We have two views of the universe. On the surface we have a cold and vast universe that routinely blows up entire solar systems. This universe is cold and heartless and has little room for our day-to-day worries. The other view of the universe is entirely different. This universe is conscious, it is loving, it is abundant, and it is bliss. In this universe we are able to tap into our infinite potential and achieve limitless success.
For most of us the daily reality unfolds in the form of a cold and uncaring aspect of the universe. The loving and abundant promise of the universe seems like a cruel joke for many. Why is this so? Why do most of us find the promise of a deeper universe that loves and cares for us so elusive? If the practice of yoga is supposed to bring us closer to this deeper loving aspect of reality why is the experience so fleeting for most of us?
To understand this we have to grasp that we all face a common dilemma in accessing our infinite potential. To gain an insight into this let us use the metaphor of “The Golden Egg”. Let us say you own a goose that lays a golden egg every day. But there is a catch. It will continue to lay this golden egg provided you use this egg for others. The goose stops laying its golden egg the moment you use it towards your own selfish ends.
The deeper universe is also like the goose that lays the golden egg. You can access the golden egg of the universe in the form of its infinite potential at any time. But the access diminishes if this is used for selfish ego-enhancing ends.
The loving all-giving abundant nature of the universe is incompatible with our ego. That is why all paths of yoga and spirituality counsel on a system of keeping the ego in check. The sage Patanjali provided explicit Yamas and Niyamas to do so and other sages and spiritual adepts have done likewise. As our journey into yoga deepens we find that we have direct access to the abundance and love of the universe. However many spiritually advanced sages have suffered a setback if they allow their spiritual success to be hijacked by the ego. The same fate awaits us too if we misuse the deeper abundance of the Universe to bolster our ego. The goose simply stops laying its golden egg and we find ourselves back on square one.