
manas chanchalam astthiram |
thathas thatho: niyamyaithath
a:thmanye:va vasam naye:th ||

6 th Chapter, 26 th sloka
Atma Samyama Yo:gaha, Bhagavad Githa

The nature of mind is to wander on various external objects/people that it gets attracted to. So, it doesn’t stay focused on what is right for the soul. There is a way to practically attain such focused state. Take the goal of yourself (soul) to wherever the mind wanders and connect it to what the mind is attracted to.

To be honest, this is something most of you probably already have experience in. Let’s say you are in love with someone and he/she is away from you. Wherever you go or whatever you do reminds you of her. You end up somehow connecting her to every action you take up or everything you see. Your focus is no longer on the physical activity, but is on the person you love. Note that you are still doing your activities as usual, eating or sleeping or working. But, you are now doing all of those with her/him. 

Similarly, a wandering mind is no longer a blocker to you. You can let it wander and still have your focus on your (the soul’s) goal. A yogi attains such state, where he/she is constantly connected to the inner power that rules this existence no matter what their eyes see! Their focus is on what is inside you. Hence, they are always awake and constantly conscious of God.   

From the teachings of Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji
– Bhagavad Vishayam, 27 th August 2019

Nammalwar didn’t practice this state, but he was a natural yogi. That was because He didn’t try to love God. He simply was in love with God. That is why, such souls are said to be blessed. A lot of people struggle for certain abilities, but they are in-built for such souls. Associate yourself to such devotee, at least in your thoughts with pure willingness to follow his lead, and you will automatically be blessed. After all, God does not let his devotee’s devotee fail.