57. Psychological Problems are a Luxury🔗

Listen: psychological problems are a luxury that only a sophisticated civilization can afford! Only when a society or civilization reaches a certain level of sophistication do people start facing psychological problems. If the civilization has not evolved to that level, they will be stuck with the physiological problems, the basic necessities for survival. That is why it is the evolved or developed civilizations that are suffering from psychological problems today. When you don't have food for your family, where is the time and energy to go and sit and brood about psychological problems?

I am surprised that, five thousand years ago, Patanjali was able to look into the problems of developed civilizations. I don't think India had all these problems five thousand years ago, even though it was a developed civilization in a different way. But he was able to penetrate the human consciousness and see the possible problems of the future. I can say, this is the most ancient scripture which is still relevant to the largest number of modern men on the planet Earth. Please understand, this is the oldest book which is relevant to the largest number of people in the civilized world.

The other day I was reading a Time magazine report which says that 25% of Americans practice some form of yoga, directly or indirectly. Of course, we have thousands of forms of yoga now: power yoga, five-minute yoga, super-deluxe kundalini yoga! So many varieties of yoga, so many brands of yoga. Anyhow, Patanjali is the father of all these brands. But fortunately, he is not seeing all these brands!

The most practiced spiritual master is Patanjali! There are many religious leaders and spiritual masters on the planet Earth. People read about them, listen about them, but never practice what they say. But Patanjali is the most followed, most practiced, spiritual master on the planet Earth, because he is very straight, very practical very scientific, and he can solve modern men's problems. He is the right master for the sophisticated civilizations and complex minds of today.

Psychological problems are a luxury that only a sophisticated civilization can afford.