I did not write for the 7th day. All my life, I and many of us, have heard that on the 7th day, rest. I rested and once again sat by the teacher, Nagin, and listened to his stories about yoga philosophy and also much about world religions. I did not know that Muslim's started the University system or that Hindu religion changes constantly as humanity changes. He knows about some of the more obscure sects of religions, like the Tantric yogis (which he does not like), and fundamentalists who support the caste system in India. I had no idea that there is a problem there with caste leaders ordering people killed if they marry someone from a different caste or religion even. Some couples have fled to America just to be able to live together - otherwise they would die together in India. These are stories we do not want to hear. But just as the god Siva swallowed the poison when all the gods & goddesses were churning the ocean for their powers & gifts, in order to live a truly spiritual life, we must learn to swallow our own poisons, yet not eat it. What does that mean?? It is symbolic. Life is all of the good and the bad. A truly spiritual human being does not reject any of it, yet does not allow the poison of it to harm them. Nagin Sanghavi has dedicated his life to finding and teaching the truth. He has risked his life many times over many years to teach and speak up about the injustices in the world, so that other people's lives can be better.
As practitioners of yoga, we too must look at life around us, continue to improve ourselves and speak the truth. Satya is the second yama in the Yamas (the 1st limb of yoga). Satya is truthfulness Look around all of life and in your life - where do you see the truth or the not truth?
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