TIIKOSOI'UICAI

The term "Yogi" derives from the Sanskrit word "yoga," meaning "union" or "yoking." It originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *yug-, signifying connection or joining. The concept and practice of yoga have ancient roots in Indian philosophy, appearing in texts like the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, with its systematic codification attributed to Patanjali.

Yogi (Six-.). (1) Not "a state of six fold bodilii ami iiiciilal liapi)iin'S.s as the result of ecstatie meditation" (Kitel); hut a state whieli. when reaehed, ni;ikes the praetitiont-r thereof ahsolutr nujstcr of his six "principles", hi now btituj merged in the sivcnlh. It ^ivis him full control, owinpr to his knowledfje of Sklf and .SV7/, over his bodily, intellectual and mental states, which, unable any lon<;cr to interfere with, or act upon, his Ili^'her Kj;o, leave it free to exist in its orif,nnal, i)uri'. and divine state. (2) Also the name of the devotee who j)racti.ses Yoga.

Blavatsky's definition of the Yogi, particularly her emphasis on the mastery of "six principles" culminating in the seventh, offers a fascinating glimpse into a more complex, layered understanding of spiritual development than commonly encountered. This isn't merely about achieving a fleeting ecstatic state, but about a profound psychosomatic integration. Mircea Eliade, in his seminal work "Yoga: Immortality and Freedom," meticulously traced the lineage of yogic practices, noting their aim to transcend the ordinary limitations of the human condition, to achieve a state of "liberation" or "kaivalya" where the self is established in its own true nature.

The notion of controlling "bodily, intellectual and mental states" speaks to a holistic approach to spiritual discipline. It suggests that the physical form and the mind are not to be renounced but understood and harmonized. This resonates with the alchemical principle of "solve et coagula," to dissolve and to coagulate, implying a process of breaking down the phenomenal self to then reconstruct it on a higher, more refined level. Carl Jung's exploration of archetypes and the individuation process also touches upon this idea of integrating disparate psychic elements into a unified whole. The Yogi, in this context, becomes an exemplar of the fully individuated self, one who has achieved a profound inner coherence.

The crucial element is that this mastery allows the "Higher Ego" to exist in its "original, pure and divine state." This echoes the mystical traditions across cultures, where the ultimate goal is union with the divine or the realization of one's true, unadulterated essence. In Sufism, for instance, the concept of "fana" (annihilation of the ego) and "baqa" (subsistence in God) describes a similar trajectory of transcending the limited self to merge with the Absolute. The practice of yoga, therefore, becomes a sophisticated technology for spiritual evolution, a systematic path to reclaiming a lost, divine inheritance. It prompts us to consider whether the fragmentation we experience in modern life is a deviation from, rather than an inherent characteristic of, our being.