cumstances of life would not allow it initially, but over time it can be
reached. Our insight can now finally penetrate through all the tortuous
subtleties of cunning ego, our wisdom matures, and we touch the core
of being.
The point of such a scale or ladder of intensity is not to make us
feel inadequate but for reference purposes, so that we can truly and
honestly see where we are and how we are doing. It is analogous to the
Biblical parable of the talents of silver that a lord distributed to his ser
vants. Those who fully invested them energetically and wisely were
able to return the silver to their lord tenfold and were duly honored.
The servant who merely hid his silver away in the ground was able to
do no more than return what he had received. His lord was displeased.
We all receive God-given talents, and it is our duty to develop them en
ergetically to realize their full potential, otherwise it is as if we are
turning our nose up at the gifts of life. But more than that, our talents,
however much they may vary from individual to individual, when re
alized to the full, provide the link that will take us back to a reunion
with the divine.
Divine Yoga: Do the Asana with Your Soul
In asana and pranayama practice, we should have the impression we
are working on the outer to get closer to the inner reality of our exis
tence. This is true. We work from the periphery to the core. The mate
rial body has a practical reality that is accessible. It is here and now,
and we can do something with it. However, we must not forget that the
innermost part of our being is also trying to help us. It wants to come
out to the surface and express itself.
In the example of triangle pose (Trikonasana), we notice that, be
cause of the relationship of the posture with our anatomy, we all fall
into the same traps. Our body seems to be trying to collapse forward
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