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| Patanjali suggests five abstinences and five observances, respectively, Yama and Niyama. We are to practice: |
| non-injury non-lying non-stealing non-sensuality non-greed |
Abstinences |
One of the big things that we find to be missing from every form of existence is perfection. We
would love to go through life without injuring others. Patanjali suggests that all of the above
vices, greed, sensuality, stealing and lying are forms of injury.
Another way of looking at the challenge of how to live ones life without injuring others might
involve acceptance that, at least in the short term, this is impossible. When we expand the term
"others" to include all of the co-existing reality that we do not consider to be part of ourself, it
starts to become clearer.
We are all doing the will of God. We are doing the Will of God whether we wish to or not. God
has been spoken of as the "Creator," the "Preserver," and the "Destroyer." An understanding of
physics reveals that these three processes are constant in every level of existence. Whenever
anything is being destroyed, the same event is the creation of something else. So long as anything
is not destroyed it is preserved.
To a very real extent, the process of inflicting injury is dependent on the victim's acceptance of
that event as such. Two extremes are:
Between these two alternatives lies all the suffering. On each of the scales, injury, lies, theft,
sensuality and greed, it is easy to place oneself. We can easily tell where it hurts, what we believe
that is not true, what has been taken from us, what abuse we have endured, and what we want and
cannot have.
To so judge another is not easy at all. Let's play with honesty. Moses passed along the
commandment not to lie. Governments threaten us with charges of perjury should we lie to the
court. The precept in every walk has always been to tell the truth because that is what everybody
wants to hear.
If we as a group agree to tell the truth, then we as a group can rest assured that our history is
true, our news reports are accurate, that science is correct and politicians are honest. This sort of
belief structure is synonymous with naiveté.
There is a source that we can conceivably believe without question. That would be, for each of us,
our self. If I have resolved to tell the truth, then I can believe what I say. This has to mean
something, because the alternative does too. I can lie to myself about any and all features of my
life, and I can fool myself. We all have the ability to deceive ourselves. We have the ability to
cheat ourselves. We can hurt ourselves in endless ways.
So, perhaps the abstinences are ultimately more applicable to ourselves.
would love to go through life without injuring others. Patanjali suggests that all of the above
vices, greed, sensuality, stealing and lying are forms of injury.
Another way of looking at the challenge of how to live ones life without injuring others might
involve acceptance that, at least in the short term, this is impossible. When we expand the term
"others" to include all of the co-existing reality that we do not consider to be part of ourself, it
starts to become clearer.
We are all doing the will of God. We are doing the Will of God whether we wish to or not. God
has been spoken of as the "Creator," the "Preserver," and the "Destroyer." An understanding of
physics reveals that these three processes are constant in every level of existence. Whenever
anything is being destroyed, the same event is the creation of something else. So long as anything
is not destroyed it is preserved.
To a very real extent, the process of inflicting injury is dependent on the victim's acceptance of
that event as such. Two extremes are:
- An action is not meant to involve injury, but it is perceived to be so by the one who believes
himself to be injured. - An action that is meant to be injurious is gracefully accepted as harmless and benign.
Between these two alternatives lies all the suffering. On each of the scales, injury, lies, theft,
sensuality and greed, it is easy to place oneself. We can easily tell where it hurts, what we believe
that is not true, what has been taken from us, what abuse we have endured, and what we want and
cannot have.
To so judge another is not easy at all. Let's play with honesty. Moses passed along the
commandment not to lie. Governments threaten us with charges of perjury should we lie to the
court. The precept in every walk has always been to tell the truth because that is what everybody
wants to hear.
If we as a group agree to tell the truth, then we as a group can rest assured that our history is
true, our news reports are accurate, that science is correct and politicians are honest. This sort of
belief structure is synonymous with naiveté.
There is a source that we can conceivably believe without question. That would be, for each of us,
our self. If I have resolved to tell the truth, then I can believe what I say. This has to mean
something, because the alternative does too. I can lie to myself about any and all features of my
life, and I can fool myself. We all have the ability to deceive ourselves. We have the ability to
cheat ourselves. We can hurt ourselves in endless ways.
So, perhaps the abstinences are ultimately more applicable to ourselves.
As with each of the eight limbs of the path of Raja, perfect abstinence is not a requirement for
any of the others. It can be helpful to think of these five no-nos not as rules, commandments or
vices but rather as descriptions. As one practices yoga, the result is a person who does avoid
injury, lying, stealing, sensuality and greed. The result is someone who observes cleanliness,
contentment, body-conditioning, self-study and attentiveness to God. With the weakening of the
sources of trouble, the yogi finds that he can sit in tranquility, that he can breathe comfortably,
that he can be free for a while from the distractions of the five senses, that he can concentrate,
that he can meditate, that he can dwell in the serenity of contemplation.
any of the others. It can be helpful to think of these five no-nos not as rules, commandments or
vices but rather as descriptions. As one practices yoga, the result is a person who does avoid
injury, lying, stealing, sensuality and greed. The result is someone who observes cleanliness,
contentment, body-conditioning, self-study and attentiveness to God. With the weakening of the
sources of trouble, the yogi finds that he can sit in tranquility, that he can breathe comfortably,
that he can be free for a while from the distractions of the five senses, that he can concentrate,
that he can meditate, that he can dwell in the serenity of contemplation.
| non-injury non-lying non-stealing non-sensuality non-greed |
Perfect abstinence suggests a state of non-existence. Our being is an event. We exist at the
atomic level, protons wrapped within our electron robes. We exist at the physical level, falling on
to one another as we hurtle away from nothing. We exist at the chemical level, consuming
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, mixing and swirling them in endless beauty and throwing
them into the universe. We exist at the biological level, the neurological level, the psychological,
the social, the economic, the political, the spiritual and the imaginary.
Since all from which we can abstain constitutes everything, we are left with nothing. Here is an
exercise:
Sit down, lie down or remain standing, but relax and do nothing.
atomic level, protons wrapped within our electron robes. We exist at the physical level, falling on
to one another as we hurtle away from nothing. We exist at the chemical level, consuming
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, mixing and swirling them in endless beauty and throwing
them into the universe. We exist at the biological level, the neurological level, the psychological,
the social, the economic, the political, the spiritual and the imaginary.
Since all from which we can abstain constitutes everything, we are left with nothing. Here is an
exercise:
Sit down, lie down or remain standing, but relax and do nothing.
| non-injury non-lying non-stealing non-sensuality non-greed |
The previous exercise is interesting in that its conclusion remains undefined. My comment here
has no bearing on your experience following the last instruction. I can comment all that I want
about what you may have thought and/or felt, but I would be talking about nothing. When that
is the subject, the less said, the better.
has no bearing on your experience following the last instruction. I can comment all that I want
about what you may have thought and/or felt, but I would be talking about nothing. When that
is the subject, the less said, the better.
| Yoga for Carnivores by Jay Dyck |