In the vast landscape of yoga philosophy, few concepts are as profoundly transformative as faith. The traditional Sanskrit principle īśvara praṇidhāna, one of the five Niyamas (observances) outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, represents the pinnacle of these observances. While commonly translated as “surrender to God,” the term carries deeper linguistic meaning: īśvara (ईश्वर) translates to “divine,” “supreme being,” “lord,” or “ruler,” while praṇidhāna (प्रणिधान) means “laying on,” “fixing,” “applying,” or “profound religious meditation.”
B.K.S. Iyengar offers a revolutionary perspective in his book “The Tree of Yoga”, captured in his powerful question: “If you don’t believe in God, do you believe in your own existence? Since you believe in your own existence, that means you want to improve yourself for the betterment of your life. Then do so, and perhaps it may lead you to see the higher light.” This perspective grounds faith in personal existence rather than external belief systems.
He further elaborates: “Do you believe in yourself? Do you believe in your existence? Are you here or are you not? Do you believe that you are existing, or do you believe it is just a dream that you are living? This very experience of living wants you to live as a better person than you are. That is the divine spark of faith. From that, all the rest will follow.”
Faith versus Belief: An Essential Distinction
Iyengar draws a crucial distinction between faith and belief through his personal experience: “There is a tremendous difference between belief and faith. I may believe what Christ has said, but that does not necessarily mean that I follow him. When I was suffering from tuberculosis and got healthy through yoga, I did not believe that yoga was going to cure me. It cured me. That gave me faith.”
He further clarifies: “Faith is not belief. It is more than belief. You may believe something and not act on it, but faith is something you experience. You cannot ignore it. If you ignore it, it is not faith. Belief is objective—you may take it or leave it. But faith is subjective—you cannot throw it out.”
Iyengar sees faith as integral to existence itself, stating: “That you are existing yourself, is faith. You do not believe that you are living. Your very existence is faith that you are living. But why are you living? To be a better person. Otherwise, you can just die! Let me see you die! Go and fall in the ocean! Why do you not want to fall? Because you want to live. Why? That is what you must find out. That is faith.”
The cultivation of faith in yoga practice involves regular contemplation of existence and personal growth. This can happen through philosophical inquiry, mystical poetry, and direct experience on the yoga mat. Through this approach, faith emerges not as blind acceptance but as an experiential journey grounded in self-awareness and the universal human drive toward growth and understanding.
