One who practices yoga disciplines seeking Self Realization.
Swami Sivananda
"He who poses for a great Yogi before the public and advertises in newspapers that at such and such time on such and such day he is going to enter into Samadhi does so with a view to make money and also a name for himself. He is actually deceiving and swindling the public in broad daylight.
A real Yogi who has reached the goal of life and is always in Samadhi throughout the twenty-four hours will never make a parade of his attainment. He will never even tell others that he is enjoying the bliss of Samadhi. It is only the empty drum that maketh much sound.
In the waking state, you do conscious work, but you are not conscious of the working of the heart, stomach, liver, etc. Just as there is unconscious work beneath the level of objective consciousness, so also there is superconsciousness above the level of physical consciousness, wherein there is play of neither the mind nor the senses.
The man who returns from sleep does not possess any new knowledge, whereas he who comes down from Samadhi possesses supersensual knowledge. He can clear any doubt concerning the problems of life.
“The Yogin is one who has realised the Brahman that is all-full beyond Turiya. They (the people) extol him as Brahman; and becoming the object of the praise of the whole world, he wanders over different countries.... Then the Yogin becomes immersed in the ocean of bliss. When compared to it, the bliss of Indra and others is very little. He who gets this bliss is the supreme Yogin.” [Mandalabrahmana-Upanishad]
Again in the Yogatattva-Upanishad it is said: “One who is engaged in Nirguna Dhyana attains the stage of Samadhi. Within twelve days at least, he attains the stage of Samadhi. Restraining the breath, the wise one becomes an emancipated person. Samadhi is that state in which the Jivatman (Lower Self) and the Paramatman (Higher Self) are differenceless (or of equal state). If he desires to lay aside his body, he can do so....
But if he does not so desire, and if his body is dear to him, he lives in all the worlds possessing the Siddhis of Anima, etc. Sometimes he becomes a Deva and lives honoured in Svarga; or he becomes a man or a Yaksha through will.”
The word Samyama is used in Yogic literature to denote the triple process of concentration, meditation, and Samadhi practiced at one and the same time. The Yogi acquires various powers by practicing this Samyama. Samyama on the three kinds of changes, viz., of form, time, and state, gives knowledge of the past and the future. Samyama on word, meaning, and knowledge bestows knowledge of all animal sounds. One acquires the knowledge of life by perceiving the impressions. Samyama on the signs of another’s body (such as the complexion, voice, mole, or any such sign on the body) reveals the knowledge of your own mind. Samyama on friendship, mercy, and love enables you to excel others in those qualities. Samyama on the strength of an elephant and others gives you their respective strength. Samyama on the navel circle gives you the knowledge of the constitution of your body. By doing Samyama on the light emanating from the top of the head during concentration and meditation, you will acquire the power of beholding the Siddhas (perfected sages). You will also get clairvoyance, clairaudience, thought-reading, and so forth." [Practical Lessons in Yoga by Swami Sivananda]
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