In India at the time of Guru Nanak, there were many yogis. They lived alone, they did not marry, nor did they work for their living. They lived in meditation caves, wore coats made from many rags patched together (to indicate poverty) large earrings (to indicate that they heard only the Word of God) and they carried a begging bowl, a cow horn, a purse, a deerskin (for meditation) and a walking staff. With their unwashed and uncombed matted hair and their bodies covered with gray funeral ashes (to remind themselves of the constant presence of death) they practiced their yogic disciplines and lived apart from the villagers and common householders. They begged for their food, and ate only what they were given.
Guru Nanak’s meeting with the yogis is recorded in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib as the "Siddha Gosht". There are many shabds in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib where the yogis are addressed. The main purport of all these verses is that many who lived the lifestyle described above, were not true yogis at all (that is, one who is united with God… one who lives in a state of Union) but simply people caught up in their own rituals, self-righteousness, and pride.
