The power of Sankirtan- a nada yoga practice

Hari Aum.

Sankirtan means singing the names or mantras of God in a group. This is regarded as a powerful spiritual practice by many yogis, including my Guru Sivananda.

The name or mantra of God is equal to God.  The English word 'sound' does not really do justice to the the significance of the name or mantra of God.

'Sound' is an ordinary word in English. We use it to communicate.

However, to a yogi, 'sound' is not a means of communication. It is a means of communion. A means of communion with God, who Himself is most powerfully manifest as 'sound'. The sound of God is His/Her name or mantra.

In this iron age or Kali yuga, the yogis say that human beings are mentally and physically weak. They do not have much capacity to do arduous tapas. Life is short, full of troubles, anxieties, worries and diseases. Many people spend their days in a terrible hurry, with barely enough time to eat and sleep, let alone having time do any arduous tapas.

In this difficult situation, are modern city dwellers with jobs and families doomed? As they have no ability to sit and meditate for hours on end, are they not doomed to make no spiritual progress?

No, say the yogis emphatically. They are not doomed. Why?

Because the sadhana for this Kali yuga is the practice of the sound of God. This can be done in a city or a village, on land, air or sea, or anywhere. It has a powerful effect, regardless of whether or not one has faith or devotion, regardless of whether or not one even understands the meaning of the sound of God.

There are two potent practices of the sound of God.

1. Japa - the private recitation of a mantra or name of God. This is an individual practice, usually done while one is alone.

2. Sankirtan- this is singing the name or mantra of God with other people, a joint practice.

Both japa and kirtan are 'nada yoga' practices, the path of union with God (yoga) through sound (nada).

My Guru Sivananda says the following about Sankirtan (see link below for full article):

"When several people join together and practise Sankirtan, a huge spiritual current or Mahasakti is generated. This purifies the heart of the aspirants and elevates them to the sublime heights of divine ecstasy or Samadhi."

"The powerful vibrations are carried to distant places. They bring elevation of mind, solace, strength to all people and work as a harbinger of peace, harmony and concord. They annihilate hostile forces and quickly bring peace and bliss to the whole world."

"Lord Hari says to Narada, 'naham vasami vaikunthe yoginam hridaye na cha, mad-bhakta yatra gayanti tatra tishthami narada', i.e., 'I dwell not in Vaikuntha nor in the hearts of the Yogins, but I dwell where my devotees sing my name, O Narada.'"

"Kirtan destroys sins, Vasanas and Samskaras, fills the heart with Prem and devotion and brings the devotee face to face with God."

http://www.sivanandaonline.org/public_html/?cmd=displaysection&section_id=443&format=html


As my Guru and many other Gurus say, kirtan is an excellent spiritual practice. It is said to open up the heart chakra and connect one to God. One can sometimes sing alone and sometimes in the company of others. Recently I attended a kirtan event organised by some bhakti yoga practitioners. They also offered a free workshop for beginners on how to play the 'khol' (mridanga made of clay). The khol has a wonderful sound and adds to the joy of sankirtan.

I so liked the sound of the khol/mridanga that I have now purchased one to use during my kirtan. I am trying to learn how to play this purely for the purpose of kirtan (have no wish to turn professional!). As I have a busy schedule due to work etc and there are no teachers close to where I live, I have turned to YouTube to learn how to play this instrument.

There are some online excellent lessons for beginners who wish to play the khol/mridanga. I am sharing a link below of one of the YouTube series that I have found the most useful. I am still very much a beginner at this but have managed to learn a couple of basic rhythms so that I can sing some of my favourite kirtans to this. Am hoping to hone my skills with the khol in the coming months so that I can really make the most of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IhAMRLRS4Y


A final note. My Guru Sivananda loved kirtan so much and propagated it all over India to such as extent that he earned the nickname 'sankirtan samrat'- emperor of kirtan. He would do kirtan with his disciples on lorries, boats, buses, while walking etc to spread awareness amongst people of the power of sankirtan.

Here is an excellent article by him on the different modes of kirtan that can be undertaken, ranging from 'akhanda kirtan' (non-stop kirtan) to boat and lorry-kirtan.

http://www.sivanandaonline.org/public_html/?cmd=displaysection&section_id=1105&format=html


Along with  japa, I would strongly recommend readers to engage in some kirtan from time to time. It really soothes the nerves and creates peace and bliss in the mind. One also feels closer to God through the practice of kirtan. No instrument is needed while doing kirtan. However if one likes, one can clap one's hands to the rhythm of the kirtan or play an instrument of one's liking.

There is gain and gain alone in doing japa and kirtan according to Sivananda. He says this is the only wealth that will follow us into the hereafter.

We spend all our time doing activities to take care of our perishable bodies and mind. It would be wise to spend at least some time daily doing kirtan and japa to nourish the soul (this practice also relaxes and thus restores health to the body and mind).

Hope this article inspires more readers to take up the practice of sankirtan yoga and thus tune into the divine within.

Hari Aum Tat Sat

Hinduism- the ultimate monotheistic religion

Hari Aum.

A common misconception about Hinduism, particularly outside India, is that it is a polytheistic religion. People who are unfamiliar with this philosophy think that this is similar to the Greek and Roman gods. Nothing could be further from the truth.

This article is meant mainly for those who are unfamiliar with Hinduism and curious about the basic concepts.

I would like to begin by saying that 'Hinduism' is not the proper name for the religion of the Hindus. It is a foreign name made by people who invaded India over the centuries. However as Hindus themselves have unfortunately accepted this name, I will continue using it here.

I would like to mention that the proper name for Hinduism is 'Sanathana Dharma' which means 'Eternal Truth/Goodness/Religion'.


Some facts about Hinduism:

1. Monotheism: Hinduism is a monotheistic philosophy. There is One God. The word for God in Sanskrit is 'Ishwara'.

However, this one Ishwara can be called by many names and can be represented by many forms.

This Ishwara is said to have a 'personal aspect'  (known as Bhagavan) which is represented as a specific form, and also an 'impersonal aspect' which is formless (known as Brahman).

2. Bhagavan: The personal aspect of Ishwara is represented as a male or female God.  There are many such names and forms of the personal aspect of the Supreme God such as Shiva, Narayana, Durga, Ganesha, Subramanya etc. All these are considered equal and worthy of worship. A devotee is free to choose any name and form that they like best to worship.

3. Brahman: The impersonal aspect of Ishwara is called Brahman. This is a formless aspect which is represented by infinite light, love and wisdom.

4. Nature of God: The qualities of God, written in some Hindu scriptures, are said to be six:

i. Jnana- Wisdom
ii. Vairagya- Dispassion (not bound by any desire)
iii. Kirti- Fame
iv. Shri-  Wealth
v. Shakti- Strength
vi. Dharma- Goodness/Righteousness/Justice

God is also described in other Hindu scriptures as infinite, immortal, peace, wisdom and bliss. He/She is described as pure consciousness, as Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute i.e. Sat-Chit-Ananda.

5. One God, many paths:  Hindu worshippers have the freedom to choose any name and form/formlessness they like to worship. This freedom within Hinduism, is also the reason why Hindus tend to be very accepting of other religions. Hindus believe that God is one, but the paths to Him/Her/That can be many.

The Hindu scriptures also say, that to define God is to deny God. In other words, according to Hindus, God cannot be defined fully using human language. He/She/That is beyond the mind, beyond the comprehension of the intellect. God is to be directly experienced, according to Hindus, not argued or debated about. This is another reason why Hinduism teaches that one should not argue with other religions about the truth of God, but rather let everyone find God in their own way.

6. Meditation: Hindus believe that God can only be experienced through meditation with a pure mind that is filled with virtues and free of all vices (sattvic mind).

7. Yoga: Yoga means a path that leads to union with God (it also means union with God). It is the path and the goal.

All paths of yoga are ways to achieve a pure mind that can then be used to meditate and directly experience the reality of God. The reality that we are one with God, that we are part of God, that we are immortal, pure, blissful, not the impure body and the impure mind.

8. God is everything and everywhere (in you, in me and in everyone and everything):
The Hindu scriptures state that everything is God. Other religions teach that God made the world but He stands outside it. Hindus believe that God made the world out of Himself/Herself- that He/She is present in every speck of space and every atom of matter. There is nowhere where God is not, according to the Hindu.

In fact, the Hindus believe that, ultimately, there is nothing but God. For this reason, one could perhaps call this the ultimate monotheistic religion.

Hindus pay reverence to living beings as a manifestation of God, to the Sun, water, fire, earth, plants and animals and much more as various representations of God.

Many Hindus close their eyes and meditate on brilliant light as seen in the Sun as a representation of the Supreme God who represents the light of wisdom. In the Gita, Krishna, an avatar of Ishwara/God, states that He is in water, earth, air, fire, living beings, everywhere, in everything.

9. Yogi: A yogi is a Hindu who seeks spiritual wisdom, direct experience of God, not mere worldly pleasures, or even heavenly pleasures.

10. Samsara: Hindus believe that there is an eternal cycle of birth and death called 'samsara'. This samsara, which is filled with suffering (of pain, disease, death and birth) is an illusion in the sense that it appears to be real but is not. It is like a dream- it appears real when you are in it, but you realise it was unreal, the moment you wake up. The Hindus see this world as a sort of dream world where things are not really as they seem.

11. Breaking out of the cycle of samsara: The attainment of God realisation (experience) is what breaks the cycle of samsara. When a soul (known as 'jiva') realises its oneness with Ishwara, the experience of suffering in samsara vanishes like a mirage in a desert.

However until the soul attains oneness with God, it moves endlessly through different realms of existence in samsara. According to Hindus, the creation of God is infinite, not limited to this little Earth or even this universe.

12. Creation of God: Hindus believe that God has created infinite universes, and several realms of existence. Individual souls are born in different realms according to their own karma, or actions.

There are heavenly realms in which souls who have done countless good deeds are born temporarily to enjoy the results of their good actions as 'devas' or 'demi-gods'. These demi-gods are bound souls within samsara and serve the Supreme God, Ishwara. Once their good karma runs out, they return again to this Earth plane, which is the place where good and bad karma is produced.

Ishwara gives the demi-gods the responsibility of handling certain aspects of nature such as fire, water, rain and so on. (Note- these demi-gods may seem similar to Greek and Roman gods but this is not the case as the demi-gods in Hinduism are not the supreme God, it is only Ishwara who is supreme).

Those souls who do evil actions on this Earth plane go to various hell realms to suffer in accordance with their own evil deeds. Once they have completed their time there in accordance with their evil actions, they are again reborn on Earth and have a fresh chance to do good or evil as they wish.

Heaven and hell are not permanent places where souls can live according to Hindus. These form part of the many realms of samsara.

13. God-realisation (self-realisation): The only permanent state of peace, wisdom, bliss and immortality is the state of oneness with Ishwara. This state, known as self-realisation or God-realisation, is regarded as the highest and best spiritual goal according to Hindus.

However, God gives freedom to humans to choose what they want. Humans who do good deeds with a wish to enjoy sensual pleasures for a while in heaven, may do so. However, according to Hindus, wisdom lies in desiring the experience of permanent peace and bliss of the Ishwara, not the temporary sensual pleasure of heaven.

14. Guru: A Guru is regarded as a guide on the path to God-realisation. This is usually an individual soul who has completed his/her journey to Ishwara, and who is now one with Ishwara (i.e. God Him/Herself). Sometimes a Guru may be an avatar or direct manifestation of God Him/Herself. A Guru is regarded as essential on the path to God.  (Note- not everyone who calls him/herself a Guru today is a genuine Guru. True Gurus are rare to find).

According to all Gurus, the real Guru resides within us (as God is the real Guru, and resides within us). Until we learn to hear the voice of the inner Guru, we take an external Guru as our Guru. The bond between Guru and disciple is eternal according to yogis.

15. Hindu scriptures: Hindus have many holy books, some of which are said to be the word of God Himself (e.g. the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita) and others which are said to be written by ancient God-realised saints (these include the Upanishads, Puranas and Itihasas, such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata). The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most well-known of these and contains the essence of all the teachings of Hinduism.

I hope the above article is useful for those who would like to know a bit about Hinduism.

Please see below for a link to an excellent online book by my Guru Sivananda on Hinduism, which explains in more detail about this wonderful, ancient religion.

http://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.htm

Hari Aum Tat Sat

Practical tips to successfully complete a purascharana

Hari Aum.

I thought I would share some practical advice on how to complete a purascharana based on my experience of having completed a few so far. This advice is especially intended for people who want to do a purascharana while juggling various commitments such as career, family and so on.

I will discuss some common obstacles that stop people from completing a purascharana and then suggest some possible solutions. I am myself a student on the spiritual path but I have some experience that may be of help to you. I am therefore sharing this in the hope that this may help you complete your purascharana and move towards the attainment of God.

Note- this article is about providing solutions to overcome some common obstacles in completing purascharana. For the specifics  of how to do a purascharana, please see the article dated November 6, 2015 (link below).

http://mantrayoga.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/how-to-perform-purascharana-simple.html


Obstacle 1: The mind says it is too big a task 

Solution: Break it down in to smaller goals and celebrate when you complete each one

A purascharana is an extended mantra practice which typically requires several hundred-thousand recitations of a mantra. The mind may be daunted by the number of recitations. What is the solution?

Beak down the purascharana mentally in to smaller goals. If your target is five lakhs of the panchakshara mantra of Shiva, break it down into five portions of one lakh each in  your mind.

After each lakh, enjoy the achievement, thank God and continue. See the purascharana as having different stages. Each time you complete one stage (e.g. 25 %, 50 %, 75%), do something to celebrate your success so far. This will help stay motivated to complete the sadhana and complete 100% of the purascharana.


Obstacle 2: The mind says there are too many rules

Solution: Be realistic, bend the rules where needed, but never abandon the japa 

It is true that there are some traditional rules to be followed when doing purascharana. However, rules are meant to support the practice, not to destroy it. A purascharana should not collapse simply because one cannot precisely follow every rule.

For example, it is advised that one should bathe three times a day when doing purascharana. My Guru says that it is enough to wash one's face, hands and feet and sit for japa if one cannot bathe. Obviously a busy mother who has to care for her children and also do a job, may not be able to bathe three times a day! It is perfectly reasonable in these circumstances to bathe once a day to maintain basic hygiene.

Equally one may not be able to eat freshly prepared sattvic vegetarian food daily. This is especially true for people living in the West where there is limited domestic help. One is one's own cook, driver, cleaner and everything rolled into one (Sivananda says this is a good thing as one should be independent and not rely on servants!). In these circumstances, one may have to eat food cooked the previous day from the fridge. While this may not be the traditional way, it may be the only practical solution. One has to be realistic about one's external circumstances when doing purascharana and not get overly bogged down by rules.

As my Guru Sivananda says, "Use your common sense always". All worries about rules etc, will vanish when one reminds oneself that the purest thing in the world is the name of God. It makes the unclean into clean and the unholy into holy.

If one is tired, unwell, sick or weak, one can bend all rules and do the japa alone. If one feels too weak to sit and do japa, one may lie down and do japa. If one feels too ill to even brush one's teeth one day before doing japa, one can sit up in bed without doing so, and do japa.

Every rule can be abandoned if necessary, but the japa should never be abandoned under any circumstances.

If one has to choose between keeping the rule and doing the japa, one should always choose the japa over the rule. The rule is to support the japa, not break it.

Note- my Guru says that those who do purascharana with worldly goals in mind (more money, career etc) will have to follow every rule. However, he says those who do purascharana simply to please God and attain His grace, should focus more on doing the japa with devotion and worry less about external rules (though one should of course keep these where possible).

In summary, one should emphasise the spirit rather than the letter of the rules in purascharana if one is doing this for spiritual attainment.


Obstacle 3: Trying to do too much japa daily

Solution: Be practical, commit to a small amount but do it every day until completion

Many people make big commitments of daily japa to do purascharana and give up after a few weeks or months. This is a mistake. It is better to do a smaller amount with regularity every day for years, than do a lot for a few weeks and then stop completely.

If one has family and work commitments, one has to be realistic about how much seated japa can be done. One may be able to commit 30 minutes or one hour only per day. This may mean that the purascharana takes 1-2 years or more. This is absolutely fine. The important thing is to complete the practice somehow, even if it takes a few years.

The key is to do the same amount every day - not less, not more. This will help develop a habit. Once the daily habit of japa is there, it becomes much easier to complete the purascharana.


Obstacle 4: Fear of God

Solution: Understand that God is love

Some people are afraid that God may become angry if they make some mistake in their practice, do not stick to every external rule, if they give up the purascharana etc. Instead of risking incurring the wrath of God by not doing the purascharana perfectly, they feel it is better not to start at all.

This fear is completely unnecessary and is simply the mind's way of creating obstacles in one's spiritual path.

God is love, He/She is compassionate and our nearest relative and friend. Would our earthly mothers become angry if we start making them a present and give up half way? Obviously not. Then why should the Divine Mother and Divine Father, who are the source of all love in earthly parents, be angry if we stop our spiritual practice?

Nobody will be angry if we give up sadhana. The only thing that will happen, is that we will lose the protection we get from the mantra. The mantra protects our mind from vicious, undivine thoughts and raises our consciousness to a pure level. It destroys our past negative karma and creates new positive karma, it helps us rise above all karma into the realm of the divine.

If we stop our sadhana, the only thing that will happen is that we will lose out on something precious. We will become vulnerable to undivine thoughts (anger, lust, greed etc) and may do evil actions/negative karma and thus create unnecessary suffering for ourselves. We will create delay in attainment of spiritual peace, bliss and immortality.

But nobody will be angry. Especially not God. He/She may feel compassion and pity for us, that we are foolish enough not to see the damage we cause ourselves by stopping sadhana. But there will be no anger. Let us understand this well.


Obstacle 5: Impatience for results

Solution: Learn to manage the mind, remember that good things come to those who wait

The mind wants to see immediate results. We all experience this. We want some fantastic spiritual experience soon after doing a little sadhana. The mind becomes frustrated if this does not happen and wants to give up the sadhana.

However, good things come to those who wait.

Based on my experience, I can say that doing purascharana has made me kinder, more compassionate, more aware of my faults, more sensitive to the suffering of other living beings. Of course I still have a long way to go to purify my mind but some improvement has happened as a result of my sadhana. This is very valuable. Only a pure mind can meditate and realise God.

This internal purification is more valuable than some siddhis like flying in the air, clairvoyance etc that only serve to fatten the ego. I am happy to say that I do not have any such siddhis. Nor do I want them. I pray to God that I may have enough sense to ask for Him alone and not for any siddhis- because He alone is worth having, nothing else. This is the approach advised by my Guru.

So one needs to learn patience on this path. It is not easy. I become frustrated at times myself. But I have learned to manage my frustration and continue the purascharana practice. I am grateful to God for this.

It is also worth remembering- every recitation of the name of God produces a result. It may be invisible but it is there. It has an auspicious effect even if our mind cannot immediately see it.


Obstacle 6: Poor time management, inability to finish the day's japa

Solution: Start the day with japa.  Aim to complete more than 50% of the day's quota in this session

I have two sessions of japa per day. This is realistic given my circumstances.

I have a morning session and an evening session. The morning session is before breakfast. Whatever time I wake up, whether early or late, I start the day with this. During the morning session, I complete more than 50% of my day's japa. This puts me in a relaxed frame of mind as I know I will be able to easily complete the rest in the evening. I am also more fresh in the morning so like to do most of the japa then- in the evening before sleeping, I am more tired and do a shorter session.

On days when I do not start with japa, I am more likely to fail in completing the japa for that day. Therefore I have formed the habit of having a morning japa session before breakfast. This may take place at different times as I wake up later at the weekends, and earlier on working days. But in general, I never have breakfast until I have done my morning japa session.

Also, if you have a busy life, aim to complete your japa in 1-2 sessions during the day. Unless you are a full-time japa yogi with no other commitments, it is very unlikely that you will be able to sit 3-4 times daily. So calculate how much japa to do in 1-2 sessions to be able to finish the daily quota.

If you are unable to complete the full day's japa, note down how much was not done and try to catch up (do the extra) in the coming days to make up the deficit.


Obstacle 7: No clear goal for completion of purascharana

Solution: Have a clear completion date for purascharana

Before starting the purascharana, clearly write down your intended finish date. Calculate this by working out how much japa you can do per day, your intended start date and how many days you need to finish the purascharana.

I use a website (see link below) to help me with this. I enter the start date of my purascharana on the website and add the number of days I need to finish- the website then tells me the end date. I write this down in my mantra japa diary.

https://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html

Once I decide an end date for purascharana, I try to stick to this at all costs. If I am sick, or there are some unavoidable circumstances, and for example, I can only do 7 malas that day instead of the usual 11, I note this down in my mantra diary and catch up by doing extra 4 malas on another day. (However, in general, I do the same number of malas every day). But I do not extend the date of completion - this remains fixed. This helps me to stay focused and continue the japa steadily every day.


Obstacle 8: Not keeping proper count of japa

Solution: Keep a separate diary for purascharana

I keep a special notebook only to record the mantra done every day during purascharana. Looking at my diary, I can easily see how many malas were done daily since I started. After every 2 lakhs, I draw a line under the date of completion, and write down how much has been done, and how much japa is still to be done. The diary is a valuable visual aid that shows me my progress towards completion of purascharana. It is an exact record of how much japa I have done daily. My Guru Sivananda advised this and I find this very useful in keeping motivated in my sadhana.


Obstacle 9: No fun and relaxation in life, too much discipline 

Solution: Take rest, do some hobbies, let your hair down from time to time

Purascharana is a discipline. It can take years to complete. It takes significant mental adjustment and planning. While japa may be enjoyable at times, on other occasions, it may feel like hard work. It takes effort to discipline the mind and to sit every day to do this practice.

To stay motivated in the path of discpline, it is important to have some relaxation and enjoyment in life. It is good to spend time with family and friends (in a sattvic way), do a hobby, go out in nature, watch a good movie or do something to let your hair down occasionally.

Being very tough with oneself all the time, will lead to mental rebellion as the mind will say it has had enough of discipline. I go out for walks in nature, watch some movies occasionally, spend time with family relaxing and ensure I keep a sense of balance between discipline and fun in my life. This helps me stay balanced and continue my daily purascharana practice.

Note- it may sound strange to say 'have fun' along with being disciplined. After all, in spiritual books, one reads about yogis doing terrible tapas like standing on one leg for years, living on mere air and doing nothing but sadhana.

But one has to be very realistic in spiritual life. Even great yogis like Yajnavalkya and Vishwamitra were overcome by flaws like anger and lust, other great yogis like Bharata became attached to a deer. Even the ancient yogis had to overcome the same flaws that you and I have to overcome.

It is no use building castles in the air and dreaming about tapas. The only tapas that matters is what we actually do, not what we dream about doing.

If having some fun in life, means one will do sadhana daily, then one should have some fun in life (sattvic fun obviously!)- this is to be seen as an investment in sadhana, as an aid to spiritual practice (not as an obstacle).


Obstacle 10: Lack of sleep, poor diet, poor health

Solution: Sleep enough, eat healthy food, exercise and take care of the body

Health is wealth. My Guru Sivananda says: "If wealth is lost, nothing is lost. If health is lost, something is lost. If character is lost, everything is lost."

A physically healthy body is a great help in doing sadhana. Having a sick body that is in pain will make it difficult for the mind  to concentrate on the mantra. Taking care of one's health is an important duty for every sincere spiritual aspirant.

One should get enough sleep (6-8 hours per day depending on the individual), eat healthy sattvic vegetarian food, and do some exercise at least 3 times a week. Along with this, one can do a little asana and pranayama as able for health.

In the name of being detached, some spiritual seekers disregard the health of their body, and refuse to take care of it, saying they leave this in the hands of God. This is extremely foolish according to my Guru.

He says that self-effort is needed to obtain the grace of God. The human body is a precious instrument given for the purpose of sadhana and God-realisation. The Gurus say that one gets a human birth only after countless births in other species and it is a great gift from God. It is the one birth in which the door to God realisation is open.

One should therefore avoid foolish habits that destroy the body (such as over-eating, smoking, drinking alcohol, using recreational drugs etc) and take good care of one's health to ensure maximum sadhana in this lifetime.


Final advice:

Only one thing ultimately matters in purascharana, i.e. daily practice of mantra japa. This alone will grant everything else that one may lack, be it devotion, discipline, ability to follow other rules etc.

Daily japa without break is the one and only rule that really matters. All other rules are dependent on time, place and circumstances.

My final advice therefore is- be fearless, trust in God and in yourself, and proceed with determination on the path of purascharana, the path of success in spiritual life.

May God and Guru bless us all with spiritual peace, wisdom and bliss.


Hari Aum Tat Sat

Yama and Niyama- the ethical foundation for all paths of yoga

Hari Aum.

Yama and niyama are basic ethics needed for anyone who wants happiness, whether material or spiritual. These are based on the law of karma- you get what you give to others. The idea is to give good things to the world, so you receive good in return (rather than the opposite).

These form the basic foundation of all paths of yoga. Without these, the mind will not be purified and spiritual practice will not yield results.

A sadhaka who tries to practice yoga without yama and niyama is like a sieve trying to fill him/herself with water (tapas)- it will all leak out.

A sadhaka who is committed to practicing yama and niyama will gradually develop a pure and strong mind, capable of directly perceiving the Supreme Truth and attaining the spiritual goal of life. So say the Gurus and scriptures.

We may not be perfect in our practice of yama and niyama but we need to at least try our best if we want to experience spiritual Truth or God. The practice of the name or mantra of God will remove inner impurities and help us to walk the path of dharma (goodness) and practice the yamas and niyamas.

So what are the yama? The five well-known yama, outlined by the sage Patanjali, are as follows (these are mostly qualities of mind that need to be developed):

1. Ahimsa- Non-violence. This applies to thought, word and deed. 

2. Satya- Truthfulness, honesty. Sticking to the truth at all times, in thought, speech and action. 

3. Asteya- Non-stealing. Avoiding taking what is not one's own. 

4. Brahmacharya- Control of the senses. This includes celibacy or marital fidelity. 

5. Aparigraha- Non-possessiveness. Not being greedy.

There are said to be five more yama (in addition to those described above) described by rishi Sandaliya, which are as follows. These are linked with the five yama above (their opposite):

6. Kshama- Forgiveness

7. Dhriti- Patience

8. Daya- Compassion towards all beings

9. Arjava- Sincerity, straightforwardness (avoidance of cunningness, hypocrisy)

10. Mitihara- moderation in eating

What then are the niyama? These are qualities of mind as well as specific actions to be undertaken to progress on the spiritual path.

Patanjali describes five niyama, as follows:

1. Shaucha- cleanliness, purity - this applies to one's external and internal environment, to body and mind.

2. Santosha- contentment, acceptance of one's situation in life 

3. Tapas- Actions to control the senses and the mind (e.g. fasting, silence, mantra, meditation)

4. Svadhyaya- study of spiritual books, scriptures. Sivananda says svadhyaya also includes japa.

5. Ishvarapranidhana- self-surrender to God, which leads to liberation

There are 10 niyama describes by the sage Sandaliya, as follows:

1. Tapas - as above 

2. Saucha- as above

3. Aastikya- firm faith in God, Guru and the scriptures

4. Dana- charity, giving to others, sharing with others, without a sense of egoism/doer-ship

5. Ishwara pujana- worship of God with single-minded devotion

6. Siddhanta vakya shravana- listening to the scriptures and reflecting upon their meaning

7. Hri- the feeling of remorse when one acts unethically 

8. Mati- faith in the paths to God described in the Vedas

9. Japa- recitation of the mantra of God

10. Vrata- making and keeping spiritual resolutions and vows

To summarise the above yama and niyama in simple terms:

1. Do as you would be done by- treat others as you would like to be treated, i.e. with compassion, forgiveness, honesty, generosity and patience. Not with violence, falsehood, greed and hypocrisy.

2. Control the senses e.g. through occasional fasting, mauna (silence) and so on

3. Purify the mind- develop sattvic, good qualities/virtues through mantra japa, various forms of worship, undertaking vows, study of the scriptures

4. Purify the body and keep surroundings clean (as the saying goes, cleanliness is Godliness)

5. Have faith in God, Guru and the scriptures and surrender to the will of God in all things. Develop contentment as a result of this faith.

Here is a link to the description of yama and niyama by my Guru, Swami Sivananda:

http://sivanandaonline.org/public_html/?cmd=displaysection&section_id=836&parent=686&format=html

These yama and niyama form the ethical basis of yoga and practising these is a lifelong commitment, until one attains the state of perfection known as Self/God-realisation. 

Sivananda says that mantra japa helps purify the mind. Practice of mantra along with conscious striving to practice yama and niyama is said to lead to a pure and strong mind, a fit instrument for the attainment of spiritual wisdom, peace and bliss.

Hari Aum Tat Sat