But were we fanatics? Not to other people. Our ego had no attachment
to forcing and controlling others. A passion for excellence is one thing;
to force one's beliefs and practices down other people's throats is an
other. That is ego; that is pride.
The yoga path is not easy and requires almost a commitment that
to many may seem extreme or even fanatical. I am fanatical with
myself when I practice yoga. It is true. You should be fanatical with
yourself but not with others. My guru was fanatical with everyone in
cluding me. He applied his standards to everyone. I try to know my
students' abilities and to help them to reach their highest potential, not
mine. I shall deal with ego and pride more fully in chapter 5 as they
form part of the five afflictions that are central to any understanding
of yoga. Obsession in the sense of addictive patterns of behavior is
dealt with fully in chapter 4.Anger
We have all seen when anger is out of control or destructive. Husband
and wife shout at each other in the bedroom; drivers yell at each other
in the street. Anger is out of control when it flares up in us like a fire
that we have no control over and that smolders long after the fire is
out. We shout and call people names and say things we might not even
mean because we are in a rage. We continue to be resentful and to ru
minate on the offense we have received long after. This is anger that
comes from our ego. Another car cuts us off in the street, and we feel
offended. "He cut me off!" we tell ourselves. He did this to me. He has
offended me. He has affronted my ego.
As we practice yoga and begin to meditate, we develop equanimity.
We let go of this ego. We realize that most of life is not personal. The
driver was not trying to cut us off because he did not have respect for
us. We realize that it had nothing to do with us. As our minds grow
quieter, our first thought is not, "That idiot!" Instead we think to our-