Yogis are people, who strictly dedicate themselves to their own philosophy that helps them to live in this world and gives them hope to discover the truth.
Yoga is varied: hatha-yoga, satva-yoga, tantra-yoga, agni-yoga, bhakti-yoga, rajah-yogi and so forth. The explanation of the specific philosophical characteristics of each of these types of yoga can be found in the esoteric literature. Different directions of yoga differ from each other by their complexity. The most complex is rajah-yoga. It is the highest manifestation of mental and energetic abilities.
Purpose of any yoga direction is one: enlightenment and the knowledge of the Truth. Entire philosophy of Yoga goes through God. What enlightenment means? A person, who got to know the Truth, got to know God. There is no Truth without God. Every yogi strives for this, but only few would achieve enlightenment, only for them, for the very few, the Truth is being opened up. But those few are the confirmation of the fact that unlimited possibilities are being hidden in a human being; yogis, striving for perfection of their abilities could reach such results that are far beyond the limited understanding of an average person. Some of them can hold their breath for a very long time (hours, days, weeks...), others - govern their vital processes (stop bleeding, increase or decrease their blood pressure...), thirds can levitate. This depends on their individual abilities. Philosophy of yoga does not allow demonstrating to others something that a simple person cannot understand unless there is a special need for it.
Each yoga school has its own level. In all the schools there are sufficiently high teachers. Those schools are different from our schools. Usually in our schools, if a teacher sees that a student has special abilities, he tries to hold on to him to show that it is his own (teacher’s) achievement. In the yoga school, if they see that they can’t give anything to the student, they send him to another school, and then to another, to the higher teacher, dependending of how gifted the concrete student is. Teachers never make mistakes estimating the perspectives of the development of their student’s abilities.
How to get accepted into a yoga school? There are no conventional examinations; everyone who is willing could come and the teachers would talk with them. The procedure is as following: They would ask questions, any questions, even ordinary, simple ones. For the teachers it is important how the student answers. Each potential student must pass three levels (three stages). The first – honesty; the second - honesty and the third – honesty. The teacher makes the decision depending on answers. Next day after the conversation they would come back to the applicant with a result.
Only healthy person could get to know himself and develop. If a person is not totally healthy, then he will be trained in hatha-yoga (this is physical exercises together with respiratory exercises). In Yoga the respiratory exercises are very important. All levels of yoga beginners and advanced are given respiratory training; the exercises for health improvement are optional. This depends furthermore on the health status of the student. Teachers decide on these exercises for each student individually.
Student follows the instructions of hatha-yoga and becomes healthy, then follows instructions which the teacher has already prearranged for him according to his individual abilities. There are the yogis, who do not have any significant or specific abilities. What do they achieve then? They become healthy, objective thinkers... And this is quite a lot on its own.
The School had a large territory; there were houses there and a dining room under the shed. Alid Faski Natva was settled into one of the houses. The room was for two persons to share, but he lived on his own. He did not go to the city, although it was not forbidden to him. There were eighty or hundred persons, Alid Faski Natva didn’t count, everybody without an exception were Hindus, and wore the national clothing. Alid Faski Natva did not communicate with them. He counted eight teachers, possibly, there were more. In the mornings they had their workouts, but he was not told to do them. There were only vegetables for food but Alid Faski Natva was satisfied with that.
Thus the contact with the teachers has begun. They were strange, they knew Russian language. There was no special training, they simply talked. Questions were mainly about his life - he answered. After twenty days teachers had made a decision that he must move on to another school. In another school, also in Bombay, the teachers didn’t speak any Russian; therefore there was an interpreter. In this school, again, the studies were conducted in a form of conversations with the teachers. They asked Alid Faski Natva, where he lived, how and what he had been doing for living, how he feels, does it feel good for him to be here in India; what is good, what is bad... Simple everyday questions, but teachers in their own way would interpret his answers. Studies were passing unconstrained during the whole day. They didn’t teach him any respiratory exercises. The process of acclimatization continued for him.
Several days had passed. In the spacious room at the table the teachers, Alid Faski Natva and the interpreter sat and talked. The fan was rotating on the ceiling slowly moving hot air. Alid Faski Natva, feeling his relaxed because of the heat body, listened to the gentle sounds of Hindi language, waiting for the translations. Suddenly in his head a thought had appeared:
- will you go with me?
- I will if I must, - answered mentally Alid Faski Natva, without realizing whom he was answering to.
Alid Faski Natva continued the conversation with the teachers with the help of the interpreter. Then he felt something and turned his head. In small shadowed spot at the door sat an elderly person with small beard, which emphasized the extraordinary graciousness of his face. Bright clothing softly enfolded his sitting figure.
- If I must – I will go, - remembered his mental answer Alid Faski Natva, without fully realizing what was happening yet. He was able to answer mentally and he was understood!
Soon teachers finished the conversation. They knew that a High Teacher had arrived for Alid Faski Natva. One of the teachers said:
- The Teacher has arrived for you. This is a great honor. He says that you must go with him. We will settle this matter in the consulate for you.
Yes, this was the High Teacher of India. There was no communication barrier between him and Alid Faski Natva. They could freely communicate mentally. Teacher took his student with him, and of they went to North-India, where far away from the settlements, in the mountains, there stood a small house of the Teacher and the student had to live there together with his Teacher for an entire year. According to the regulation a one year period was set for Soviet citizens on a mission of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.
Thus occurred this surprising encounter and, as the saying goes in yoga, "Teacher comes after his student".
