Jogi, Yogi.--The well-known order of religious mendicants and
devotees of Siva. The Jogi or Yogi, properly so called, is a follower
of the Yoga system of philosophy founded by Patanjali, the main
characteristics of which are a belief in the power of man over nature
by means of austerities and the occult influences of the will. The
idea is that one who has obtained complete control over himself,
and entirely subdued all fleshly desires, acquires such potency
of mind and will that he can influence the forces of nature at his
pleasure. The Yoga philosophy has indeed so much sub-stratum of truth
that a man who has complete control of himself has the strongest will,
and hence the most power to influence others, and an exaggerated
idea of this power is no doubt fostered by the display of mesmeric
control and similar phenomena. The fact that the influence which
can be exerted over other human beings through their minds in no way
extends to the physical phenomena of inanimate nature is obvious to
us, but was by no means so to the uneducated Hindus, who have no clear
conceptions of the terms mental and physical, animate and inanimate,
nor of the ideas connoted by them. To them all nature was animate,
and all its phenomena the results of the actions of sentient beings,
and hence it was not difficult for them to suppose that men could
influence the proceedings of such beings. And it is a matter of
common knowledge that savage peoples believe their magicians to be
capable of producing rain and fine weather, and even of controlling
the course of the sun. [193] The Hindu sacred books indeed contain
numerous instances of ascetics who by their austerities acquired such
powers as to compel the highest gods themselves to obedience.