Yoga Leading To Vigorous Life

This way of life' is stated to lead to vigour. The belief among yogis is that abstention from the use of the sex function (which is often maintained after the duty to one ‘s family has been successfully done) leads to a sublimation of the bodily energy, which would otherwise have been expended wastefully, into the functions and powers of the higher mind. It is argued  contrary to popular opinion in the West  that the sex function is the one function of the body which does not in any way contribute to the welfare of the body, but exists only for the benefit of others, that is, future generations. If abstention leads to any bodily disorder, that must be put down to the effect of wrong emotional attitudes towards the subject, and consequent wrong ideas. No doubt modern popular literature has created a vast amount of ignorant thinking and unhealthy opinion on the subject, and the human power of imagination has intensified the cravings of young people in the modern world far beyond the limits of naturalness.

This question will come up again in our chapter on the vital force of Kundalim, where the yoga teaching is all in favor of abstention (when socially justified), and the direction of the vital forces to the 'higher' functions of life is quite elaborately described.

5. The word here translated 'non-greed' is aparigraha. It could also be translated 'non covetousness' or literally, nongraspmg (graha) all round or round about (part). It is related to one of the five great troubles (kleshas) of human life - possessiveness (abhinivesha). The difference of meaning is that while aparigraha is concerned with grasping or getting, abhinivesha IS more concerned with holding on to what one has. As to the latter, there is an aphorism which states that this trouble is so firmly grounded in human life that it is instinctive even with the wise.' The commentators have often emphasized that the chief part of it lies in clinging to the body something usually very much overdone, the point of view of the yogis being that the body exists as a ground of living for the sake of spiritual attainments. Their position could also be summed up in the saying, 'It is better to lose your body and save your "soul" than to save your body and lose your "soul" losing your soul meaning lowering your standard of life (which has nothing to do with 'standard of Irving of course).

When this virtue is attained, says the aphorism, the yogi will have a perception of the method of births. In the first place he will see that it is not what we have but the use that we make of it that matters in life. So, as regards material things, the yogi is not much concerned with more acquisitions, or with the satisfaction of common desires. He becomes habituated mentally and emotionally to the idea of' 'living on the wing' rather than 'digging in'. Many are the practising yogis who outside business hours and social duties are engaged in yoga. They are almost recognizable by the equanimity with which they meet and deal with 'what comes'. Later on, the advanced yogi renounces the plan making faculty (vikalpa). He makes no plans for himself, but meets the karma that comes and attends to the calls of duty that arise, his motive of action being 'for the welfare of the world.

vajra- sanhananatwa

The last word (vajra- sanhananatwa) though usually regarded as referring to hardness, could also mean 'great energy', for vajra means 'thunderbolt' as well as 'diamond', and sanhaanatwa means mightiness' or powerfulness.

Enough has been said to show that austerity (tapas) does not mean mortification, and must mean body-conditioning, with great firmness of will, avoiding all bodily indulgence and insisting upon that quantity and kind of food, exercise, and rest which one believes to be best for the body. This is, of course, good common sense also, leading to greater bodily health, pleasure, and happiness than can be obtained by thoughtlessness or weak indulgence.

To show that this attitude is not merely that of the raja yoga school, and of philosophic schools such as the Bhagavad Gita represents, we will quote also from that most authoritative of hatha yoga works, the Hatha yoga Pradipika: 'Overeating; effortful exertion; idle chatter; hard vows; needing to be with people; restlessness-by these six yoga is ruined.

Finally, that there may be no doubt whatsoever in this important matter, we will quote that most abstract of all philosophers, Shankaracharya, he who over two thousand years ago according to orthodox belief - made India ring with the One Reality (adwaita) doctrine.

Seat or posture is only that in which contemplation of Brahmn can be comfortable and continuous; that should be adopted, not others, which interfere with comfort.

Straightness of limbs occurs when there is resting in harmony with Brahman, not if there is only straightness like a dried-up tree.

Having achieved knowledge-sight, one sees the world, as com. posed of Brahman - that kind of seeing is the highest, not the gazing in front of the nose. Or when there is the cessation of (the distinction of) seer, seeing, and seen, there is the Steadiness of vision.

Coming now to the fourth of the five Observances, Self study (swadhyaya), we will briefly say that it means there should be some daily study bearing upon the nature of oneself not merely study of outward or objective things. There is plenty of difference of opinion about what study this implies. Many maintain that it must refer to the study of one's own scriptures, one's own religion; but the general attitude of the Sankhya philosophy which pervades the yoga. Sutras should discount this view. It is true that swa does not mean 'self', but as a prefix means 'one's own' (e.g. swa karma means an action done by oneself swakula means one's own family; szuadesha means one's own country). We shall probably rightly take the meaning to be the study of what really concerns oneself- on the principle that 'the proper study of mankind is man', the study of one's own being and nature, as distinguished from the study of external things, which is usually pursued for some gain to the bodily life. Finally, we come to the fifth of the Observances, attentiveness to God (Ishwara, Pranidhara).

It is really problematical how one should regard the idea of God as ruler (Ishwara) in the Toga Sutras. Usually the first tendency is to think that one should feel devotion to the Founder or the Basis of all known being - both matter and life. But to be grateful to God as Ruler is one thing, and to regard God as the model or archetype of one's own future state of being is another. The latter is the formulation in the meditative portion of the Toga Sutras a matter already dealt previously. The yogi must become unaffected by troubles of which ignorance is the chief and the source of all or by works and their effects outside or inside.

Unseen Factor

Such unseen and incalculable elements are 'those which arrive without effort (praptas). The Western person is often annoyed when something 'accidental' spoils his work or his plans. The Oriental expects it, or at least is not surprised by it, and so accepts it without anger or resentment. He attributes it to the unseen, which, being beyond mind - beyond the most perfect planning is of the deva nature, or the gods, but still within the field of causation, the result of some karma, or action previously done.

Whether it is an adverse 'accident' (i.e. unseen factor) or a propitious one, still the yogi is pleased (santushta) with it. The mistake will henceforth be corrected; the man, having gone through the experience with contentment and attentiveness, has learned his lesson and had his awakening a  lesson he would not have had without the experience, and which he could only have anticipated and averted with much thought and wisdom.

Next the third of the five Observances comes austerity (tapes).This does not mean self mortification a mistake made by many. How could self-mortification lead on to good posture, good breathing, control of the senses, concentration, meditation, and contemplation? On the contrary, the Bhagavad Gita says:

Yoga is not for the excessive eater, nor for one who avoids food too intently; not for one addicted to excessive sleep, nor to (excessive) wakefulness. Yoga becomes the destroyer of pain for one whose food and recreations are yogic, whose efforts in actions are yogic, whose sleeping and waking are yogic.

Much light is thrown by the succeeding verses upon the use of the term 'yogic'. It could also be translated 'proper to the occasion' to convey the meaning, for it is when the lower mind mechanism is directed to thoughts about the Self, without longings for objects of desire, that it can be called yogic. In such a case there will not be excess or any unnaturalness or unhealthy habits. The Self has now become the main interest, or in more modern terms it is the welfare of the inner man on his path of evolution or unfoldment that is the subject of thought and interest.

The culmination of this group of verses comes when the yogi is described as so much united with the Self that he 'absorbs the unlimited happiness of contact with Brahman'. Then, when he realizes that there is the same Self (dtmd) standing in all beings everywhere, and all beings existing in that Self'- the same everywhere, regardless of pleasure and pain that yogi is considered to be the highest.

In the same work there is as much condemnation of self mortification as of over-indulgence:

Those people who inflict upon themselves fierce austerity (ghora tapas) unintelligent  suppressing the groups of (small) beings in their bodies, and me (the spirit) also established within the body - know them as having demoniac resolves.

This is confirmed by a description of the foods that are good and are liked by the people whose taste is pure, as 'those which increase vitality, bodily harmony, strength, health, pleasure, and gratification, and are juicy, oily, firm, and heartening.

The yoga Sutras are also very clear on this point - that austerity (tapas) does not mean injury to the body.

From tapas, with the decline of impurity, come the powers (or perfections siddhis) of the body and the organs (of sense and action), and Excellence of the body consists of correct form, beauty, strength, and very firm well-knitness.

Truthfulness Are Considered

The aphorism on this subject goes a little further. The abandonment of animosity against oneself must of course come to an end with the exhaustion of the old collection of debts, but more comes in. There is the tendency for others to reform their ways in one's presence. It is good for us to see the good and to have the company of the good. Indeed, to be good is itself a good deed. In social relations this is a large part of the mutual benefit. Even the illustrations in the newspapers of the slender ladies who look so nice and surely are enjoying health and suppleness (although put there merely to persuade others to buy various articles) are part of our 'company of the good', which is so definitely thought of in India that it enjoys a special name the Satsanga. This benefit is not from imitation, but from emulation, and it is both external and internal. Besides, how could anyone reach a high point of spiritual contemplation if his mind contained low and selfish thoughts ?

The results of truthfulness are considered in the commentaries on the Sutras to be due to truthfulness in both word and thought. The results of actions being subservient to us translated into our own idiom; can only mean that henceforth we shall get what we work for. Why do people so often fail? Chiefly because they have been willing to live in a state of self deception They aim at health, for example, and do something about it, but still spoil the work by various prejudices against the good counsels which are available in the health and physical culture magazines. They will not give up although they know it is harmful they hope it will be all right, and surely just a little will not matte.

Again, people do not measure their karma (circumstances) against their strength. Good sense (truthfulness) would tell them that to be realistic and accept what is, without useless wishing and complaining, and then act according to their best judgment for a reasonable aim in the circumstances, measuring their own ability and strength realistically also, will mostly result in the desired success. But do they follow this good sense, this truthfulness to themselves in thought, first of all No, they complain and fret, and poison the air for others as well as themselves.

Truthfulness in speech is the cement of friendship and social confidence, and whoever breaks that causes wide suspicion, as King Henry V explained with wonderful eloquence and effect in Shakespeare's play.

Jewels approach. It was natural for the simple-living people of India in the old days to think of jewels as wealth. There were no banks to give them interest on their deposited 'savings, and there was generally no thought of accumulating currency, which may perhaps have been in process of depreciation, then as now. Even today the Hindus generally regard the family jewels as their bank. But consider the law of karma as applied to riches. It could be formulated as what you earn you have' - for all time. But if you rob, you lose. If a child comes to birth 'with a silver spoon m his mouth' it is because he has earned it in the past. Qrigen, one of the Christian Church Fathers, had the same idea.

The Ethics And Morality Of Yoga

It will probably come as a surprise to many to learn that progress in yoga depends upon goodness in personal character and in social relations, and that this is, indeed, laid down authoritatively as the first requisite in the main-line system of yoga, namely, the Toga Sutras of Patanjali.

In the Yoga Sutras eight limbs (angas) or tools or aids are prescribed. These are sometimes spoken of as 'steps', because the course of yoga practice is often alluded to as a road (marga) or path or way.

The following is a list of the eight 'limbs', in order, though it is intended in the present chapter to draw particular attention to only the first two. The others are listed merely to give a preview of the other six, to which they lead1 The eight are:

I. Abstention (yama).

2. Observance (Niyama).

3. Posture (Asana).

4. Breath-control (Pranayama).

5. Sense-withdrawal (Pratyahara)

6. Concentration (Dharana).

7. Meditation (Dhyana).

8. Contemplation (Samadhi)

It will be noticed that the first two of these eight are concerned with the aspirant's attitude towards the outer world and towards himself, in short, to ethics and morality in the widest sense of those terms; the next three have to do with the body and the senses; and the last three deal with the mind. Really, the transactions of life are between the real man (purusha) or Self (atma) and the world, but there are two instruments in between, as it were - the mind as inner instrument and the body as outer instrument. These two tools - or perhaps we should call them kits, as they are both quite complex  have to be put into good order and kept in good order as part of the regular system of conditioning.

Now to the Abstentions and Observances:

Abstention, says the text of the Toga Sutras, consists of five self-restraints, described as

(I) non-injury

(2) truthfulness

(3) non-theft

(4) spiritual conduct

(5) non-greed

The ideal is to maintain these five in all circumstances and at all times. The would-be student may be somewhat staggered by this demand at the outset, but if he confesses this to his teacher (guru) the following conversation is likely to ensue:

Teacher. Yes, I admit these are difficult to carry out perfectly. But tell me, can you say that you have entirely given up the desire to injure, to lie, to steal, to be sensual, and to be greedy ? Is it a pleasure to you to think of injuring, Lying, dishonesty, sensuality, and greed ?

Pupil. Yes, I can truly say that I do not want these impulses. I do not do these things for pleasure, but through either force of habit or temptation I do them occasionally.

Teacher Well, if you have given up the desire to injure anybody or to lie or steal or be sensual or greedy, and have given up pleasure in the thought of injury to another, etc., the battle is already almost won. You may proceed.

The second step, Observance, is also described as fivefold, but this time the five are things to do, whereas the first step listed things not to do.

They are: I. Cleanliness (Shaucha).

2. Contentment (Santosha).

3. Austerity (Tapas).

4. Self-study (Swadhyaya)

5. Attentiveness to God (Ishwara-pranidhana)

Cleanliness is usually described as having reference to both mind and body - in thought, word, and deed. The word for contentment (santosha) comes from a verbal root, tush, which means to be pleased, so this virtue is something more than mere passive contentedness. It does not imply passivity or resignation, but is allied to the doctrine of equanimity (samatwa) much emphasized in the Bhagavad Gita. Speaking of the advanced yogi, it says:

springboard for fuller living

Contentment is the basis or springboard for fuller living. We have to review every now and then our available materials, our tools, and our intentions. One thing is clear if there is to be any decided success on the path of yoga there must be no more complaints, no whining, no grousing not even any wishing. We need all our powers for the work m hand, whereas every wish is a cultivation of weakness, an announcement to ourselves of our inability to live realistically Decisions governing actions there will be. By making decisions the will grows; by allowing love to play its part in them our expansion of living and consciousness have their growth, and by the use of thought the power of our thought grows.

As these grow they play a larger and larger part in the moulding of our circumstances and the making of our environment. What is the enhancement of life and conscious. ness but an increase in our capacity for enjoyment? Contentment paves the way for the three kinds of positive living which constitute the three rules for daily living next to be described the last three of the 'ten commandments' of the yoga. In the meantime, the acceptance of things and people as they are, with glad acceptance not wishing them to be different, will enable the yogi to live among them without antagonism, and to derive the maximum pleasure from each moment 's opportunity. 'We used to live in a big house; now we have to put up with a little one'; 'We used to be well to do and to count socially, but now we are poor and despised'; 'These fruits are not as good as those we had in Jamaica five years ago. This film show is no good, does not compare with. Such are the attitudes to avoid, by which we may cause the good and the best to be our undoing, as far as pleasure is concerned

There is a question whether contentment can be put on like a garment. It can. First it may come from the understanding of life, a proper philosophy which tells us that all things are possible for us in rotation but not all at once, and that each thing has great value for the inner man. Secondly, when it has been known and felt - for it is a discovery still to be made by most people - the mood of the mind can be commanded. Now and then, when you find the discontent, you can command yourself to enjoy, with full attention to what you are doing. Even the enemy is then seen, and felt, as a friend, and we approach the yogic realization that we can be at peace with the world even when the world is not at peace with us.

8. From strict government of the body, amounting even to austerity (tapes), comes excellence of the bodily powers and senses. There is to be no mere indulgence; if certain foods are believed to be best for your body you take them; if they are not good you avoid them. Proper food, exercise, rest, recreation  and all in their proper measure.

It is doubtful whether the word 'austerity' is a satisfactory translation of tapas. Body conditioning describes the aim. The word tapas comes from a verbal root which means 'to heat', so perhaps our word 'ardour' applied to bodily living  would be good. Determination to live up to one's knowledge of what is best is implied. Definitely it is the use of will-power in this practical field. We shall find, as we proceed in the study of yoga, that several physical practices are recommended for the welfare of the body and for improvements in its functioning. They include chiefly exercises for purification, breathing, and posture. Those are not, how ever, included in the term strictness in daily life.

Protectiveness

From the above considerations it is easy to account for the statement that there arises the perception or understanding (bodha) of the 'howness' (kathanta) of the course of births (janman).  The common word for rebirth or reincarnation is punarjanman, punar meaning 'again'. This yogi has understood the theory very well. He can judge why certain conditions and happenings come to people, and therefore he has the wisdom to see how they should be dealt with to fill up the deficiencies of character of the people involved in them, and when he attains the higher vision or the intuitive or direct perception of the mind, on account of his detachment from particular things, he will positively see the course of past births - that is the meaning.

6. The results of bodily cleanliness are given as 'protectiveness of the body and detachment from others. The first part of this explanation of results has been the cause of much conflict of opinion among the commentators. One school of thought takes the word jugupsa to mean protectiveness, and another loathing. This is one of those words, rare in Sanskrit, which can have two or more quite different meanings. I have preferred protectiveness for the reason that it accords with common sense and with intelligent practice. It would be strange indeed that dislike of the body should arise from a habit of cleanliness. Desire to protect it from dirt and from 'bad living magnetism' is much more likely. Besides, loathing of anything is as much disapproved in yoga theory as infatuation. The fact that some fanatics despise the body only indicates their own admission of its unnaturalness and the grip which that idea has upon them.

For the sake of cleanliness, and also for the sake of 'psychic cleanliness', the Hindus do not in general approve of bodily contacts. An example is their greeting on meeting one another. The open hands are placed together, palm to palm and fingers to fingers, and held vertically in front of the chest for a moment. This is preferred to the handclasp, which anyhow was originally a way of ensuring the absence of weapons. Other evidence of their carefulness in this matter is the dislike of the upper classes for smoking, with the exception of some who have been influenced by Western customs. One man gave me his reasons: 'I dislike very much the idea of taking into my lungs smoke which has been in other people's mouths and is saturated with their saliva.

So there is really no justification for the translation of the aphorism as 'loathing for one's own members, and non intercourse with others'. Besides the reasons already given, this does not fit in very well with the interest in excellence of the body shown in some other aphorisms already quoted, and the general idea that attachment and aversion are both emotions to be overcome. In practice I have found that the great number of people who do yoga meditations every morning are very scrupulous about taking the morning bath and wing clean clothing. Dirtiness among Indians is nearly always due to poverty and inconvenience in the water supply.