Two limbs of yoga - social ethics

 

Every moment that you spend here, in this place, just know that you are in a Divine place… in the Divine space. Know that you are on this planet for a very unique and big purpose, and not just to eat, sleep and talk. You are here for a greater cause. Just remember that. Take a challenge – “Come what may, I am going to smile today and be happy!” 

For our growth, and to strengthen our lives, we need to follow some rules. These rules are called “yama” (social ethics) and “niyama” (personal ethics). They are the first two steps (or limbs) of yoga – of inner union. 

Yama:

There are five rules to living peacefully in society and the environment: The first rule is “ahimsa” or non-violence. Non- violence unites you with the whole creation. Just as you don’t harm yourself, you don’t harm the rest of creation. Everything is part of you, so how can you harm anything? Ahimsa is the practice of yoga, of not harming, and realizing that everything is here. 

You don’t lie to yourself, do you? You can’t lie to yourself. If you are weaving beads, you don’t say, “I am not weaving beads.” You are, and you know it. When you have chocolate in your hand, you don’t say, “I don’t have chocolate in my hand.” You do have chocolate in your hand! So, the second rule is “satyam” or truthfulness. 

The third is “astheya”, meaning, not missing what you don’t have at this moment, nor wishing things were different from what they are at the moment – not regretting. Astheya is not: “I wish I had a voice like that person! I wish I could sing like that person. I wish I were young like that person. I wish I could run like that person. I wish I could be as intelligent as that person…” It is not comparing yourself with others or wishing for what they have and you don’t have. Astheya is not wishing you could have those things.

Fourth is “brahmacharya”, meaning, not interested in small things; not interested in the shapes and forms of the body. The mind, here, sees beyond the physical, to the infinite. Brahmacharya is keeping the mind on bigger things. “Brahma” means big; moving in bigger things.

“I am this”, “I am small”, “I am a man”, “I am a woman”, “I am a good person”, “I am a bad person”, “I am hopeless” – all these are small identifications. you collect the garbage and hold on to it very safely! This is what most people do. They are ready to bounce up, take negativity and keep it to themselves. If someone is taking out garbage and throwing it into a basket, you don’t have to take it! Don’t take anything from anybody, including insults! Of course, compliments don’t really bother us! They just go to our heads! What really bother us are the insults, the hurt, and all the negative words that we take from people. Don’t take them! Do you understand? This is aparigraha, the fifth rule.

Types of devotees

 

The first kind is a devotee who keeps asking, ‘God give me this’, ‘God give me that’. The second kind is a devotee who is always grateful, ‘Thank you God, you gave me this and you gave me that.’ Such a devotee is emotional, prayerful and keeps crying out of gratitude. The third kind is a devotee who always remains joyful, keeps smiling, dancing and singing; a joyful devotee.

All three are different kinds of devotees, and yet all three are supreme. It is not that one is greater than another — that is not so. So there is, a crying devotee, a laughing devotee, and a devotee who keeps asking — which category are you in, you can see that for yourself. It is possible that a little of all three may be there in you. That also is okay.

Then that would be the fourth kind of devotee — one who has a little bit of all the three present. Now, one who gets lost in fun only, somewhere or the other, he is not able to attain depth, and depth is also needed. That is why saint Kabir has said – “Kabira hasana door kar, rone se kar preet, bin roye kit paaiye, prem piyara meet“.

The crying which Kabir is talking about is a different kind of crying. It is the crying that comes out of praise, out of gratitude and longing. It is not the kind of crying where one feels that this is lacking, that is lacking, this did not happen, that did not happen. He is not referring to that type of crying which is for the worldly matters or maya. He is referring to those who cry out of bliss and devotion. So that is also needed.

But the devotees who are joyful are said to be the knowledgeable ones, because they know that God is right here — He is within me, and He is present this very moment. Often people think that God is elsewhere; He existed sometime in the past or will come sometime in the future. They forget that God is right here, right now, present within everyone, present within me — this conviction should be there. We do pranayama, asana, kirtan, bhajan, seva, to know that God is inside me, right here and right now.