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)