There are universal principles of conduct that lead people along the path of self-knowledge and well-being. They are the first two steps of yoga, called yama and niyama.
The foundation of real progress, for the individual and for society
Yoga includes eight steps. The first two are universal human norms of conduct and are called yama and niyama. They help us change our thinking so as to succeed in the practice of yoga.
Simply knowing about these principles is not enough. For changes to take place in the mind and in life, daily practice backed by theory is needed. The path to a happy life will become more conscious and confident once you begin to follow these principles.
A happy life is not only material comfort and convenience but a complete sense of happiness on the spiritual, mental and physical levels, accompanied by inspiration, clarity, energy and stability. All this creates the basis for the practice of meditation.
In life we are always making a choice: to evolve or to degenerate.
And following the principles of Five principles for how we treat the world: not harming, truthfulness, not stealing, keeping the mind on the Supreme, not living beyond need. and Five principles for shaping oneself: cleanliness, contentment, service despite hardship, uplifting study, keeping the Supreme as life’s goal. is a guarantee that the choice has been made in favor of progress. As long as the right direction is kept — from imperfection to perfection — inner inspiration and happiness are felt. The moment this direction changes, you get the feeling that something has gone wrong.
Once we begin working on ourselves from within, we will surely find the results in the outer world. If we make efforts only in the physical sphere, it will give a good result, but one comparable to a cosmetic repair. Such a transformation does not bring a fundamental and lasting change for the better. But by transforming the mental and spiritual spheres, we gain confidence in tomorrow and a support for further development.
The moral principles fall into two categories: yama and niyama. The principles of yama govern our interaction with the outer world, with society. For spiritual progress there is no need to become a hermit and go off, say, to the Himalayas, because there one has no chance to improve one's relationships with society.
Practicing the principles of yama stops the accumulation of karmic reactions and does not let us slide back in our development.
The principles of yama:
- Not causing harm (ahiḿsá)
- Benevolent truthfulness (satya)
- Not stealing (asteya)
- Not accumulating what is superfluous (aparigraha)
- Perceiving everything around us as an expression of cosmic Consciousness (brahmacarya)
The principles of niyama, in turn, cleanse the mind of negative tendencies and give steady forward movement and progress.
The principles of niyama:
- Purity (shaoca)
- Contentment (santośa)
- Austerity (tapah)
- The study of spiritual literature (svádhyáya)
- Taking shelter in supreme Consciousness (Iishvara prańidhána)
By themselves these principles cannot bring enlightenment, but they create a powerful base for spiritual practice.
Following the principles of yama and niyama makes meditation deeper
How can you check how pure your mind is? Close your eyes and try to observe what is going on in the mind. If there is restlessness, tension, heaviness, a lack of inspiration, it means negativity has accumulated and you need to work on purifying the mind.
Even a golden vase standing on a shelf has to be cleaned regularly to make it shine. How much more our mind, which is in constant motion, interacting with the outer world and accumulating negativity. Regularly practicing the purification of the mind is very important.