The five principles of Social Balance namely:( a.)Non-injury,( b.)Benevolent truthfulness, (c.)Non-stealing,( d.)Non-indulgence ,( e.) Recognition of the Supreme, are the moral principles that are laid as cornerstone in being at peace with others. The principles of Niyama (Personal Integration) explained below deal more with one's own personal integration or being at peace with oneself than with one's relation to the society. Both Yama and Niyama are essential , and each compliments the other.
1. Purity (Shaoca) - The cultivation of cleanliness, both physical and mental. A clean body and environment have a very positive effect on the mind, but it is important to maintain internal cleanliness too. P.R. Sarkar emphasizes the importance of developing a strong, healthy and relaxed body through exercise, yoga posture (asanas) and through eating a pure and balanced diet. Some people find that a vegetarian diet helps them maintain a clear , calm state of mind. Shaoca requires constant vigilance to ensure that one is not disturbed by such mental impurities as hatred, doubt, fear, shame, jealousy, passion , pride, etc.
A feeling of selflessness - a feeling of universalism - is the fundamental remedy for removing mental impurity. One who has a fascination or temptation for an object , can gradually get rid of mental pollution arising out of selfish motives by adopting just the reverse course.
2. Spirit of Contentment (Santosa) - A state of proper mental ease. In order to achieve santosa we can remind ourselves throughout the day that behind our anxieties and tensions we have a vast reservoir of creativity and energy which we can use to solve our problem. We very often have moments during the day when our minds are not fully engaged in what we are doing - perhaps- we are waiting to see a doctor, perhaps we are riding the bus, perhaps we are going for a walk-and at times like this it is very helpful to repeat our mantras* mentally. This state of "half meditation" is very conducive to the development of santosa. Contentment is not possible when one is constantly running after worldly pleasures, because such pleasures are always transitory. We should try to be satisfied with what we have and not be chasing after material gain. However this does not mean that we should allow others to exploit us, i.e. if there is a situation that either you, or someone else , is being exploited in anyway, it is our duty to try to amend the situation and it is certainly not santosa to ignore the problem for the sake of "peace".
3. Penance (Tapah) - The practice of sacrificing petty personal pleasures in the greater joy of serving others. This is really an essential part of achieving real self integration for we do not live alone and in the words of one sage ,"He who would go to Heaven alone will never get there." In every living being there is the desire for the Infinite, and as we expand our minds in meditation, we come to feel the poignancy of that universal desire as our own. At that point the natural thing to do is to try to share with others the possibility of fulfilling that desire through helping them physically, mentally and spiritually. Compassionately recognizing our common nature we lead others along the path of self-fulfillment by our service, by our love and by our example. It is said that a true measure of one's progress on the spiritual path is not how much you know but how much you love all living beings and all creation. As the whole idea of spiritual practices is to become one with all things, we cannot think of anyone or anything as being separate from us. Therefore to think of our own welfare without at the same time serving the needs of others, will certainly enhance our feeling of separateness. There are many forms of service; to other people, to other creatures, and to plants. In fact we should try to help all life forms on the path towards the infinite goal.
4. Study of scriptures - ( Svadhyaya ) - Study of scriptures and other good books, as well as understanding the meaning. We must make the effort to go beyond mere dogma or ritualism and to touch the truth behind the words of the world's saints and seers. The absence of svadhyaya has led us to the decay of many religions and the confusion of a lot of people. We should not blindly accept anyone's words without personally penetrating deep into their meaning.
5. Seeking the Shelter of the Supreme - ( Iishvara Pranidhana ) - This is the last principle of Niyama and is the key to all the rest. Iishvara Pranidhana means meditation. It means realizing that union with the Supreme or with Cosmic Consciousness is the goal of life and moving with ever increasing speed towards the fulfillment of that goal. Iishvara commonly means "controller of the universe." Pranidhana means "understanding something clearly" or to adopt something as a shelter." Therefore Iishvara Pranidhana means to get established in the cosmic idea, to accept Iishvara as the only ideal of life. This is entirely a mental effort, and consists of moving at an accelaerated speed towards that supreme shelter through meditation. The basic technique of Iishvara Pranidhana taught by Ananda Marga is meditaion upon the individual mantras. In meditation we allow our minds to center on the mantra , on both its vibration and its meaning. This takes place in particular during meditation, and especially during group meditation, when a powerful collective spiritual wave is created. But the process goes on to the various degrees all other times too. The more we are established in Iishvara Pranidhana the more we will find ourselves moving in accordance with other principles of Niyama.
The relevance of Yama and Niyama and their application to the present crisis in our society will be discussed on the next blogs.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
social balance , continued
The following is the continuation of 5 principles under social balance:
4. Non-indulgence (Aparigraha) - Non-use of the amenities of life beyond what is necessary for individual preservation. This is an ecological principle- minimize your resource consumption, but it is also a psychological principle. When we cling to something we don't really need, we are fostering a tendency of mind which runs against the current of our spiritual practices. It is also a fact that the excessive enjoyment of physical comfort tends to dull the mind and make spiritual effort more difficult.
5. Recognition of and attachment to the Supreme (Brahmacarya) - A state of mind in which we see everyone and everything as an expresssion of the Supreme. To practice Brahmacrya open our minds to delve into the hidden depths of creation and to see that there is a single energy and a single consciousness pervading all forms. A person who is fully established in Brahmacarya will have no tendency to harm, to selfishly lie, to steal , or to exploit others through over - indulgence. It is a difficult yama to follow, but if we continue with our meditation and try to apply the other principles of yama and niyama in our lives, gradually we will find ourselves taking this perspective more and more of the time. Brahmacarya is to remain attached to Brahma (Cosmic Consciousness). If man looks at every object as a finite entity, his or her mind becomes so engrossed in material objects that his or her consiousness becomes crude . The true spirit of practicing Brahmacarya is to treat the objects with which you come in contact as different expressions of the Supreme and not as crude forms. By this means, even though the mind wanders from one object to another, it does not get detached from the Supreme, because of the Cosmic feeling taken for each and every object.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
4. Non-indulgence (Aparigraha) - Non-use of the amenities of life beyond what is necessary for individual preservation. This is an ecological principle- minimize your resource consumption, but it is also a psychological principle. When we cling to something we don't really need, we are fostering a tendency of mind which runs against the current of our spiritual practices. It is also a fact that the excessive enjoyment of physical comfort tends to dull the mind and make spiritual effort more difficult.
5. Recognition of and attachment to the Supreme (Brahmacarya) - A state of mind in which we see everyone and everything as an expresssion of the Supreme. To practice Brahmacrya open our minds to delve into the hidden depths of creation and to see that there is a single energy and a single consciousness pervading all forms. A person who is fully established in Brahmacarya will have no tendency to harm, to selfishly lie, to steal , or to exploit others through over - indulgence. It is a difficult yama to follow, but if we continue with our meditation and try to apply the other principles of yama and niyama in our lives, gradually we will find ourselves taking this perspective more and more of the time. Brahmacarya is to remain attached to Brahma (Cosmic Consciousness). If man looks at every object as a finite entity, his or her mind becomes so engrossed in material objects that his or her consiousness becomes crude . The true spirit of practicing Brahmacarya is to treat the objects with which you come in contact as different expressions of the Supreme and not as crude forms. By this means, even though the mind wanders from one object to another, it does not get detached from the Supreme, because of the Cosmic feeling taken for each and every object.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Cornerstone of an Ideal Society, Part 2
(The continuation on the topic "Social Balance and Personal Integration" will introduce sanskrit words as printed in the book ,A Guide to Human Conduct, by the spiritual Master, P.R.Sarkar.These sanskrit words will appear in parenthesis, following immediately the topic described.)
SOCIAL BALANCE (YAMA)
The following five principles of Yama deal mainly with helping us to achieve a positive sens of balance in our dealings with society.
1. Non-injury (AHIMSA) - Action performed without the intention of harming anyone or anything by thought, word or deed. As long as one is chained to the desire to harm or exploit, one's progress towards peace and understanding is hindered. But the dynamics of life sometimes do involve force. To take a very basic example, everytime we breath we are killing thousands of micro-organisms. Here the intention is not to harm the bacteria, but simply to breathe. In other instance it might be necessary to use force to save human lives and liberties and this would be in accordance with AHIMSA as long as the action was not motivated by hatred or anger.
In the past many people have misinterpreted AHIMSA to be synonymous with non-violence, which involves even refraining from dpending oneself or others. If one is being attacked, or if others are being attacked, persecuted or deprived of their rights, it is our duty to do our utmost to ensure that those who would intimidate or exploit, are prevented from doing so. At times, it may be necessary to use force in this regard.
2. Benevolent Truthfulness (SATYA) - To guide all thoughts, speech and action with the feeling of welfare. SATYA could be interpreted as relative truth. Many of our tabloid daily newspapers tell the truth, but it is not truth tempered with the spirit of welfare. Humans are rational beings, and so our thoughts and actions should be guided by benevolent consideration for the well-being of all people. There maybe times when slight distortion of the actual facts is needed in order to prevent greater harm from happening. To illustrate this, suppose you are having dinner with your mother who has a weak heart- suddenly the phone rings and you are informed about the death of a very close member of the family. Would you tell your mother outright, risking shock and possible heart attack on her part - or would you break the news slowly and gently ? This is one instance where the use of SATYA is necessary.
3. Non-Stealing (ASTEYA) - Not to take, either physically, or mentally, that which rightfully belongs to someone else. In striving for true balance in our dealings with others, the thought of stealing is nearly as bad as the physical act itself. Stealing may be of four types :
a. Physical theft of any material object.
b. Planning a theft without actually stealing.
c. Without actually stealing you deprive others of their due.
d. You plan to deprive someone of their due.
When a person steals he or she develops an instinct which is detrimental to his or her spiritual progress , and even to think of doing so makes him or her greedy. Hidden desires too can be a type of stealing as this comes from comparing. You must be satisfied with what you have.
Be absolutly trustworthy. We cannot build a healthy human society if the walls of mistrust block the flow of love. It will never be material things which bring real happiness, but the joy of oneness with the Supreme Consciousness - this grows with unselfish love, and is made inaccessible by greed and mundane desires. Help others to be moral in this respect by assuring that no one lacks the minimum necessities to maintain their lives.
(to be continued...)
SOCIAL BALANCE (YAMA)
The following five principles of Yama deal mainly with helping us to achieve a positive sens of balance in our dealings with society.
1. Non-injury (AHIMSA) - Action performed without the intention of harming anyone or anything by thought, word or deed. As long as one is chained to the desire to harm or exploit, one's progress towards peace and understanding is hindered. But the dynamics of life sometimes do involve force. To take a very basic example, everytime we breath we are killing thousands of micro-organisms. Here the intention is not to harm the bacteria, but simply to breathe. In other instance it might be necessary to use force to save human lives and liberties and this would be in accordance with AHIMSA as long as the action was not motivated by hatred or anger.
In the past many people have misinterpreted AHIMSA to be synonymous with non-violence, which involves even refraining from dpending oneself or others. If one is being attacked, or if others are being attacked, persecuted or deprived of their rights, it is our duty to do our utmost to ensure that those who would intimidate or exploit, are prevented from doing so. At times, it may be necessary to use force in this regard.
2. Benevolent Truthfulness (SATYA) - To guide all thoughts, speech and action with the feeling of welfare. SATYA could be interpreted as relative truth. Many of our tabloid daily newspapers tell the truth, but it is not truth tempered with the spirit of welfare. Humans are rational beings, and so our thoughts and actions should be guided by benevolent consideration for the well-being of all people. There maybe times when slight distortion of the actual facts is needed in order to prevent greater harm from happening. To illustrate this, suppose you are having dinner with your mother who has a weak heart- suddenly the phone rings and you are informed about the death of a very close member of the family. Would you tell your mother outright, risking shock and possible heart attack on her part - or would you break the news slowly and gently ? This is one instance where the use of SATYA is necessary.
3. Non-Stealing (ASTEYA) - Not to take, either physically, or mentally, that which rightfully belongs to someone else. In striving for true balance in our dealings with others, the thought of stealing is nearly as bad as the physical act itself. Stealing may be of four types :
a. Physical theft of any material object.
b. Planning a theft without actually stealing.
c. Without actually stealing you deprive others of their due.
d. You plan to deprive someone of their due.
When a person steals he or she develops an instinct which is detrimental to his or her spiritual progress , and even to think of doing so makes him or her greedy. Hidden desires too can be a type of stealing as this comes from comparing. You must be satisfied with what you have.
Be absolutly trustworthy. We cannot build a healthy human society if the walls of mistrust block the flow of love. It will never be material things which bring real happiness, but the joy of oneness with the Supreme Consciousness - this grows with unselfish love, and is made inaccessible by greed and mundane desires. Help others to be moral in this respect by assuring that no one lacks the minimum necessities to maintain their lives.
(to be continued...)
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