The great sages and saints of all religions learned to rely on the Unseen Power at work in the universe. That power not only provided them with wisdom and enlightenment, but it also took care of their physical bodies' needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

In India today, yogis or rishis still do pilgrimages to the forested mountains of Rishikesh in order to meditate undisturbed in natural settings, in caves, under trees, or near water. Some remain until they reach enlightenment or the end of their present incarnations. They depend upon the Unseen Power of the universe to take care of them while they perform their sadhana (tasks associated with devotion to a deity), do penances, undertake anusthans (spiritual practices to achieve a specific result), or spend untold hours in meditation, contemplation, and the recitation of chants such as the Gayatri Mantra on their japa mala beads (a string of prayer beads, usually numbering 108 beads).

Streams of Divine Power

According to the teachings of Hinduism, five streams of energy emanate from the cosmic Om. While Om itself is considered a manifestation of God, omnipresent in the form of Shabda Brahma, three of its five energy streams are known as Brahma (Creator), Vishnu (Sustainer), and Shiva (Destroyer). Yogis understand how to tap into the streams of Divine Power to achieve certain objectives.

The Gayatri Mantra, perhaps the most sacred of all mantras and considered the primordial mantra by Hindus, was projected into manifestation by the will of God in order to bring about the current cycle of creation, say Hindu religious scholars. The Divine energy known as Brahma then manifested all animate and inanimate objects in the universe.

According to Hindu thought, all of creation expands and contracts in cycles. Certain cycles are characterized by lightness and darkness. When darkness is upon the earth, holy beings such as the Buddha, Mohammed, and Jesus appear on earth as light-bearers to lead humankind out of darkness, depravity, and despair back to light and truth. Some people believe that great and holy beings are always present and anonymously working to manifest good for the well-being of all.

One Man's Quest

The Buddha, a holy being who lived approximately 500 years before Jesus, was the son of King Suddhodana, ruler of the Shakya people in ancient India. His childhood name was Siddhartha Gautama. Until the age of sixteen, when he married, he lived the privileged life of a prince. Against his father's wishes, he left the royal palace to visit his subjects. It was then that he first witnessed human suffering when he met an old man whose life and health were waning, an invalid, and a begging ascetic.

Desiring to find a way to defeat suffering, poverty, and infirmity, Siddhartha renounced his life, left his wife and son, and became an ascetic. Through meditation and the breathing technique of observing the in/out breaths (anapana-sati), he discovered the Middle Way, a spiritual path without extreme asceticism or sensual indulgences. He had followed his desire to its end. By achieving enlightenment, he defeated suffering, poverty, and infirmity.