The Yamas- Step One of Ashtanga Yoga
08/12/08 09:25
The
Yamas
The first two parts of the 8 Limbs of Yoga I discussed before are the ethical foundations of Yoga. The so-called “Ten Commandments” of Yoga. In this post, we will talk about the Yamas first. In my next post, we will talk about the Niyamas.
It is my attempt here to show how these precepts can be shown to have modern analogues, and to show a way back to simple principles well understood for thousands of years. At the root of many modern issues with our minds can be found these principles, or their violations. Grasping the underlying principles allows one to see past the surface of many neuroses and character defects and see how they tie together different types of mental (and therefore covering up spiritual progress with veils) and societal ills. I will give some examples, but by no means nearly all of them possible.
The Sakskrit phrase “yama” means control. So when we do prana-yama, then it’s a control of the vital force in the body and mind. In this case the first part (#1) in the previous post about the 8 Limbs. These are the “Don’t’s”. Let’s List them here:
In general, yoga philosphy is explained by the ancients, as a protocol by the most important parts first; in this case, ahimsa. This is the particular point which was emphasized by Gandhi in his quest to free India from British rule. It was based on this principle from Hindu scriptures, and it also applies in a Yoga context. Gandhiji was reading the Bhagavad Gita daily for his own reminders of how to proceed and the Bhagavad Gita is the main scripture of Yoga.
AHIMSA
Ahimsa is the undisputed King of all of the Yamas and Niyamas, and is the foundational precept upon which all yogic conduct is based. This is the principle upon which the freedom of India from the English was based, as led by Mahatma Gandhiji. SATYA
That which does not change in the three periods of time. Truth.
Mark Twain said these things about Truth, in his humorous and deeply ironic way:
“If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything.”
- “Notebook, 1894”
Marshall Rosenberg’s Non-Violent Communication courses. Reading the quote again with Marshall’s “giraffe ears” one can see that he’s used the word “should” twice in a short quote, and this word is a pretty violent word in general and is usually uttered by those who are thought to be speaking with some authority.
In North American cultures (and other cultures dominated for a time by the English), we are trained in the English form of schooling to learn from “authorities” and from people who have a lot of charisma i.e. “popular” or “pretty” people. In yogic terms, charisma is termed as “having a lot of prana”. A person who is familiar with using his or her prana to get his way, and is also used to having people listen to him purely on the basis of his charisma can often move into taking people’s trained compliance as meaning that they have entitlements. Thus, we can see the spiral of rewards and punishments based on the acquisition and manipulation of prana to control people, however subtly it might appear.
Considering all this in the light of Satya, the precept, be sure to understand when one speaks from this controlling place or when one is coming from a place, as Mr. Rosenberg would say, of “contributing to life” or “making life wonderful” for others. In his unique way, this is what Mark Twain was stating, yet it can certainly be stated in a less violent manner.
BRAHMACHARYA
Often interpreted strictly as celibacy, brahmacharya goes much further. If you take a look at the 8 Limbs again, you can see something analogous to this precept better if you looked at Step 5- Pratyahara, which is the withdrawal of the senses. Brahmacharya is much deeper than simply this, because it’s a focusing or a guiding of the energy which is often used in sexual pursuits, especially orgasmic energy.
understanding these urges properly can one really move toward a way of controlling it.
Maybe in India many years ago, this was easier, yet in our culture where we grow up with so many sexual images on television and in magazines, trying to go “cold turkey” on this particular impulse is quite impossible. For an excellent treatise on this topic, I would suggest one read “Sex and Superconsciousness” by Bhagavan Shree Rajneesh (now known as Osho) if you can find a copy of it.
When one attempts to control this impulse, one often finds that one’s own eating habits are affected. Sexual impulses and sensual ones, like eating, are often used to distract our minds from the real emptiness we are feeling- which is the connection to our true selves that can be found through sincere and strict yoga practices, of which meditation is the means, and Self-realization the goal. Gradually one comes to know the inner landscape of one’s own mind and unseen Self through turning inward. Let me state this unequivocally- ALL OTHER YOGA PRACTICES ARE MERELY TO ENABLE MEDITATION TO OCCUR.
ONLY through meditation- not sitting quietly wishing your mind would be silent- but real meditation, in which the focus of the mind is in unbroken stream toward God, like a stream of oil flowing from one vessel to another.
So you can clearly see all of the practices so far supporting the effort of the sincere yogi toward progress along the 8 Limbs of Raja Yoga.
ASTEYA
When one restraints the sensual impulses in brahmacharya, an accompanying feeling is present, which is contentment. It arises in the mind, yet still often fluctuates, depending on one’s level of advancement in the practice. One can look to songs in popular culture like “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield and “My Best Friend’s Girlfriend” by The Cars, among many others, to see very popular songs extolling the violation of this precept.
To keep this under control, one refrains from coveting things (asteya), nor take something which doesn’t belong to you. This may not seem like particularly important, or important enough to warrant placing it just underneath in importance to such a primal impulse’s (the sensual impulse) control. However, when one looks clearly at it, one can see that this precept is a way of preventing unhealthy attachments to worldly items. This is a difficult concept to promote in today’s world, when one’s sense of worth is determined by what one owns.
Still, look into it further. Here is a good example: www.storyofstuff.com
This link is a clear example of what is going on in a systemic manner about acquiring things. What is interesting about it is that what she observes in this a systematic violation of this principle of Asteya on a world-wide scale. She calls it “externalizing costs”, but it’s the same thing.
SInce Swami Vishnu-devananda’s approach was without inner peace we cannot have outer peace- like in the example I am referring to above- then it’s clear enough that this impulse can be controlled nicely by each individual and this will slowly amount to something.
To summarize this precept, I would advocate that each person reading this would examine closely the underlying reason for pushing one’s energy out into the world, seeking to grasp onto “things”. A thing can include a person- a wife, husband, child, car, money, power, control, etc.
This has many implications- the objectification of women in magazines and so on has the violation of this precept at it’s heart. It’s what gives one permission to allow one’s mind to become lustful, greedy, and so on. It’s what allows for slow, subtle, and gradual de-humanization of external things. Yet because these things can never give one a clear sense of one’s true Self, then often one thinks that it is simply a matter of effort, and instead of making a u-turn on the road of life and going inward to discover the Self, one continues for long miles on a lonely road chasing the tail of consumption. Often, as the miles tick by, it can feel very much like one has made progress- one’s car is upgraded, and the terrain might be nicer (i.e. nicer house, car, money, job) and still one’s mind isn’t peaceful.
In war, the dehumanization of people is the ultimate violation of this precept, because in that case, one has now permission to de-humanize many people and attempt to kill them en masse. We do this almost every day with animals as well, because- well, clearly they aren’t even human. In our seeking to “own” them, and take a life which isn’t ours, we have lost respect for them, for ourselves, and other human life also. Still, at the root of war is a desire for something someone else has- in general, resources.
Television’s promotion of the continuous violation of this precept is another pervasive thing, and has more subtle effects because of it’s method of interaction with people. Yet, I will not rail against television here. For an excellent treatise on the implications of television in this way, read Neil Postman’s book: Teaching as a Conserving Activity.
Yet, this starts with things as simple as overly desiring a woman like the one you might see looking lustly at a camera selling cars or underwear. The principle of desiring that which isn’t (or isn’t reasonable) and cannot be yours is the gateway to many other kinds of mental illnesses and attachments in which one can lose oneself and one’s clear idea of their true Self.
Even taking responsibility for another’s emotions is being greedy and controlling to some extent, to avoid pain. Therefore, we have things like co-dependency and so on.
APARIGRAHA
Non-acceptance of bribes and money is a warning against the kinds of exchanges which can bind you. Since I noted the phrase “graha” above means to grasp, this should be easily understandable.
One only needs to look to politics to see the influence of big oil, big busines, big military, big everything in governmental terms, to undestand the binding influence on our so-called “leaders” and people in positions of influence. This is clear enough. Yet, I say that this kind of thing happens in many jobs. “Don’t bite the hand tht feeds you”, even when it violates your principles. How many of you work in industries which do harm to the environment or work for the military, directly, or indirectly? Does your wage then become a violation of the precept of aparigraha? This only you can say for sure, but it’s an interesting question. I certainly have been in this situation myself. Years ago, I rode my bicycle across America, and I met a man named Ricky, who was riding also across and he’d worked for Raytheon or some military weapons manufacturer. He didn’t know that his work was actually going into creating bombs to kill people, and when he found out, he quit and took his considerable unused wage for a trip around to world, mostly by bicycle.
The first two parts of the 8 Limbs of Yoga I discussed before are the ethical foundations of Yoga. The so-called “Ten Commandments” of Yoga. In this post, we will talk about the Yamas first. In my next post, we will talk about the Niyamas.
It is my attempt here to show how these precepts can be shown to have modern analogues, and to show a way back to simple principles well understood for thousands of years. At the root of many modern issues with our minds can be found these principles, or their violations. Grasping the underlying principles allows one to see past the surface of many neuroses and character defects and see how they tie together different types of mental (and therefore covering up spiritual progress with veils) and societal ills. I will give some examples, but by no means nearly all of them possible.
The Sakskrit phrase “yama” means control. So when we do prana-yama, then it’s a control of the vital force in the body and mind. In this case the first part (#1) in the previous post about the 8 Limbs. These are the “Don’t’s”. Let’s List them here:
- Ahimsa (non-violence, non-injury)
- Satya (truthfulness, not telling lies) NOTE: the Sanskrit phrase ‘sat’ means that which doe not change in the three periods of time- past, present, future- and this is an appropriate way of saying ‘truth’ isn’t it?
- Brahmacharya (chastity, restraint of sensual/sexual impulses and energy)
- Asteya (non-stealing, non-covetousness, lack of jealous urges)
- Aparigraha (non-accepting of gifts or bribes) NOTE: the Sanskrit phrase ‘graha’ means to grasp or hold. For example, the planets in vedic astrology (jyotish) are called grahas, as their job is to hold you to your particular karma. Therefore, apari-graha means to not accept something which will maintain it’s hold on you later, which is appropriate for not taking bribes!)
In general, yoga philosphy is explained by the ancients, as a protocol by the most important parts first; in this case, ahimsa. This is the particular point which was emphasized by Gandhi in his quest to free India from British rule. It was based on this principle from Hindu scriptures, and it also applies in a Yoga context. Gandhiji was reading the Bhagavad Gita daily for his own reminders of how to proceed and the Bhagavad Gita is the main scripture of Yoga.
AHIMSA
Ahimsa is the undisputed King of all of the Yamas and Niyamas, and is the foundational precept upon which all yogic conduct is based. This is the principle upon which the freedom of India from the English was based, as led by Mahatma Gandhiji. SATYA
That which does not change in the three periods of time. Truth.
Mark Twain said these things about Truth, in his humorous and deeply ironic way:
“If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything.”
- “Notebook, 1894”
Marshall Rosenberg’s Non-Violent Communication courses. Reading the quote again with Marshall’s “giraffe ears” one can see that he’s used the word “should” twice in a short quote, and this word is a pretty violent word in general and is usually uttered by those who are thought to be speaking with some authority.
In North American cultures (and other cultures dominated for a time by the English), we are trained in the English form of schooling to learn from “authorities” and from people who have a lot of charisma i.e. “popular” or “pretty” people. In yogic terms, charisma is termed as “having a lot of prana”. A person who is familiar with using his or her prana to get his way, and is also used to having people listen to him purely on the basis of his charisma can often move into taking people’s trained compliance as meaning that they have entitlements. Thus, we can see the spiral of rewards and punishments based on the acquisition and manipulation of prana to control people, however subtly it might appear.
Considering all this in the light of Satya, the precept, be sure to understand when one speaks from this controlling place or when one is coming from a place, as Mr. Rosenberg would say, of “contributing to life” or “making life wonderful” for others. In his unique way, this is what Mark Twain was stating, yet it can certainly be stated in a less violent manner.
BRAHMACHARYA
Often interpreted strictly as celibacy, brahmacharya goes much further. If you take a look at the 8 Limbs again, you can see something analogous to this precept better if you looked at Step 5- Pratyahara, which is the withdrawal of the senses. Brahmacharya is much deeper than simply this, because it’s a focusing or a guiding of the energy which is often used in sexual pursuits, especially orgasmic energy.
understanding these urges properly can one really move toward a way of controlling it.
Maybe in India many years ago, this was easier, yet in our culture where we grow up with so many sexual images on television and in magazines, trying to go “cold turkey” on this particular impulse is quite impossible. For an excellent treatise on this topic, I would suggest one read “Sex and Superconsciousness” by Bhagavan Shree Rajneesh (now known as Osho) if you can find a copy of it.
When one attempts to control this impulse, one often finds that one’s own eating habits are affected. Sexual impulses and sensual ones, like eating, are often used to distract our minds from the real emptiness we are feeling- which is the connection to our true selves that can be found through sincere and strict yoga practices, of which meditation is the means, and Self-realization the goal. Gradually one comes to know the inner landscape of one’s own mind and unseen Self through turning inward. Let me state this unequivocally- ALL OTHER YOGA PRACTICES ARE MERELY TO ENABLE MEDITATION TO OCCUR.
ONLY through meditation- not sitting quietly wishing your mind would be silent- but real meditation, in which the focus of the mind is in unbroken stream toward God, like a stream of oil flowing from one vessel to another.
So you can clearly see all of the practices so far supporting the effort of the sincere yogi toward progress along the 8 Limbs of Raja Yoga.
ASTEYA
When one restraints the sensual impulses in brahmacharya, an accompanying feeling is present, which is contentment. It arises in the mind, yet still often fluctuates, depending on one’s level of advancement in the practice. One can look to songs in popular culture like “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield and “My Best Friend’s Girlfriend” by The Cars, among many others, to see very popular songs extolling the violation of this precept.
To keep this under control, one refrains from coveting things (asteya), nor take something which doesn’t belong to you. This may not seem like particularly important, or important enough to warrant placing it just underneath in importance to such a primal impulse’s (the sensual impulse) control. However, when one looks clearly at it, one can see that this precept is a way of preventing unhealthy attachments to worldly items. This is a difficult concept to promote in today’s world, when one’s sense of worth is determined by what one owns.
Still, look into it further. Here is a good example: www.storyofstuff.com
This link is a clear example of what is going on in a systemic manner about acquiring things. What is interesting about it is that what she observes in this a systematic violation of this principle of Asteya on a world-wide scale. She calls it “externalizing costs”, but it’s the same thing.
SInce Swami Vishnu-devananda’s approach was without inner peace we cannot have outer peace- like in the example I am referring to above- then it’s clear enough that this impulse can be controlled nicely by each individual and this will slowly amount to something.
To summarize this precept, I would advocate that each person reading this would examine closely the underlying reason for pushing one’s energy out into the world, seeking to grasp onto “things”. A thing can include a person- a wife, husband, child, car, money, power, control, etc.
This has many implications- the objectification of women in magazines and so on has the violation of this precept at it’s heart. It’s what gives one permission to allow one’s mind to become lustful, greedy, and so on. It’s what allows for slow, subtle, and gradual de-humanization of external things. Yet because these things can never give one a clear sense of one’s true Self, then often one thinks that it is simply a matter of effort, and instead of making a u-turn on the road of life and going inward to discover the Self, one continues for long miles on a lonely road chasing the tail of consumption. Often, as the miles tick by, it can feel very much like one has made progress- one’s car is upgraded, and the terrain might be nicer (i.e. nicer house, car, money, job) and still one’s mind isn’t peaceful.
In war, the dehumanization of people is the ultimate violation of this precept, because in that case, one has now permission to de-humanize many people and attempt to kill them en masse. We do this almost every day with animals as well, because- well, clearly they aren’t even human. In our seeking to “own” them, and take a life which isn’t ours, we have lost respect for them, for ourselves, and other human life also. Still, at the root of war is a desire for something someone else has- in general, resources.
Television’s promotion of the continuous violation of this precept is another pervasive thing, and has more subtle effects because of it’s method of interaction with people. Yet, I will not rail against television here. For an excellent treatise on the implications of television in this way, read Neil Postman’s book: Teaching as a Conserving Activity.
Yet, this starts with things as simple as overly desiring a woman like the one you might see looking lustly at a camera selling cars or underwear. The principle of desiring that which isn’t (or isn’t reasonable) and cannot be yours is the gateway to many other kinds of mental illnesses and attachments in which one can lose oneself and one’s clear idea of their true Self.
Even taking responsibility for another’s emotions is being greedy and controlling to some extent, to avoid pain. Therefore, we have things like co-dependency and so on.
APARIGRAHA
Non-acceptance of bribes and money is a warning against the kinds of exchanges which can bind you. Since I noted the phrase “graha” above means to grasp, this should be easily understandable.
One only needs to look to politics to see the influence of big oil, big busines, big military, big everything in governmental terms, to undestand the binding influence on our so-called “leaders” and people in positions of influence. This is clear enough. Yet, I say that this kind of thing happens in many jobs. “Don’t bite the hand tht feeds you”, even when it violates your principles. How many of you work in industries which do harm to the environment or work for the military, directly, or indirectly? Does your wage then become a violation of the precept of aparigraha? This only you can say for sure, but it’s an interesting question. I certainly have been in this situation myself. Years ago, I rode my bicycle across America, and I met a man named Ricky, who was riding also across and he’d worked for Raytheon or some military weapons manufacturer. He didn’t know that his work was actually going into creating bombs to kill people, and when he found out, he quit and took his considerable unused wage for a trip around to world, mostly by bicycle.
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