Integrating Ancient Wisdom in Modern Life: Satisfaction and Contentment
- Unless you are Yama, self-restrained, the second is not possible – that’s why Patanjali calls them steps. The second is Niyama, fixed observance: a life which has discipline, a life which has a regularity about it, a life which is lived in a very disciplined way, not hectic. Unless you have a regularity in your life, a discipline, you will be a slave of your instincts.
- The Niyamas refer to duties directed towards ourselves – inner observances. They are intended to help us build character. There are five different Niyamas, including saucha (purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (self-discipline), svadhyaya (self-study), and ishvarapranidhana (surrender to a Supreme Consciousness).
- Niyamas are for self-discipline. The natural order of the universe is maintained by Yama and Niyama. Yama is the foundation of how we live in and relate to the world. Niyamas focus solely on the individual in relationship with self.
- Saucha, Purity: purification of all the five kosha – annamaya kosha(physical sheath), pranamaya kosha(life force sheath), manomaya kosha(mental sheath), vijnanamaya kosha(wisdom sheath), anandamaya kosha(bliss body). Purification of the koshas allows you to go deeply into the centre of yourself or soul. Purification is removing the obstacles coming in the way of natural evolution. So that the divine, higher consciousness can naturally flow towards self. All the kosha needs external and internal purification. Yoga guides various methods to purify all the kosha, internal and external.
- External methods purifies our temporary and internal methods purifies permanence. With the external purification our behaviour with surrounding, other and self will become affectionate, soft and non-violence. With the inner purification we become womb, receiver for the divine in silence. Divine can enter into your being only in silence. With the inner purification one can regain innocence, the innocence of a child, the innocence of a flower, the innocence of the dewdrops in the early sun – that freshness. God will descend on you when non-violence comes from outer purity and innocence from inner purity. Our behaviour with both others and ourselves is a reflection of our inner purity or impurity. Because if others are not available then we do the same behaviour ourselves.
- There is a vast difference between satisfaction and contentment. Satisfaction is something invented. When people cannot reach they have to create a certain consolation around themselves. That consolation is satisfaction, that consolation functions like buffers. Contentment is a totally different phenomenon. It happens only to the meditator, only the meditator becomes so blissful, so peaceful, because he has arrived! There is nowhere to go. He has found his home!
