personal integration

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.