Swami Ram Teaching

Keys to Successful Living
By Swami Rama
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Swami Rama Articles
Keys to Successful Living

Swami Rama
Everyone wants to be successful in life, but where are the keys to success? Do we have to
go out and search for those keys, or do we have those potentials already within ourselves?
When we begin to examine life, we can see that it is divided into two aspects -- life within
and life without; internal life and external life -- and we can see that these aspects are of
equal importance. Even if we have renounced the world, gone far away from civilization,
and live in the wilderness doing nothing but meditation, we cannot ignore external life. We
still have to see that we eat, do our ablutions, and perform our practices on time. So life in
the external world is as important as life in the internal world. Even one who has renounced
the world has to understand the word relationship properly, because life itself is actually
relationship. The body is related to the breath, and the breath is related to the mind. The
body, breath, senses, and mind all function together as a unit. So life virtually means
relationship, and thus the art of living and being requires an understanding of one's
relationship to the external world and the relationships within oneself.
All human beings have inner potentials, but many people are not aware of those potentials
and do not know how to use them to have a successful life. Those who are not happy
internally can never be happy externally; those who are not happy within themselves can
never make others happy. Those who do not love themselves can never love others.
If we are not happy, how can we be successful in life? Success lies in our happiness. The
keys to happiness lie within us, but our modern education does not teach us how to find
them. It is helpful to have a few formulas to practice in daily life to make it more successful.
I have not created these formulas; they are derived from observations based on experience.
There are five points to remember: first, how to decide things on time; second, how to
study personal habit patterns; third, how to conduct ourselves in the external world; fourth,
what attitude to take; fifth, where to find happiness. To attain success in life, one should
learn and apply these five points.
Deciding Things on Time
The first point to understand is the philosophy and science of decision -- how to make
decisions on time. The most successful person is that person who knows how to decide on
time. There are many extraordinarily brilliant people who understand things very quickly,
but when the time comes to make a decision, when an opportunity comes, they withdraw
and are not able to act. They do not know how to decide. They know they should learn to
decide on time, but they don't do it. They always say, "Well, I knew it. I understood the
key, but I did not act in time." Though they may think correctly, and accurately understand
the situation properly, they suddenly lose confidence. This is a world of competition;
someone else is always trying to attain the same thing we are. So if we do not decide on
time, someone else will attain what we want. Time is valuable in the external world. A
tender bamboo can be easily bent, but if we try to bend a mature bamboo, it will break.
That which we have to do today, we should not postpone for tomorrow, but we should also
not make decisions in haste.
We may have a setback if we make a wrong decision, but our mistakes will teach us. Many
people avoid making decisions their whole lives, so their decisive faculty of mind, the faculty
of discrimination, becomes rusty and dies. Such people become totally dependent on others.
When we study the four functions of the mind -- buddhi, the faculty of decisiveness; ego,
the principle of identity; chitta, the storehouse of impressions; and manas, the importer and
exporter of sensations and experience -- then we become aware of the power of the will.
Will power is that something within us that comes forward and says, "Do this. It will be
helpful for you." Training the internal functions helps us to understand the decisive faculty
of the mind, without which we cannot be successful. [See also the article on the Four
Functions of Mind]
We should understand our capacities and potentials, and then we should express ourselves
in the external world with full confidence, acting without any reservations. Thus there are
three steps in performing an action: first, forming an opinion within ourselves; second,
expressing our opinion to others; and third, executing our opinion in action.
Understanding Habit Patterns
The main thing that one should learn in life -- and it is not taught in the home or in the
schools -- is self-analysis. We should learn to analyze ourselves. If we really want to
understand ourselves, we can analyze our personality by understanding our habit patterns.
This is not difficult. We should simply try to be consciously aware of every action we
perform and realize that our actions are virtually our thoughts. Without thought there can
be no action. Habit patterns and thoughts are revealed through behavior.
There is a branch of psychology called behaviorism that is based on this concept. But one
should understand that external behavior alone cannot reveal everything about a person.
Laughter, for example, cannot be analyzed behaviorally. If I were to laugh, you might also
laugh with me simply because I was laughing but without understanding why I was
laughing. Your laughter is out of sheer reaction. Then you might laugh a second time, this
time at yourself because you did not understand why you were laughing and yet you
laughed. You might also laugh a third time because you finally understand what I was
laughing at and you now also find it funny. All three times your laughter might seem the
same to others, but each time it had a different motivation. So internal states cannot be
understood through behavior analysis alone. Only a small part of oneself and others can be
understood through observing behavior. But knowing our habit patterns can help us to
analyze and understand our personality.
What is personality? The word "personality" comes from the root persona, which means
"mask." Our personality is a mask that we wear. We don't have to wear a mask when we
are by ourselves; we wear a mask to express ourselves to others. Our personality is a
character, and that character is composed of certain habits. Each of us has numerous
habits; so when we want to understand our personality, we should understand our habit
patterns. A habit pattern is a conscious thought or action that one repeats again and again.
This creates a groove in the unconscious mind and forms an unconscious habit. Unconscious
habits are stronger than conscious habits. All habit patterns are self-created. When we sit
down and try to understand which of our habits control our life, we see that there are many
deep-rooted habits within us. We should learn to study them. Once we become aware of
harmful thoughts and emotions that have created deep grooves in the mind, we can begin
to change them by creating new grooves. Then the mind will stop flowing to the old grooves
and start flowing to the new ones. In this way we can change our habits.
You should also learn to execute your intentions. For instance, many people have very good
intentions to do something nice for their neighbors, and they think about it all the time, but
then those thoughts are never executed, they are never allowed to become actions. We
have many thoughts that have never been executed, and that is why we are miserable. If
we learn to select those thoughts that are helpful and then allow ourselves to execute them,
that brings fulfillment, and life will be happy. We create misery for ourselves when we do
not bring our good thoughts into action. One of the French writers has explained this
concept beautifully: "All good thoughts that are not brought into action are either treachery
or abortion." Good thoughts are those that help others and that help us also. Bad thoughts
are those that obstruct our progress and create barriers for others.
Deep-seated habits can keep you from doing that which you know would be good for you to
do. You become helpless because of the obsessions and addictions that are caused by your
habits. You may continue in a habit that you know is not good -- that is neither healthy nor
helpful and that should not be done -- because the habit has become so deep-rooted that
you are powerless to change your behavior. Society does not help you change your bad
habits, and there are very few places where you can get help. Many people who are in the
penitentiary know that what they have done is a crime, but the force of habit led them to
act improperly. Their faculty of discrimination within functions -- they understand what is
right and what is not right -- but their deep-seated habits have motivated them to do
something that is not good, that is not acceptable. Actually, no one should be considered
either a good person or a bad person. In traditional English law, when someone was
punished, he was told, "We are not punishing you for yourself. We are punishing you for
your bad habits."
Controlling the Primitive Urges
Habit patterns are very strong motivations in life; we should not ignore them. We should
not create a defense mechanism and say, "Well, so what if I have this habit?" We should
learn to study our habit patterns and work with our habits to change them. There are very
few basic habits, and they arise from four fountains: food, sex, sleep, and self-preservation.
By understanding these four primitive fountains, we can understand our habit patterns, and
then we can learn to change them and to transform the personality.
Food is the first basic urge. If a husband tells his wife, "Don't overeat," she may say, "I
overeat because of you. You don't pay attention to me, so I have to overeat." Sometimes
when the sexual appetite is not dealt with properly, people overeat. This is the universal law
of compensation. If we maintain a nutritious diet, we will not have any problem from the
primitive fountain called food. Food goes through the body and then affects the mind, but
sex originates in the mind and then is expressed through the body. If our mind is balanced
and we have attained emotional maturity, then we can deal competently with the sex urge.
For it is the mind, not the body, that deals with sex. The poor body cannot handle the rush,
the flood, of mind, and so almost no one is sexually happy. To have a balanced sex life, one
should understand that a calm, tranquil mind is very helpful.
Sleep is another primitive fountain. We consider ourselves to be extremely knowledgeable

and highly advanced, but we do not know anything about how to sleep. It is very important
to understand the anatomy of sleep. If you wanted to go to sleep right now, you could not
do it because you need many accommodations to create the proper atmosphere for sleep,
but yogis know how to go to sleep voluntarily, remain conscious, and then wake up at the
exact moment they had determined they would. People go to sleep just out of habit, but we
should learn to train our will so we can go to sleep or wake up anytime we want to. And
when we sleep, we should be conscious. This is possible. There are methods for going to
deep sleep, recording what is going on around us, and then waking up and remembering it.
Yogis know these methods and have demonstrated them scientifically. People do not need
to sleep as much as they are in the habit of doing. We can go to the state of deep sleep for
just two hours and awaken totally refreshed. This has been observed by scientists who have
done research on the anatomy of sleep. If we know how to sleep, we can give complete rest
to the body and to the conscious mind anytime.
The fourth fountain is self-preservation. Fear comes from the urge for self-preservation, and
when fears are deepened, they create phobias. People are always trying to protect
themselves; they are always afraid. It is good to protect ourselves from the physical world,
but it is not good to protect ourselves from the mental world -- that is very dangerous.
People should learn to face their inner fears and to understand why they are afraid. People
always want to avoid unpleasant things, and so they never examine their fears. That is why
they have innumerable fears within them. Most fears are unexamined, and they are
imaginary; they are not valid. "My husband has not come home. Perhaps he has had an
accident. Perhaps something awful has happened!" Why imagine only the negative; why not
imagine the positive also? "My husband has not come home. Perhaps he has won the lottery
today. Perhaps he has become a millionaire!" People are in the habit of creating imaginary
fears, and when they don't come true, they forget them. They don't go back and analyze
those fears. Even when people know that their fear is imaginary, that self-created fear still
makes them miserable.
Even when people are in love, they are afraid of the beloved. "Perhaps she is angry.
Perhaps I have done something wrong and made her unhappy." People are also always
afraid of their enemies. People form a strong habit of being afraid of everything. But when
they learn to examine their fears, they realize that all fears are imaginary. Imaginary means
there is an image within. We receive an image from outside, from our relationship, and then
we create an image within; we have millions of images within us. To be free from all fears,
we must learn to face fearsome images and to examine them. Fears are extremely
dangerous, but they are all self-created. Learning to live free from the fears that arise from
the urge of self-preservation is very important.
Living in the External World
How can one live successfully in the external world? It is very difficult to live in the external
world, to put up with the world, to deal with the whims of many people, to please everyone.
So it is helpful to have a few principles to apply to the various situations and circumstances
we find ourselves involved in. Then alone is it possible for us to be successful. We have
numerous experiences every day -- some pleasant, some unpleasant. But there is one
category of experience for which we long: the kind of experience that guides us, that
motivates us to do something helpful for others and for ourselves. But such experiences are
very rare.
We waste our time and energy. Even the time and energy that we think we are spending in
pleasure we do not enjoy, because we do not really know how to enjoy the things of the
world. But we can learn how to do this; all the things of the world can be enjoyed. The
renunciates say, "Your world does not have anything. It's not a good world. All things are
fleeting, all things are changing. All things are momentary, and nothing makes you happy.
Why are you in this world? Why do you not renounce?" But they are wrong. We can live in
the world and learn to use the things of the world as means. As St. Bernard says, "Learn to
use the things of the world, but love God alone." The things of the world should not be
loved. Their nature should be understood, and they should become means, but they should
not be loved. When we use them, we tend to get attached to them -- that is not healthy.
We should love God alone, and we should learn that all the things of the world are to be
used solely as means for attaining the center of love. The Lord of life is called love. We
should learn to love our responsibilities and to discharge our duties lovingly, without any
attachment.
Western students think that it is not possible to love someone without attachment. But
perhaps the word attachment is not understood. Love is different from attachment. In love
we give -- we do our duties lovingly -- and that is entirely different from attachment.
Attachment is unauthorized. In attachment we become blindfolded and selfish. In
attachment we expect all the time and we are never fulfilled, and thus we become
miserable. There is not one single thing that we can say is really ours. We can have things -
- and we should learn to look after them properly -- but we should not try to possess them.
In attachment people are afraid. "This is mine. What will happen to me if it dies? What will
happen to me if it is destroyed?" People remain constantly under the pressure of the fear of
losing what they have or of not gaining what they want. The whole problem of fear arises
from these two sources.
Most people are not aware that they are on a voyage. They are in the habit of collecting
useless garbage, and it creates problems for them. People should learn to understand that
needs and necessities are different from wants and desires. If we need something, we
should have it, but we should not uselessly want to have unnecessary things. In studying
the lives of great people, we find they share one trait that has made them successful: they
do not take what they do not need. Once when Buddha was going as usual from door to
door with his begging bowl to beg for alms, housewife shouted at him, "You idiot! You are
so healthy, so strong, and so handsome. You were a prince! Why did you renounce your
home and start troubling us? Every day you come with your begging bowl. It has become
too much for us." She was very angry because the whole city was full of renunciates, and
there were very few householders; it was a problem for the householders to feed all the
monks. She became so angry that she picked up some filth and tried to give it to him. He
smiled and said, "Mother, I don't need it." He started to go on his way, but one of his
disciples got angry and told the woman, "I am going to kill you for behaving like this with
my Lord!" Buddha turned back to him and said, "You are not my disciple. You have not
learned anything from me. If somebody wants to give you something undesirable, don't
take it. If somebody says you are bad, don't accept such a negative suggestion." We should
learn to understand this point, and then we can go through the process of life unaffected.
But instead of remaining unaffected, people allow their cultural values to make them
dependent on external suggestions. We are blasted by suggestions all the time, and the
power of suggestion is immense. If ten people say that we look ill, then we begin to feel
sick. If someone says "You ugly person," then your whole day is ruined. But if someone
says "Oh, you look beautiful then you say "You have made my day." You are already
beautiful, but if nobody appreciates you, you don't believe in your beauty. You should learn
to appreciate and admire yourself; you should learn to understand and come in touch with
that beauty which is within you all the time. You are already beautiful just as you are! You
do not need others to tell you are beautiful. You should not become dependent on others'
opinions; you should not try to know yourself through others.
There is a very dangerous characteristic in this culture: people make themselves dependent
on each other. People live on suggestions; they are swayed by whatever anyone says.
People are in the habit of always wanting and expecting attention from others, and this is
very dangerous, because then life becomes totally dependent on others. This is the worst
trait I have seen in Western culture. Wives nag their husbands and husbands criticize their
wives because they expect too much from each other. When people become dependent on
their relationships, when they expect too much from their relationships, then they are
bound to suffer.
When a girl goes to school, the thought that constantly lives in her mind is that she will
meet a good boy, get married, and be happy. But there is no Bible in the world that says
marriage will make someone happy. Marriage does not make anyone happy; it is only a
means for happiness in life, and if this is understood, then it is very good. But if one expects
too much and thinks that marriage is the answer to all the vital questions of life, then that
person will find only disappointment. People grow up with unreal expectations about
marriage, and the philosophy of marriage is not taught. What is the purpose of marriage?
What is the philosophy of remaining single? If a single person does not know how to use his
time positively, and if he has no personal philosophy of life, then he becomes perverted.
Those who are unmarried are not happy, and those who are married are also not happy.
Marriage is like a fortress: those who are inside cannot come out, and those who are
outside are rushing to get in. So I have not seen anyone who is happy. This does not mean
that people should not get married; the institution of marriage is very necessary. If it
crumbles, all of society will crumble. This is a great discipline for human society.
Developing the Proper Attitude
What should our attitude in the world be? It should be that relationships and all the things
of the world are means. The world has never given anyone enlightenment, but at the same
time it is impossible for one to get enlightened if one does not live in the world. What
helplessness! The world does not give enlightenment, and yet we have to live in the world.
Therefore let us understand that the world should be a means for enlightenment. There are
two ways of using the world for this purpose: first, you can have the attitude that you will
not allow the world to disturb you, so that you can thereby get enlightenment; and second,
you can have the attitude that you can use the world to help you, so that you can thereby
get enlightenment. Both attitudes should be applied. One should have the same attitudes
toward relationships: "I will behave in such a way with my spouse and children that they
don't disturb my inner peace; I will behave in such a way that they become helpful to me
and that they also grow."
You should first have the attitude that no matter what happens, you will not be disturbed.
Otherwise, when you get something, you become emotional and imbalanced, and when you
don't get something, you become depressed and disorganized. This means that you do not
have the proper attitude behind your thinking and behavior. Great leaders like Moses and
Jesus had to face many serious problems, but they had the proper attitude. That attitude
can be built only when you consider all relationships in the external world and all the objects
of the world simply as means, not ends. Then it doesn't matter if today you expect
something to become your means, and tomorrow you see that it will not. When your
attitude toward the external world is that all the things of the world are means, and not
disturbances, then you can find happiness.
Where Is Happiness?
If happiness were external, Americans would have it. Americans have many things, but they
are not happy. Many people are very nice to others, but they are not nice to themselves.
They have a mechanical way of behaving nicely with others, but they do not know how to
be happy within themselves. They are creating a great conflict, a split personality, by
pretending to express a happiness that is not there. Happiness is not in the external world;
it is not attained through objects. People spend their whole lives wanting to have this and
have that; they love objects, and they cannot love without objects. But the day you learn to
love without an object, that will be the day of greatest happiness. When one learns to love
God, that is love without an object. God is not an object; God is beyond all objects. So love
without an object is love for God.
Happiness lies within you, and you should learn to use all things and apply all means to
attain that happiness. This inner happiness is in a dormant form; you have to unfold
yourself to experience it. Therefore you should learn to be still, so that the godly part in you
can reveal itself to you. "Be still and know that I am God." What a great promise! This is the
greatest aphorism. Many Christians and Jews think that there is no meditation in the Bible,
but this one sentence reveals the entire philosophy of meditation.
Every human being should learn to be calm and quiet, and to see God in others. Then you
can be detached from the nongodly part, and you will be loving the godly part. You are a
shrine of God. I should love you because I should love God in you. It's good to love people
because everyone is a temple of God. People do not worship the walls of a temple; their
love is directed toward that which dwells inside it. So whomever you love, love God in that
person.
I pray to the divinity within you.
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This site is devoted to presenting the ancient Self-Realization path of the Tradition of the Himalayan
masters in simple, understandable and beneficial ways, while not compromising quality or depth. The
goal of our sadhana or practices is the highest Joy that comes from the Realization in direct experience of
the center of consciousness, the Self, the Atman or Purusha, which is one and the same with the
Absolute Reality. This Self-Realization comes through Yoga meditation of the Yoga Sutras, the
contemplative insight of Advaita Vedanta, and the intense devotion of Samaya Sri Vidya Tantra, the three
of which complement one another like fingers on a hand. We employ the classical approaches of Raja,
Jnana, Karma, and Bhakti Yoga, as well as Hatha, Kriya, Kundalini, Laya, Mantra, Nada, Siddha, and
Tantra Yoga. Meditation, contemplation, mantra and prayer finally converge into a unified force directed
towards the final stage, piercing the pearl of wisdom called bindu, leading to the Absolute.
Yoga Sutras 2.30-2.34:

Yamas and Niyamas,
rungs #1 and #2 (Previous Next Main)
Yamas: The first of the eight rungs (2.29) of Yoga is the five Yamas (2.30),
which have to do with training your actions, speech, and thoughts in relation
to the external world, particularly with other people. They include:
 Non-harming (2.35),
 Truthfulness (2.36),
 Non-stealing (2.37),
 Remembering the higher reality (2.38)
 Non-possessiveness (2.39).
As these are gently, lovingly practiced over time, they gradually evolve into great vows for
living (2.31).
Niyamas: The second of the eight rungs is the five Niyamas (2.32), which have to do with
your relationship within yourself. They involve:
 Purifying your body and mind (2.40-2.41)

 Cultivating an attitude of contentment (2.42)
 Training your senses (2.43)
 Inner exploration (2.44)
 Letting go into your spiritual source (2.45).
When you are not doing the Yamas and Niyamas: When you are acting, speaking, or
thinking against the Yamas and Niyamas (2.33), the suggestion is toremind yourself that
such negative actions, speech, or thoughts are going in the wrong direction, and
will bring you nothing but unending misery(2.34). It can be as straightforward as
silently repeating the words to yourself, "Mind, this is not useful; this is going to bring me
nothing but more suffering, and lead me into greater ignorance of truth." This simple
practice is an extremelyimportant way to balance, purify, and train the
mind (2.34).
27 varieties of negativity: Those contrary actions, speech, or thoughts can be done by

oneself, got done by another, or merely approved of. They may be accompanied by anger,
greed, or delusion. They may be mild, medium, or intense. Thus, there are 27 combinations
of these three triads (2.34). Awareness and witnessing of these is a very useful part of
discrimination, which is the key to enlightenment (2.26-2.29).
Why practice the eight rungs?: One of the most common principles that is missed
is why one is practicing these eight rungs. The reason for practicing the eight rungs is
discriminative knowledge, as described in the previous three sutras (2.26-2.29).
top
2.30 Non-injury or non-harming (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), abstention from stealing

(asteya), walking in awareness of the highest reality (brahmacharya), and non-
possessiveness or non-grasping with the senses (aparigraha) are the five yamas, or codes
of self-regulation or restraint, and are the first of the eight steps of Yoga.
(ahimsa satya asteya brahmacharya aparigraha yama)
 ahimsa = non-violence, non-harming, non-injury

 satya = truthfulness, honesty
 asteya = non-stealing, abstention from theft
 brahmacharya = walking in awareness of the highest reality, continence,
remembering the divine, practicing the presence of God
 aparigraha = non-possessiveness, non-holding through senses, non-greed, non-
grasping, non-indulgence, non-acquisitiveness
 yama = codes of restraint, abstinences, self-regulations
The five Yamas: The five Yamas are considered codes of restraint, abstinences, self-
regulations, and involve our relationship with the external world and other people (click the
links to go to the sutras dealing with the individual Yamas):
 Ahimsa: non-violence, non-harming, non-injury (2.35)

 Satya: truthfulness, honesty (2.36)
 Asteya: non-stealing, abstention from theft (2.37)
 Brahmacharya: walking in awareness of the highest reality, continence,
remembering the divine, practicing the presence of God (2.38)
 Aparigraha: non-possessiveness, non-holding through senses, non-greed, non-
grasping, non-indulgence, non-acquisitiveness (2.39)
Building relationship with the world: It should be self evident that having a good
relationship with the world and other people is imperative if we wish to sit for meditation
and experience the depths of Self-realization. The five Yamas are a means of building that
relationship.
Actions, speech, and thoughts: It is easy to mistakenly lump these three together, as if
they are one concept. Actually, they are three separate practices, which work together
intimately. To cultivate self-awareness or mindfulness of actions, speech, and thoughts as
separate entities is very important. Witness your actions as an independent practice, though
related to the others. Witness your speech as an independent practice, though related to
the others. Witness your thoughts as an independent practice, though related to the others.
 Actions: The first level of self-awareness and self-regulation is that of actions in the
external world. Each of the Yamas are consciously cultivated at the level of actions.
By mindfulness and self-awareness, you see when your actions are contrary to the
Yamas, and you can counter that by noting that the action is not useful (2.33, 2.34),
and acting more in line with the Yamas.
 Speech: Self-awareness and self-regulation of each of the Yamas are also
consciously cultivated at the level of speech. By mindfulness and self-awareness, you
see when your speech is contrary to the Yamas, and you can counter that by noting
that the speech is not useful (2.33, 2.34), andspeaking more in line with the Yamas.
 Thoughts: The subtlest level of self-awareness and self-regulation is that
of thought in the inner world. Each of the Yamas are consciously cultivated at the
level of thought. By mindfulness and self-awareness, you see when
your thoughts are contrary to the Yamas, and you can counter that by noting that
the thought is not useful (2.33, 2.34), and promoting positive thoughts that are
more in line with the Yamas. See the sections of the article Seven Skills to Cultivate
for Meditation, which deal with the witnessing and training the thinking process.
Coloring or klishta: It is extremely important to understand the subtler context of the

coloring (klishta, 2.3, 2.4) involved with the Yamas. While we are surely wanting to practice
the Yamas in their more obvious worldly sense, the part that is ultimately most important is
the coloring or klishta qualities of the subtle mental traces, or samskaras in the karmashaya
(2.12), as these form the veil (1.4) that blocks the direct experience of the center of
consciousness (1.3). It is not that "I" am violent or non-violent, truthful or non-truthful, etc.
Rather, it is the thought patterns deep in the basement of the mind (chitta), which have
been colored in some way (2.4). These colorings are dealt with in their gross (2.1-2.9) and
subtle (2.10-2.11) levels.
Sense and mind: To understand not only the gross, but also the subtle aspects of self-
regulation through the Yamas, it is necessary to also understand the nature of the senses
and mind in Yoga:
 Senses: The senses (indriyas) are of 10 kinds, five of which are means of
expression (karmendriyas), and five of which are means of cognition (jnanendriyas).
These are explained in the article on Training the Ten Senses or Indriyas.
 Mind: The mind (manas) as thinking instrument is one of the four aspects of the
inner mental instrument (antakarana). This is described in the article onCoordinating
the Four Functions of Mind.
Witnessing your thoughts: A separate article describes in greater detail the process
of Witnessing Your Thoughts. It may seem complicated at first, but there is a basic
simplicity that will reveal itself with practice. The benefits for advancing in meditation are
tremendous.
Foundation for meditation: The better your relationship with the world and other people,
and the more you have lovingly trained yourself through the Yamas, then the more
naturally will come the other steps to meditation and higher experience. The meditation can
then, in turn, enhance the way you relate with the world and with yourself. In this way, all
of the rungs, or limbs of Yoga work together.
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2.31 These codes of self-regulation or restraint become a great vow when they become
universal and are not restricted by any consideration of the nature of the kind of living being
to whom one is related, nor in any place, time or situation.
(jati desha kala samaya anavachchhinnah sarva-bhaumah maha-vratam)
 jati = type of birth, species, state of life

 desha = space, place
 kala = time
 samaya = circumstance, condition, consideration
 anavachchhinnah = not limited by
 sarva-bhaumah = universal, in all parts (sarva = all; bhaumah = parts, spheres)
 maha-vratam = great vow (maha = great; vratam = vow)
Becoming versus stating a vow: Few people are able to state these vows of the Yamas
(2.30) with one hundred percent conviction from the beginning. Therefore, one starts from
where he or she stands, living them to the degree possible. Later, as sadhana (practices)
evolve, they become a great vow when they are universal in nature.
Becoming great vows through four conditions: The five Yamas graduallybecome great
vows as one moves towards four conditions:
1. They are practiced universally in relation to all beings of all types of birth, species, or
states of life.
2. They are practiced equally in all places or spaces.
3. They are practiced continuously in all times.
4. They are practiced uniformly among all circumstances or situations.
Vows of actions, speech, and thought: It is extremely important to understand that one
may take a vow related to action and speech, but that a vow of thinking might lead to
suppression or repression of thoughts and emotions. This is definitely not the path of Yoga.
If it were possible to truly make a vow to not have contrary thinking, then there would be
no need for the self-exploration described, such as dealing with the gross (2.1-2.9) or
subtle (2.10-2.11) impressions. There would also be no need for any instructions on what to
do when one acts contrary to the Yamas (2.33). One would simply make a vow, and that
would be it! The mind would be clear. However, that is not the case. We live the Yamas
(2.30) within our capacity, and relentlessly do the inner work to clear the mind (1.2, 1.4),
so that the Self underneath may be come known (1.3).
Four aspects to the great vow: These five forms of self-regulation, self-restraint, and
self-exploration apply in four ways, once they become universal:
 Jati: In relation to beings of any type of birth, species, or state of life

 Desha: In any space or place
 Kala: At any time
 Samaya: In any circumstance, condition, or other such consideration
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2.32 Cleanliness and purity of body and mind (shaucha), an attitude of contentment
(santosha), ascesis or training of the senses (tapas), self-study and reflection on sacred
words (svadhyaya), and an attitude of letting go into one's source (ishvarapranidhana) are
the observances or practices of self-training (niyamas), and are the second rung on the
ladder of Yoga.
(shaucha santosha tapah svadhyaya ishvarapranidhana niyamah)
 shaucha = purity of body and mind

 santosha = contentment
 tapah = training the senses, austerities, ascesis
 svadhyaya = self-study, reflection on sacred words
 ishvara = creative source, causal field, God, supreme Guru or teacher
 pranidhana = practicing the presence, dedication, devotion, surrender of fruits of
practice
 niyamah = observances or practices of self-training
The five Niyamas: The five Niyamas are the observances or practices of self-training, and
deal with our personal, inner world (click the links to go to the sutras dealing with the
individual Niyamas):
 Shaucha: purity of body and mind (2.40, 2.41)

 Santosha: contentment (2.42)
 Tapah: training the senses, austerities, ascesis (2.43)
 Svadhyaya: self-study, reflection on sacred words (2.44)
 Ishvara pranidhana: surrender; (ishvara = creative source, causal field, God,
supreme Guru or teacher; pranidhana = practicing the presence, dedication,
devotion, surrender of fruits of practice) (2.45)
Training body, mind, and senses: It should be self evident that having a healthy body,
clear mind, and regulated senses is necessary if we wish to sit for meditation and
experience the depths of Self-realization. The five Niyamas are a means for self-training in
relation to body, senses, and mind.
Actions, speech, and thoughts: It is easy to mistakenly lump these three together, as if
they are one concept. Actually, they are three separate practices, which work together
intimately. To cultivate self-awareness or mindfulness of actions, speech, and thoughts as
separate entities is very important. Witness your actions as an independent practice, though
related to the others. Witness your speech as an independent practice, though related to
the others. Witness your thoughts as an independent practice, though related to the others.
 Actions: At the same time that one is aware of actions in the external world through
practicing the Yamas, he or she also becomes aware of the personal, inner processes
related to body, senses, and mind, by practice awareness of the Niyamas. By
mindfulness and self-awareness, you see when your actions are contrary to the
Niyamas (as well as the Yamas), and you can counter that by noting that
the action is not useful (2.33, 2.34), and acting more in line with the Niyamas.
 Speech: Through similar mindfulness and self-awareness of speech in relation to the
Niyamas, you see when your speech is contrary to the Niyamas. This can also be
countered that by noting that the speech is not useful (2.33, 2.34),
and speaking more in line with the goals of the Niyamas.
 Thoughts: The subtlest level of self-awareness and self-regulation is that
of thought in the inner world. Each of the Niyamas are consciously practiced at the
level of thought. By mindfulness and self-awareness, you see when
your thoughts are contrary to the Niyamas, and you can counter that by noting that
the thought is not useful (2.33, 2.34), and promoting positive thoughts that are
more in line with the Niyamas. See the sections of the article Seven Skills to
Cultivate for Meditation, which deal with the witnessing and training the thinking
process.
Coloring or klishta: It is extremely important to understand the subtler context of the

coloring (klishta, 2.3, 2.4) involved with the Niyamas. What is ultimately most important is
the coloring or klishta qualities of the subtle mental traces, or samskaras in the karmashaya
(2.12), as these form the veil (1.4) that blocks the direct experience of the center of
consciousness (1.3). It is not that "I am" an impure body, cluttered mind, or a sensory
addict, etc. Rather, it is the thought patterns deep in the basement of the mind (chitta),
which have been colored in some way (2.4), which in turn affect the body, mental
processing, and the sensory attractions and aversions. These colorings are dealt with in
their gross (2.1-2.9) and subtle (2.10-2.11) levels.
Sense and mind: To understand not only the gross, but also the subtle aspects of self-
training through the Niyamas, it is necessary to also understand the nature of the senses
and mind in Yoga:
 Senses: The senses (indriyas) are of 10 kinds, five of which are means of
expression (karmendriyas), and five of which are means of cognition (jnanendriyas).
These are explained in the article on Training the Ten Senses or Indriyas.
 Mind: The mind (manas) as thinking instrument is one of the four aspects of the
inner mental instrument (antakarana). This is described in the article onCoordinating
the Four Functions of Mind.
Witnessing your thoughts: A separate article describes in greater detail the process
of Witnessing Your Thoughts. It may seem complicated at first, but there is a basic
simplicity that will reveal itself with practice. The benefits for advancing in meditation are
tremendous.
Foundation for meditation: The more you have lovingly trained yourself through the
Niyamas, then the more naturally will come the other steps to meditation and higher
experience. The meditation can then, in turn, enhance the way you relate with the world
and with yourself. In this way, all of the rungs, or limbs of Yoga work together.
Meaning of Ishvara: In the Upanishads, the word Īśvara is used to denote a state of
collective consciousness. Thus, God is not a being that sits on a high pedestal beyond the
sun, moon, and stars; God is actually the state of Ultimate Reality. But due to the lack of
direct experience, God has been personified and given various names and forms by religions
throughout the ages. When one expands one's individual consciousness to the Universal
Consciousness, it is called Self-realization, for the individual self has realized the unity of
diversity, the very underlying principle, or Universal Self, beneath all forms and names. The
great sages of the Upanishads avoid the confusions related to conceptions of God and
encourage students to be honest and sincere in their quests for Self-realization. Upanishadic
philosophy provides various methods for unfolding higher levels of truth and helps students
to be able to unravel the mysteries of the individual and the universe. (from Swami Rama in
the section What God Is from Enlightenment Without God)
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2.33 When these codes of self-regulation or restraint (yamas) and observances or practices
of self-training (niyamas) are inhibited from being practiced due to perverse, unwholesome,
troublesome, or deviant thoughts, principles in the opposite direction, or contrary thought
should be cultivated.
(vitarka badhane pratipaksha bhavanam)
 vitarka = troublesome thoughts, deviating (from the yamas and niyamas)

 badhane = disturbed by, inhibited by
 pratipaksha = to the contrary, opposite thoughts or principles
 bhavanam = cultivate, habituate, thought of, contemplate on, reflect on
When you are not doing the Yamas and Niyamas: What do you do when you
are not acting, speaking, or thinking in the way you know you want, when notfollowing the
suggestions by the Yamas (2.30) and Niyamas (2.32)? For example, you want to practice
ahimsa, which is non-harming. But what do you do when you have a harmful, or angry
attitude towards somebody else? The suggestion is to go in the opposite direction, which
means reminding yourself to go away from that the anger. This is further described in the
next sutra (2.34).
What does opposite direction mean?: When thinking of anger or hatred, for example, it
can seem that one should cultivate love, which is a good idea. However, you may have
noticed how hard it is to cultivate love for one with whom you are intensely angry. The
word opposite is used here to suggest that rather than going into, or getting caught up in
that anger, we move away from it, in the opposite direction, which is not quite the same as
saying we should cultivate love. Recall the foundation principle that consciousness wraps
itself around the thought patterns in the mind field (1.4), and that this is the cause of
suffering. When we unwrap our attention from those thought patterns (1.2), we rest in our
true nature (1.3). This is the meaning of moving in the oppositedirection; it means
moving away from the entanglement of the negative. By moving away, we naturally
experience the love. While the example of ahimsa (non-injury) and love were used here, the
same principle applies to the other Yamas (2.30) and Niyamas (2.32) as well.
When acting, speaking, or thinking against your values: The Yamas and Niyamas give
superb suggestions for living and being. However, the most important suggestion is on what
to do when you are not acting, speaking, or thinking in the way you know you want,
when not following the suggestions by the Yamas and Niyamas. For example, you want to
practice ahimsa, which is non-harming. But what do you actually do when you have angry
emotions towards somebody else?
Remind yourself, "This is not useful": When you know that your actions, speech, or
thoughts are not what you want, the suggestion is to repeatedly remind yourself that this
anger (or other example) is going in the wrong direction, and will bring you nothing but
unending misery. It can be as straightforward as silently repeating the words to
yourself, "Mind, this is not useful; this is going to bring me nothing but more
suffering, and lead me into greater ignorance of truth. Mind, you need to let go of
this."
Going in the right direction: This contrary training will gradually lead the mind in the
right direction. It is done gently and lovingly with yourself; it is not suppression or
repression of thoughts or emotions. This is further described in the next sutra (2.34).
Use your determination: In Yoga Sutra 1.20 there were five foundation practices or
attitudes suggested. These included cultivating memory and mindfulness (smriti),
developing the faith that you are going in the right direction (shraddha), and committing the
energy to go there (virya). To maintain an awareness of this kind of faith and determination
is an important part of actually practicing and living the Yamas and Niyamas, rather than
having them drift into the back of the mind as mere data that has been studied and then
forgotten.
Opposites for the individual Yamas and Niyamas: Each of the individual sutras for the
five Yamas and five Niyamas give guidance about cultivating the opposites:
 Ahimsa: non-violence, non-harming, non-injury (2.35)

 Satya: truthfulness, honesty (2.36)
 Asteya: non-stealing, abstention from theft (2.37)
 Brahmacharya: walking in awareness of the highest reality, continence,
remembering the divine, practicing the presence of God (2.38)
 Aparigraha: non-possessiveness, non-holding through senses, non-greed, non-
grasping, non-indulgence, non-acquisitiveness (2.39)
 Shaucha: purity of body and mind (2.40, 2.41)
 Santosha: contentment (2.42)
 Tapah: training the senses, austerities, ascesis (2.43)
 Svadhyaya: self-study, reflection on sacred words (2.44)
 Ishvara pranidhana: surrender; (ishvara = creative source, causal field, God,
supreme Guru or teacher; pranidhana = practicing the presence, dedication,
devotion, surrender of fruits of practice) (2.45)
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2.34 Actions arising out of such negative thoughts are performed directly by oneself, caused
to be done through others, or approved of when done by others. All of these may be
preceded by, or performed through anger, greed or delusion, and can be mild, moderate or
intense in nature. To remind oneself that these negative thoughts and actions are the
causes of unending misery and ignorance is the contrary thought, or principle in the
opposite direction that was recommended in the previous sutra.
(vitarkah himsadayah krita karita anumoditah lobha krodha moha purvakah mridu madhya
adhimatrah dukha ajnana ananta phala iti pratipaksha bhavanam)
 vitarkah = troublesome thoughts, deviating (from the yamas and niyamas)

 himsadayah = harmful and the others (himsa = harmful; adayah = et cetera, and so
forth)
 krita = committed (by oneself)
 karita = caused to be done (by others)
 anumoditah = consented to, approved of (when done by others)
 lobha = greed, desire
 krodha = anger
 moha = delusion
 purvakah = preceded by
 mridu = mild, slight
 madhya = middling
 adhimatrah = intense, extreme
 dukha = misery, pain, suffering, sorrow
 ajnana = ignorance (a = without; jnana = knowledge)
 ananta = infinite, unending (an = un; anta = ending)
 phala = fruition, results, effects
 iti = thus
 pratipaksha = to the contrary, opposite thoughts or principles
 bhavanam = cultivate, habituate, thought of, contemplate on, reflect on
Two consequences: When acting, speaking, or thinking in opposite directions from the
Yamas (2.31) and Niyamas (2.32), as described in the sutra above (2.33), there are two
most undesirable consequences:
1. Infinite misery: When you feel the effects from injuring others, dishonesty,
stealing, uncontrolled senses, and possessiveness, the misery, pain, suffering, and
sorrow go on and on. A vicious cycle is set up where the colored thought patterns or
samskaras of the karmashaya (2.12) repeats itself, over and over. This is the
meaning of infinite misery; it doesn't stop; it just keeps recycling. To break this cycle
of karma (2.12-2.25) is a key point in Yoga. To break the cycle first requires seeing
clearly the fact that the cycle tends to just keep repeating itself once it starts. To see
a situation clearly is a prerequisite to changing it.
2. Unending ignorance: When repeatedly moving in the direction of injuring others,
dishonesty, stealing, uncontrolled senses, and possessiveness, which are away from,
opposite to, or contrary to the Yamas (2.30) and Niyamas (2.32), the mind becomes
ever more clouded, not seeing the situation clearly. As with the infinite misery
mentioned above, there continues an ignorance (2.5), a not-seeing, which self-
perpetuates without end. The ignorance of not seeing clearly (2.5) feeds on itself,
and creates an ever more clouded mind (1.4), which blocks the true Self (1.3).
To clear the clouded mind is the task of Yoga.
Karma article: See also the article on:

Karma and the Source of Actions, Speech, and Thoughts
What does opposite direction mean?: When thinking of anger or hatred, for example, it
can seem that one should cultivate love, which is a good idea. However, you may have
noticed how hard it is to cultivate love for one with whom you are intensely angry. The
word opposite is used here to suggest that rather than going into, or getting caught up in
that anger, we move away from it, in the opposite direction, which is not quite the same as
saying we should cultivate love. Recall the foundation principle that
consciousness wraps itself around the thought patterns in the mind field (1.4), and that this
is the cause of suffering. When we unwrap our attention from those thought patterns (1.2),
we rest in our true nature (1.3). This is the meaning of moving in the oppositedirection; it
means moving away from the entanglement of the negative. By moving away, we naturally
experience the love. While the example of ahimsa (non-injury) and love were used here, the
same principle applies to the other Yamas (2.30) and Niyamas (2.32) as well.
The opposite of hate is not love.
The opposite of hate is non-hate,
letting go, releasing of that hate.
Then, love naturally arises.
It's all about coloring or klishta: This entire subject of cultivating opposites is the same
as the process of uncoloring the colored thought patterns, the klishta vrittis. It means
moving away from klishta (colored) to aklishta (uncolored). This was described as a
foundation practice of Yoga (1.5), and was described at its gross levels in the earlier sutras
of chapter 2 (2.1-2.9), and then in its subtler aspects in the next few sutras (2.10-2.11).
Breaking the subtle alliances of karma was then discussed (2.12-2.25). This principle is
extremely simple, yet can be extremely difficult to comprehend initially.
Remind yourself, "This is not useful": When you know that your actions, speech, or
thoughts are not what you want, the suggestion is to repeatedly remind yourself that this
anger (or other example) is going in the wrong direction, and will bring you nothing but
unending misery. It can be as straightforward as silently repeating the words to
yourself, "Mind, this is not useful; this is going to bring me nothing but more
suffering, and lead me into greater ignorance of truth. Mind, you need to let go of
this."
27 types of negativity: In moving against the Yamas (2.30) and Niyamas (2.32), there
are 27 different varieties of negative actions, speech, or thoughts. It is very useful to
remain mindful of these, as this self-awareness is most important in being able to train the
mind in more positive and useful ways. There are three dimensions, which when combined
with one another, produce the 27 possibilities (3x3x3=27) of not-useful or negative actions,
speech, and thoughts:
1. 3 doers of action: yourself, recruiting another, or approving

2. 3 mental states: anger, greed, delusion
3. 3 intensities: mild, moderate, intense
Examples: Here are a few examples of how these might interact:
 You (yourself) may tell a little (mild) lie to someone so as to get something that
belongs to another (asteya, non-stealing), but that you want for yourself (greed).
 You may have your spouse (another person) call your office to say you are sick
(satya, truthfulness) when you are (moderately) upset and dissatisfied (delusion)
with your boss or coworkers.
 You may smile (approve) and feel great (intense) satisfaction (with anger) when
someone you dislike (ahimsa, non-violence) gets a ticket from the police (done by
another) for driving too fast.
Being ever mindful: Being ever mindful of these three dimensions, and their 27
combinations is very useful in purifying and training the mind.
Being positive and joyful: Talking about 27 ways of negative thinking can itself sound
depressing (recall that such obstacles naturally come, 1.30-1.32). However, the more this
kind of self-awareness is practiced, the easier it becomes to focus on the positive, useful
thoughts and emotions. Joy more naturally comes, as the many antics of the mind are
increasingly seen to be nothing but humorous.
Three ways of negative actions: There are only three ways in which negative actions
operating against the Yamas (2.30) and Niyamas (2.32) can play out:
1. Doing it yourself: You can carry out that negative action yourself, acting in ways
that are contrary to the principles such as those suggested in the Yamas (2.30) and
Niyamas (2.32).
2. Recruiting another person: You can get some other person to carry out the action
for you, either with or without the knowledge of anybody else. This sometimes
provides a false sense of not being responsible for the action.
3. Approving of another person's action: You can simply wait for some other
person to carry out a negative action of which you approve. This is like feeling
happiness when some perceived enemy gets the consequences you think he or she
deserves.
Effects of all three are the same: Whether you do it yourself, have somebody else do it,
or only approve of it, the internal consequences of these negative actions are the same. In
all three cases, the coloring (klishta, 2.3) of your deep impressions or samskaras is the
same. You bear the burden of that coloring for future karmas to play out.
Three mental states: In moving against the Yamas (2.30) and Niyamas (2.32), there are
three associated mental states. The three are unique directions, and are important to be
aware of and witness in oneself. Anger is symptomatic of pushing against; greed is
symptomatic of pulling towards; and delusion is a confused state of mind. To be ever
mindful in a non-obsessive way of these three possibilities is very useful.
 Anger: Anger is symptomatic of pushing against, or of aversion (dvesha), one of the

five kleshas (2.3). Pushing against or aversion is one of two directions, the other of
which is pulling towards. Notice in the article onkarma and its sources that unfulfilled
desires lead to anger and related emotions.
 Greed: Greed is symptomatic of pulling towards, or of attraction (raga), another of
the five kleshas (2.3). Pulling towards or attraction is one of two directions, the other
of which is pushing against. Notice in the article onkarma and its
sources that fulfilled desires lead to greed and related emotions.
 Delusion: Delusion is a general state of mind that might also accompany the
negative actions, speech, and thoughts that run contrary to the Yamas and Niyamas
(2.33).
Three intensities: The three intensities are known purely subjectively, and are relatively
easy to see with practice:
 Mild: Those not-useful tendencies opposed to the Yamas and Niyamas (2.33), which
are mild can be minimized or attenuated through meditation, as described in
sutra 2.11, eventually using the razor-sharp discrimination of samyama (3.4-3.6).
There may be a temptation to disregard these tendencies because they are mild.
However, getting such thoughts to a mild state so that they can then be further
reduced in meditation is an important part of the process of breaking the alliance of
karma (2.12-2.25). For mild tendencies, it is extremely useful to remind oneself how
the tendency is not-useful, as described above in sutra 2.33.
 Moderate: Those negative or not-useful tendencies opposed to the Yamas and
Niyamas (2.33), which are mild can be dealt with somewhat as with
themild tendencies, and somewhat as with the intense tendencies. It is important to
note that one desires to bring the moderate tendencies down to the mild tendency,
so that these might be dealt with in the inner chamber of meditation.
 Intense: Those not-useful or negative tendencies, which are intense might be very
difficult to attenuate through meditation alone, although it might be possible with
intense dedication and determination. Most often, people find themselves in an
internal mental fight when trying to deal with the intensetendencies during
meditation. What is more available and extremely useful for most people is to
frequently remind oneself how the tendency is not-useful, as described above in
sutra 2.33. It is also very useful to practice the means of stabilizing and clearing the
mind as described in sutras 1.30-1.32 and 1.33-1.39, particularly making the mind
one-pointed as described in sutra 1.32. The practices of kriya yoga, described in
sutras 2.1-2.9should also be practiced.
Actions, speech, and thoughts: The 27 types of negativity can involve actions, speech, or
thoughts, or some combination of them. One needs to be ever vigilant of these in daily life
and at meditation time. This vigilant self-awareness is done not with obsessiveness, guilt or
self-condemnation, but with gentleness, acceptance, and love towards oneself.
The next sutra is 2.35
Home Top
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Regulating Lifestyle and

the Four Basic Urges
by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati
SwamiJ.com
It is self-evident that
there is a relationship
between lifestyle and meditation.
Index of this web page:

Developing a Lifestyle conducive to meditation
Lifestyle and the Four Basic Urges
Value of emphasizing four areas
Regulating and Observing the four fountains
Food
Sleep
Sex
Self-preservation
See also the article:

Four Primitive Fountains
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Developing a Lifestyle conducive to meditation
"Lifestyle" is a very broad subject, containing many cultural, social, and religious
connotations. Here, we are not trying to suggest guidelines or rules from any particular
cultural, social, or religious perspective. The suggestions of yoga are universal in nature,
and can be effective for all people, regardless of backgrounds.
Imagine athletes going out for a day of endurance or competition, but that they had never
done any training. There had never been any prior physical exercise. There was no effort to
do relaxing things before their show time. They always ate really unhealthy food, loaded
with fat, sugar, and salt, but low in nutrients. They stayed up late at night, with irregular
sleeping patterns. Their family and social life was in chaos. They had many unexamined
mental and emotional challenges.
Such an athlete might do okay with a few of these areas of life a little out of line, but in
total the athlete recognizes the need for balance, particularly as the time of their event
approaches.
The same is true for meditators, probably even more so. Common sense makes it self
evident that there is a relationship between lifestyle and the ability to relax, peacefully
introspect, and become calm, balanced, or centered at the levels of body, breath and mind.
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Lifestyle and the Four Basic Urges
According to yoga psychology there are Four Basic, or Primitive Urges, which are the
desires, wants, needs, or necessities for:
1. Food
2. Sleep
3. Sex
4. Self-preservation
These four are sources or fountains: This is not to say that there are not other desires
in the human being, but that these four are at the root of many of the others. We can also
call these the Four Primitive Fountains, as they are the sources, or fountains, from which
many other desires arise.
See these four primitive urges in the graphic in the article:

Karma and the Sources of Actions, Speech, and Thoughts
Marketing people know about them: Advertising and marketing people are well aware of
these realities. Just reflect on what we often see in advertising. We see people eating,
relaxing in one way or another, having romantic interactions or facial expressions, and are
often focusing on issues which are a threat to us in some way. The product or service being
marketed is suggested as a solution for fulfilling one or more of these urges.
The same is also true of the movie industry. Is it not true that many (or most) of the
movies deal with some challenge or threat to overcome, usually having a romantic
involvement, that is often set in restaurant or a bedroom? Though the themes of the movie
may be similar, it is the diversity of possibilities that brings the entertainment, much like life
itself.
Regulate them intelligently: To suggest that we regulate these Four Primitive Urges does
not mean that somehow we become instantly impervious to the urges. It does not mean
renunciation of any of them, or having a boring life. It does, however, mean the intelligent
regulation of these inner drives in ways that are healthy and allow us to be able to move
forward with our spiritual practices.
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Value of emphasizing four areas

Though there may be many other wants, wishes, desires, needs, or necessities arising from
these four, the fact that there is a small number (four) at the core can make the situation
much more manageable, and less sensitive for us to discuss and learn in non-judgmental
ways.
Again, there is a tremendous diversity of ways in which different peoples might regulate
these four primitive fountains. However, exploring these four areas helps us to see the
whole process of lifestyle management much more clearly. This can be adapted to individual
cultural, social, or religious backgrounds.
If we try to address many different aspects of lifestyle management, it can seem a bit
overwhelming, somewhat like we might never be qualified to begin yoga meditation. Seeing
only four areas to focus on (although they are big areas) can provide a certain simplicity to
the process.
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Regulating and Observing the four fountains
The Four Primitive Urges in all people are for food, sleep, sex, and self-preservation. There
are two aspects to dealing with these Four Primitive Urges:
 Regulating or directing the urges themselves in such a way that they do not create
obstacles for the student of yoga meditation. This means making good lifestyle
choices. (Regulation is the topic of this section)
 Observing the internal functioning of these primitive fountains, and their
relationship to the four functions of mind (manas, chitta, ahamkara, and buddhi).
This means paying attention to your actions, speech, and thoughts.
As the student both regulates these urges and also observes their influences, it will become
much clearer how these urges are effectively “fountains” from which spring specific desires,
wants, needs, and expectations.
One increasingly comes to see how these four lead to emotional responses, control ones
habitual thinking, and unconsciously direct actions and speech. The source of samskaras,
the latent tendencies or impressions buried in the latent unconscious, will become known to
the student of yoga meditation.
To better understand the way in which the Four Primitive Fountains operate, see the article
entitled:
Karma and the Sources of Actions, Speech, and Thoughts.
These two factors of regulation and self-observation are somewhat like the metaphorical
question of “Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?” In fact, the two continually recycle,
one into the other. So there is “chicken—egg—chicken—egg” and so
forth. Regulation and observation also recycle as “regulation—observation—regulation—
observation.”
Attaining a certain degree of regulation creates an improved environment for self-

observation, and that more lucid self-observation brings an increased ability
forregulation through clarity of choice and increased determination.
Gradually this beautiful dance between regulation and self-observation leads the student
towards the contentment of a trained mind, which is then capable of helping one develop
deeper yoga meditation.
As you progress in your practices, please remind yourself of how self-regulationand self-
observation go together, like the left and right feet when walking. Be kind and gentle with
yourself as you move forward.
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Food
See also the article:

Diet and Meditation
If you have any question about the relationship between food and meditation, just
remember some big meals you have had on holidays or other festive occasions.
You may have eaten more food than you should have, and foods which are not quite as
healthy as they could be. You will probably recall that many of such foods, as tasty as they
are, have more fat, sugar, and spices. Such foods are often processed so much that the
nutritional value has been significantly reduced, while chemicals have been added in the
factories.
Now, think about how you felt after eating all that food. Did you feel tired? Sleepy? Stuffed?
Heavy? Answer honestly how you felt. Did you feel like meditating? What would have
happened if you had tried to meditate even if you waited a couple hours after eating?
This is not to suggest that you are not going to “live it up” on occasion, but the point is
this:
 You already know that food has an effect on your state of energy and your state of
mind. You don’t need some swami to tell you that. You also don’t need doctors or
clinical research reports to tell you that there is better food and lesser food. We all
know something about food quality, although we may not follow the food wisdom we
already have.
Exploring what foods to eat can be an extremely complex task. There are hundreds, if not
thousands of books, many videos, and lots of health programs. It is not our intent here to
replicate all of that work, nor to try to tell you the perfect diet. However, there are two
simple principles in yoga relating to food that can be extremely useful to keep in mind.
Then, whatever choices you make about food can be made in the context of these two
principles.
Nutrition and Cleansing: Food has to do with stuff coming in and stuff going out—the
process is as simple as that. Thus, there are two parts:
1. Nutrition
2. Cleansing
The body does a great job of cleansing itself, within limits. If we put high quality food in,
then the body can easily process it, and pass what is not needed.
If we put larger quantities of lesser quality food into the body, then the body must work
much harder to remove that which is not needed. When the body has to work harder to
eliminate the higher volume of low quality material, the effect is that the waste is not being
removed as quickly, and is then stored in the body. The result is that the body has a higher
level of toxicity.
The other factor is the nutrients coming in. If there are insufficient amounts of nutrients
coming into the body, then the various systems of the body do not work as well. We do not
feel as well physically, mentally, or emotionally. One may even take in large quantities of
food, high in calories, but low in nutrients. The effect is that one can literally be starving
while still getting lots of calories.
The effect of these factors is that meditation is not as good on a low quality diet, if
meditation is even possible at all. With a good diet, meditation can come more naturally.
The two principles of cleansing and nutrition work hand-in-hand, and they do this quite well
if we will remain aware of a few simple principles. The function of mind called buddhi (which
knows, decides, judges, and discriminates) is cultivated in relation to these two principles
cleansing and nutrition.
As you eat, or make food choices, simply be aware of the relationship between the
particular food and its nutrient value, and its cleansing potential. Then ask yourself, "Is this
food good or bad, or somewhere in the middle? Is it healthy or not healthy? Is it rich in
nutrients? Does it pass easily or have other cleansing benefits?"
Even when you choose to have a food that is not so good, you are eating with full
awareness. Gradually, you will come to improve your diet, whether this happens naturally,
or by use of some outside resources or guidance.
It may be useful to read some of the many new books on diet and nutrition, or attend some
classes on how to cook healthy food. Many hatha yoga and yoga meditation teachers,
doctors, hospitals, and health food stores know where such classes are offered.
Water: Once again, giving food advice can be an extremely complex matter, while at the
same time simple. While you are working on improving food choices, as discussed above,
there is one simple practice that is fitting for everybody, and that is to have enough fluid
intake. The best way to do this is to drink lot of water.
Recommendations on the amount of water to drink vary, but as a minimum, eight large
glasses per day is a good place to start. This means about two quarts or two liters. Even
double that amount is a good amount the keep the system cleaned. One rule of thumb is to
note the color of your urine. After sleeping, and taking in no fluid, it naturally has coloring.
However, if you notice during the day that your urine is clear, it is a good sign of getting
enough water.
The best way to take water is to use room temperature water, and just drink it down. If you
are not used to this, it might take doing it a few times to be comfortable with it. Once you
are accustomed to it, it is quite beneficial.
Vitamins and holes: There are also many opinions about taking vitamin supplements, and
while it is not intended here to get into that debate, there is one principle that is worthy of
note. That is, you can sometimes have a "hole" in your nutrient intake. There may be even
a single important vitamin or mineral that you are not getting in your diet, and you don't
even know it.
One approach to deal with this is to take a good multivitamin on a regular basis. Or, you
might want to do this for a short period, say 30 days, and notice if you feel any different. If
you notice any difference, you may have discovered you have a "hole" in your diet, and can
explore what is needed to fill that deficiency in your food intake. Or, you can adjust your
vitamin intake to take care of that deficiency, or continue with the multivitamin. Again, the
point here is to be aware of the possibility of a "hole" in your nutrient intake, so that you
can deal with it.
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Sleep
Having regularity in sleeping patterns is quite important for yoga meditation. It means
having both a regular time to sleep and a regular time to arise. Such straightforward
regulation of sleep patterns, though seemingly basic, is an extremely important foundation
for meditation.
While it is true that one advanced in yoga meditation requires less sleep, this does not come
solely from discipline of sleeping little. That the dream cycle of sleep is therapeutic is
recognized both by psychologists and yogis. The usefulness of the dream cycle has to do
with the processing or playing out of wants, wishes, and desires that are not allowed space
in our waking state.
The yogi, on the other hand, becomes more familiar with the contents of his or her mind.
These streams of thought patterns are allowed to play out during the witness stance of yoga
meditation. Then, when it is time for sleep to come, there is less need for unconscious
processing time. The yogi willfully goes to deep sleep, rests at all levels, then arises into the
waking state, refreshed, to go on in external activities.
There are typically five dream cycles per night, each of about 90 minutes in length.
Generally, the first two are deep sleep, and the later three cycles are of progressively
shallower dreaming states. This is the reason that one often recalls more easily those
dreams that are just before arising in the morning.
As the yogi begins to be more and more open to, and accepting of the natural stream of
thought patterns, the later cycle is needed less. Thus, one may find that four cycles are
sufficient, or about six hours of sleep per day. As life becomes even more balanced, and the
unconscious is increasingly witnessed and accepted in yoga meditation, the fourth cycle may
gradually begin to fall away. Four to five hours of sleep then becomes sufficient. Eventually,
an advanced yogi may find that three hours of sleep is sufficient (and even that three hours
is done consciously through yoga nidra, yogic sleep).
One may also notice that the quality of sleep improves with the shift to acceptance of
thought streams in yoga meditation. One may increasingly find that time is spent resting,
but not really sleeping. For example, one may still be lying down for 6-7 hours, but find that
a portion of that time is only half-asleep, as streams of images and impressions are
witnessed, so as to allow them to lose their strength. This is a part of the process of
attaining non-attachment, or vairagya.
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Sex
Yoga does not mean abstinence from sex, as is sometimes misunderstood. There is a
practice called Brahmacharya, which is often translated as celibacy. The word literally
translates as "resting in Brahman," or "cultivating the awareness of the Absolute Reality".
The effect of this practice of constant remembrance of the Oneness, Divine, Truth, or
God is that the senses are not so easily distracted. Thus, the regulation of the senses is the
natural byproduct of the very positive practice of remembrance of Truth. It is definitely not
a case of "white-knuckled" restraint of the sexual urge, or of any of the other sensory
desires.
There are two paths, the path of renunciation, and the path of worldly life. In one there is
complete abstinence from sex, and in the other there is wise regulation of the sex life. Both
are valid paths.
We are a diversity of peoples, societies, and cultures, and there are many different ways in
which we learn what is proper sexual conduct. It is not our place in this writing to dictate
what is and is not proper sexual conduct. It is a matter that each person must decide for
himself or herself within the context of his or her own life circumstance.
The issue of sex and sadhana (spiritual practices) is very practical. Regardless of one's
background, it should be self evident that a poorly regulated sex life can lead to external
problems in life, as well as internal anxieties. A well-balanced, healthy sex life can leave one
with peace of mind and emotional stability. That peace of mind and emotional stability,
while not directly causing meditation, allows a stability from which meditation can more
easily occur.
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Self-preservation
Self-preservation is the deepest and strongest of the primitive urges. To regulate the
primitive urge of self-preservation means you need to feel safe in your personal world. This
includes such factors as reasonable levels of family, social, environmental, and financial
security and stability.
Theoretically, if you were a highly advanced meditator or a wandering monk, you would
realize that none of these factors could disturb the tranquility of your meditation. However,
those who live “in the world” must acknowledge these necessities. The key word is
having reasonable levels of security and stability. Develop a lifestyle which is one
of reasonable security and stability.
There is no amount of external security which can bring the complete contentment which is
being sought. That can come only through knowing your deepest Self, where your own Self
is the Self of all, where there is no longer an “other” which is perceived to be a threat to
self-preservation.
Along the way, the meditator discovers that fears are gradually being seen clearly, and
understood as misunderstandings in the unconscious. The fears begin to evaporate as
limitations. Then the meditator comes to know that yoga meditation really can be done in
virtually any place or circumstance.
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Diet and Meditation

SwamiJ.com
There is so much advise "out there" about food and diet that it can be dizzying to follow.
This article is not meant to replace all of that information and the research that backs up all
the suggestions. Nor is the intent here to enter into debates about what diet is better than
another. Rather, the intent here is to share a few simple, straightforward ideas, which might
have a positive effect on meditation and health in general. Whatever our individual
situations and current habits, it makes a great deal of sense to personally explore the field
of diet so that we might make wise decisions. The food we eat definitely has an effect on
body, mind and emotions, which in turn effects our meditations.
Food and the four primitive urges: In Yoga, the desire for sustenance is one of the four
primitive urges for food, sleep, sex, and self-preservation. Wise regulation of food and the
other basic drives is an important part of a foundation for meditation.
See also the articles:

Four Basic Urges
Four Primitive Fountains
The Body
Food is for cells, not "me": This one principle alone will go a long way towards
developing a frame of mind conducive to good diet. It can seem that food is for someone
called me, and that I want this or that, or that I need this or that. It is estimated that there
are 10-50 trillion (10-50 million million) cells in the human body. The nutrients contained in
food are for them. The food is not being taken in for the benefit of our personality identity.
Maintaining a constant, though gentle awareness that, "Food is for cells, not me" will keep
diet decisions in proper perspective.
Change "I want" to "It wants": When we say, "I want this or that food," who is it that is
making this statement? Even if we accept that food is for cells (above), we are still stuck
with the fact that somebody inside is wanting to eat that food. Who is that? It is the thought
pattern, the desire itself that is wanting to express itself through food consumption. This
principle relates not only to food, but to allof the inner wants, wishes, desires, attractions or
aversions. But here, we are talking about food. By recognizing that the desire itself, or "It"
is wanting to eat or be fed, then we have another useful principle to keep in mind at all
times. So, we see two companion principles, in that food is for the cells, and the desire
stands alone, as its own motivator.
Starving for nutrients: Once we become aware that food is for the cells, and that desire
for individual foods stands alone, independent of "me" as a personality identity, there is also
the reality that many so-called foods are severely lacking in nutrients. If the cells are not
getting sufficient nutrients from the foods we eat, the inner system drives us to eat more
and more food in a vain attempt to get nutrients from nutrient deficient foods. We can
literally be starving, while overweight. Therefore, we need to be mindful of eating healthy,
whole, quality foods that are rich in nutrients. When the cells are receiving proper nutrients,
there is less desire to keep eating.
We eat food, not ingredients: When we talk of carbohydrates, proteins, fiber, vitamins,
and minerals, etc., questions of diet can get quite confusing. One reason for confusion is
that we do not eat these ingredients, as such. Rather, what we eat is food. If we think in
terms of the foods we eat, then the whole process becomes much easier. It's not that we
are not mindful of the ingredients, which is quite useful. Rather, we learn to think of the
food itself. For example, we train ourselves to eat fresh vegetables, not just to ingest a list
of nutrients that are contained in the vegetables.
What to eat: In that light, diet becomes simple. Eat a nice mixture of fresh vegetables, a
variety of beans, and whole grains, such whole grain brown rice, along with some fresh
fruits, doing this each and every day. There it is--the core of a good diet for meditation and
health in a single sentence! Isn't it true that most of us already know this? Isn't it true that
diet is not really so complicated after all?
 Vegetables: A mixture of green, yellow, and other vegetables provides lots of

nutrition. Common sense leads to a nice balance of these.
 Beans/legumes: Beans are loaded with nutrients and lots of fiber, which helps
greatly with digestion. They are also an excellent source of protein.
 Brown rice or equivalent: Whole grains such as brown rice or basmati rice provide
vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Seasonings: If the mixture of vegetables, beans, and grain sounds boring or unappealing
to your palate (and you're having trouble living on the principle that food is only for the
cells), it is extremely useful to experiment with lots of different seasonings to provide a
tasty variety. There are many seasoning packages that are a combination of spices, and
some of these can be purchased in bulk, such as one pound or one kilo bags. With some
creative mixing of seasonings, the basic meal can take on any flavor you want. Some of the
spices can provide nutrient value, and this is another area to explore. Some people may
argue that heavy spices are not useful, but it is better to have the healthy core foods, even
if one finds it necessary to use lots of spices.
Water: Drink a proper amount of water. To take two full glasses (total of about 1 liter or 1
quart) of room temperature water in the early morning is very useful. If you are not
accustomed to this, it might take a few days to get used to it. Just drink down the water
somewhat quickly, though not causing bloating. This morning water practice will clear out
some of the toxins in the systems, and will trigger peristalsis, the muscular movement that
clears the bowels. Then, sometime later, take the first food of the day. One sign of having
enough water is the urine flowing clear, except after a long sleep, during which there was
no fluid intake.
Addition rather than subtraction: An instruction to not eat much fat or sugar is a
recommendation based on subtraction. For the mind, this can be somewhat like the old
saying, "Do not think of a pink elephant." If you do that, all you think of is pink elephants. If
you seek merely to eliminate something from diet, then what is your mind left to choose?
You have not given mind any instruction about what to put in the mouth and stomach. If,
instead, you give yourself instructions like the old saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor
away," then you have definitely given your mind instructions, which is based on addition.
You are adding the good things to your diet. So, better than only telling your mind
what not to do, make a firm decision that you will eat certain foods each day. Vow to
yourself that youwill eat fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, beans, and whole grains every day,
without exception. Then, maybe the other stuff, the subtractive stuff, will start to fall away
on its own, or at least more easily.
Unavailable in restaurants: It is important to understand and accept the fact that a
mixture of fresh vegetables, beans, and whole grain are virtually unavailable in many, if not
most restaurants. To not understand and accept this reality can lead to a great deal of
frustration, as if you are supposed to be able to find a good food selection from a menu that
does not offer these choices. By being aware of these unfortunate realities of restaurant
food, one can search around for a favorite few restaurants that have at least one offering on
the menu that is rich with the combination of whole, fresh, healthy foods.
Nutrition and cleansing: The two functions of nutrition and cleansing work together. Each
of them has two polarities. Thus, you can have food that is nutritious or not nutritious, and
you can have food that easily digests and facilitates cleansing and detoxifying, or you can
have food that is hard to digest and blocks cleansing and detoxifying. It is very useful to
keep in mind these two simple questions when making food choices:
1) Does it provide good nutrition?

2) Does it facilitate cleansing?
Eat the good food first: It's easy to start the day with a rushed breakfast, have a
midmorning junk snack, and a fast food lunch, thinking that we might have the better
food later in the day, when there's more time. Sometimes later never comes. One way to
counterbalance this tendency is to first have the better food, delaying the lesser food for
later. Possibly later will never come, and you will find you never get around to eating the
lesser food.
Imagine that you arose in the morning and had some sugary, salty breakfast cereal. Then,
mid-morning, you had some tasty bread roll that is made with white flour and sugar. Then,
you had a junk food lunch at one of those restaurants that doesn't have fresh vegetables,
beans, or whole grain meals. Then, mid-afternoon, you had another one of those
questionable snacks. It's very easy to think we will have our good food in the evening, for
dinner, when there is more time to cook in the leisure of our own home. We may never get
around to eating the good food, thinking if that we now eat this, after the other food during
the day, we will be overeating. One solution is to train your mind to eat the good food first.
Start the day with healthy food, and have healthy snacks early. You may then discover that
there is not as much room for the lesser food.
Let Buddhi be your guide: Of the four functions of mind, Buddhi is the aspect that knows,
decides, judges, and discriminates. Often, this faculty of mind is clouded over by the
habitual inner noise of attractions and aversions. Actions end up unregulated, being the
mere playing out of unconscious mental conditionings. One of the finest things we can do
for food sadhana (practices) is to cultivate the clarity of Buddhi, becoming ever more aware
of what is useful and what is not useful. Literally ask yourself, "Is this useful or not useful?"
Your inner wisdom of Buddhi really does have good perspective, regardless of surface level
actions, speech, or thinking process. Cultivate this aspect of mind, gradually, gently,
lovingly, though persistently and intently learning to listen and act on this inner wisdom.
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Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces:

Two Harmonious Directions
in Life and Yoga
There is a principle in physics that is also applicable to human beings, and which is
extremely useful to understand and put into practical use. That is, there are two forces at
play; one is moving outward, while the other is moving inward. To have only one, without
the other, can lead to being out of balance, to either being lost in the world or to living a life
of escapism. To fully experience them both, and to have them in a harmonious balance is a
very high way of living in Yoga.
Two Forces in Physics Two Directions for People
There are two forces at play with a satellite There are also two forces at play with
in orbit or a rock swung in a circle on the human beings. One force is that of
end of a string. One force would have the consciousness ever moving outward,
satellite or rock continue its journey away manifesting through intellect, ego, mind,
from the center; this is the centrifugal senses, and actions. The other force is that
force. The other force pulls the object inner draw or pull for all of these to recede,
inward through gravity or the strength of so that the consciousness might rest in its
the string; this is the centripetal force. To own true nature, which is called Self-
have the two forces in balance is what Realization. To have the highest inner
allows the satellite to stay in its orbit and Realization while engaging in the world is
the rock in its circuitous arc. the highest goal.
Receding rather than Traveling

In spiritual life and the path of enlightenment, it is not that there is a discrete "I" as a
collection of mental and emotional traits who travels from here to there, from this realm to
that realm, and on to the next realm. Rather, our consciousness, soul, spirit, or whatever
else you want to call it manifests outward through individuation, intellect, ego, mind, and
sensory-motor instruments so that we may engage the external world. Then, on the return
journey, all of these recede back into one another. The sensory-motor instruments, mind,
ego and intellect all recede back into that from which they originally emerged.
In this way latent impressions manifest as dreams or unconscious mental process, and then
spring forth into actions in the world. After the actions or the dreams have played out, those
images all recede back into the latent bed of the unconscious mind from which they had
emerged. So too, when we turn inward from the actions of the world, withdraw the senses,
allow the mind to recede into rest, it is a process of receding rather than a process of a
discrete "I" taking a journey.
In both the processes of being and acting in the world and the processes of dreaming, there
are two underlying processes. One is the expansion or manifesting outward, and the other is
that of receding. Ornaments manifest out of gold, though the gold does not travel
anywhere. Pots manifests out of clay, though the clay does not travel anywhere. Ornaments
may recede back into being only a piece of gold, though the gold did not travel anywhere.
Pots may recede back into being only a lump of clay, though the clay did not travel
anywhere. So too, we manifest outward through individuation, intellect, ego, mind, and
sensory-motor instruments, though the deepest being who we are does not travel
anywhere. So too, the sensory-motor instruments, mind, ego, intellect, and individuation
recede back into our true essence, though that essence did not travel anywhere.
Outward and inward, manifesting and receding; those are the two directions, like the
centrifugal and centripetal forces, while never is there any traveling of the innermost
essence.
Two Forces in Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra
These two forces (centripetal and centrifugal) are contained in virtually all of the conceptual
systems of meditation and contemplation, including the three streams of Yoga, Vedanta and
Tantra (see the article on the Three Streams).
Sankhya-Yoga: In Sankhya, which is the foundation for Yoga, there is Purusha,

consciousness, along with the many manifestations of Prakriti, the subltest "matter."
(See Sankhya)
Vedanta: In Vedanta, there is the Atman, the individual Self and Brahman, the absolute
reality, along with the appearances of sheaths manifesting out of Maya, the illusion or
unreality. (See Sheaths)
Tantra: In Tantra, there is Shiva, the latent, formless masculine essence, along with
Shakti, the beautiful, creative feminine force that plays its way into manifestation.
(See Shiva-Shakti)
While each of these three have their own perspective, the seeker of Self-Realization will see
how they work together, or play together, and that in all of them, there are two forces in
action; one is outer, centripetal, and the other is inner, centrifugal. This is one of the ways
in which the three streams of Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra are companions on the journey to
Self-Realization.
A satellite in a geostationary orbit (remaining over one location on the Earth) is

held in place because of the perfect balance between gravity (centripetal force)
and its inertia (centrifugal force). Imagine that the satellite stopped its forward
motion of about 17,000 miles per hour. The satellite would immediately start
falling toward Earth at a very fast speed.
Imagine for a moment a human stopping his or her outward momentum into
the external world, as well as ceasing motion of awareness "outward" into the
stuff of the mind and body. Instantly, she or he would move "inward" towards
the center of consciousness, the true Self, or whatever you wish to call that.
This is one way of viewing the Yoga process of surrender. It is not a matter of
defining to whom or what you surrender, but the letting go process itself.
Thus, Yoga Sutras 1.2-1.3 describes Yoga as a process of setting aside or

letting go, etc. (nirodhah), which results in the seer or witness resting in its
own true nature. This is one way of explaining the meaning of the phrase Self-
Realization and the word Yoga.
Don't remove the Inner, Centripetal force
There is somewhat subtle point about rocks on a string and the journey of humans. Once
this point is understood, it is extremely practical in daily life and the seeking of Self-
Realization.
First, the physics part. If you are swinging a rock on a string and the string breaks, the rock
flies away. Most of us would say that this flying away is caused by the centrifugal force, the
outward pull. However, the Newtonian physicists explain that it is not the outward pull that
does this, but instead, it is thecessation or removal of the centripetal force, the release of
the inner pull that allows the rock to fly outward. They explain this in the context of
Newton's laws of motion. If you are curious about the details of this process, internet
searches of centripetal and centrifugal forces will lead you to further explanations.
Second, the life part. It seems that the vast majority of people turn to meditation and
contemplation, the journey of Self-Realization, out of a sense of having lived in the external
world and finding it lacking something. Often, people run into painful experiences, which
drive them to seek within, turning away from the world. It can seem that it is the world and
the other people who are causing the suffering, just as it can seem that it is the centrifugal
force that causes the rock to fly away. That's not really a complete explanation of what
leads to the suffering. What is more true is that the cessation or removal of
our connection to the inner source, who we really are, is the bigger problem, as in the case
of the string and the rock.
As with the rock and the string,

the cause of the suffering is forgetting
to maintain a constant awareness
of the center of consciousness.
Often, people get the impression that living a life of meditation and contemplation means
not enjoying life in the external world, as if everybody is supposed to give up all their
belongings and relationships and go live in a cave. It can seem as if texts and teachers are
all saying this, that they should not have fun in life, that they should become boring people.
However, it is not the world and its attractions that is the problem. Rather, as with the rock
and the string, the cause of the suffering is forgetting to maintain a constant awareness of
the center of consciousness, cutting ourselves off from the Atman, the Self. When that
awareness is cut off, like the removal cessation or removal of the centripetal force with the
rock and the string, we can easily suffer as we naturally fly off into the allurements of
worldly life.
The solution is simple; maintain a constant awareness of seeking the highest Reality, the
highest Truth, the direct experience of the Absolute, the center of consciousness, the Self or
Atman. Here, we are not talking about whether you have or have not yet actually realized
that Self. Rather, we are talking about the fact that the gently constant awareness of
seeking it acts like the string in relation to the rock. That constant awareness keeps life in
the external world in balance. It brings equanimity, peace of mind, or contentment, which is
called santosha in Sanskrit. This santosha is part of rung two, the niyamas, of the eight
rungs of Yoga, as described in the Yoga Sutras (Yoga Sutras 2.26-2.29, 2.30-2.34, 2.35-
2.45). To keep a sense of contentment, don't remove the string, the connection with the
innermost center of consciousness. Keep a gentle, yet steady awareness of that innermost
source. That awareness is the centripetal force that keeps the centrifugal force of worldly
life in balance.
-------
Choose Truth as the Highest "T"

SwamiJ.com
The mind naturally has priorities of this over that. Sometimes our priorities are made by
conscious choice, but often one goal has precedence over the other by means of
unconscious happenstance. In our journey of Yoga and Meditation we may look for one or
more of these "T's," with one generally being dominant over the others:
 Truth  Teachings
 Teacher  Training
 Tradition  Texts
Seek Truth alone, and the others will come.
Truth: This is the highest to seek. If we seek Truth, cultivating that flame of desire to burn
ever more brightly in the inner chamber of the heart, then all of the other "T's" will come
along in time, as a natural process. The ideal Teacher will show up, and we will find the
right Texts for us. We will find Teachings through classes or other learning experiences, and
specific Training in methods. All of these will come, as if by magnetic pull, by clearly
focusing on the highest priority of seeking Truth. That burning desire gradually burns up
other, less useful desires.
Teacher: It is easy to fall into the trap of putting first priority on finding a Teacher. There
are many so-called Teachers available who will quickly enter into a master-servant
relationship. The photo can be put on an altar, and the Teacher worshipped, while little may
happen in true advancement. It has been widely said that when the student is ready, the
Teacher will appear. For one who most sincerely puts the seeking of Truth number one,
Teacher or Teachers will most definitely come to help show the way. (See Guru article)
Tradition: To have a well known tradition or group with which to identify can be very
comforting to the mind, providing both a sense of personal stability and a feeling of being in
community with others. However, in the absence of a deeper, stronger longing and
conviction for Truth itself, the Tradition may be, in effect, little more than joining a social
organization. For the sincere seeker who puts the desire for Truth first and foremost, an
authentic Tradition will come, along with a proper Teacher from that Tradition.
Teachings: There is no end to the classes, seminars, or lectures one might attend so as to
get more Teachings, more information. It is easy to sit around with other people of so-called
like mind, or to debate endlessly on internet discussion forums, and completely miss the
direct experience of Truth. The Teachings are essential on the journey, but must be done in
the context of the intense clarity of conviction for Truth. That inner drive for nothing less
than absolute Truth, constantly cultivated, brings life and meaning to the Teachings.
Training: Hands on, direct training in the specific methods is an important thing, but often
is done without a deep drive for Truth itself. One may do exercises, for example, that make
the body flexible, enliven energy, or concentrate the mind, without knowing what to do with
their effects, without understanding their real nature, and without comprehending their
significance in relation to the realization of Truth. Methods that build upon the prerequisite
longing and focus on seeking of Truth are of far greater value than that of mere
physiological benefits.
Texts: There are thousands upon thousands of books, with more and more being written
and published every year. One can read and read and read some more, gaining a greater
and greater ability to intellectually describe or argue the principles. A library of tens of
thousands of books is of little value without the higher priority of Truth. With the fire of
desire for Truth, the Texts are useful, but there is also an inner longing to distill their
wisdom, to set those books aside, and dive deep into the inner experience of Truth itself.
Choosing Truth: By choosing to focus on the highest "T," all of the others fall into place. It
surely takes effort, but all of the others rest on the firm, unwavering, intense, and clear first
priority of seeking Truth itself. If one has a lesser goal, one of the other "T's," there may be
a temporary feeling of satisfaction from having attained what is wanted. If a Teacher is
there, then that desire is fulfilled. If Teachings are found, there is satisfaction. If Training is
received, there is confidence. When Texts are read, there is a contentment of sorts. Each of
these can, standing alone, lead to a sense of pseudo peace, even though they fall far short
of Truth.
However, for one who deeply longs for Truth alone, there remains a nagging sense of being
incomplete until that Realization comes. This takes great strength, the strength of sankalpa
or determination. To hold onto the desire for Truth, and to allow that one desire to become
ever stronger naturally brings the others along. This is not to suggest that suffering and
pain are sought for their own sake. The single-minded desire for Truth, by whatever other
name one may call it, stands alone as the prime desire, goal, and experience of the human.
One who feels that drive as number one on the list of desires, or things to do, is most
fortunate, and will eventually find that Truth.
-------
Inner Peace
by Swami Rama
See also the list:

Swami Rama Articles
INNER PEACE
Swami Rama
Inner peace and happiness is a subject that concerns everyone, It concerned the ancients,
and it is our concern today as well--to understand how we can be happy. We always think
that people somewhere else are happier than we are, but that is not true. Everyone is
restless; everyone is unhappy. And the reason is that human beings have not understood
the source of happiness. No matter where you live, no matter what you have in the external
world, no matter how many things you own, if you do not have peace within, you will never
be happy.
To understand this, you will have to understand two things. One is called "within" and the
other is called "without." Accordingly, there are two concepts for living, One is: make
yourself happy in the external world, and you will be happy within. The other is: make
yourself happy within, and you will reflect that happiness outside. But there is also a middle
path: you can do both. You can make yourself happy in the external world through your
attitude as you perform your actions and speech in that world, and at the same time you
can maintain happiness within by being constantly aware of the Reality that is beyond body,
mind, and senses. Actual knowledge comes when you start understanding both.
We all expect to be peaceful; we all expect to have happiness within us; and that is why we
like to enjoy things. Even the smallest enjoyment comes with the hope of finding peace
within. But we sometimes find that the enjoyments of the world create more turmoil than
going without them would. Try to think of a single pleasure of the world that brings you
lasting happiness, that brings you lasting enjoyment. You cannot. Suppose, for example,
you have a watch. That gives you pleasure; but if you lose the watch, then that same watch
becomes a source of pain. You depend too much on the things of the world. You think that
after having this thing or that thing, after acquiring this thing or that thing, you will enjoy
life and finally have peace. But it never happens. The things of the world cannot bring
happiness; peace of mind does not depend on anything external, and without peace of mind
you can never be happy.
So first of all let us try to see how our peace of mind is disturbed, how our mind remains in
turmoil; for if we really want to understand our emotions, we can learn to be happy. There
are many people in this world who enjoy life by being cheerful, by being in a state of
tranquility. They maintain that state because they have learned to create a bridge between
the external world and the internal world. People generally fall into one of three categories.
Those in the first category do not understand the cause of their own turmoil. Those in the
second category analyze the cause, but they cannot handle it, they cannot remove it. But
there is a third category of people who know and understand the cause of turmoil, and who
then remove it. These people remain free from inner and outer conflicts.
The Vedas, the most ancient scriptures, say that when our senses are not a source of
distraction, when our mind is calm and quiet, when there is no inner turmoil and conflict,
then we have attained the highest state of wisdom. Actually, the path of enlightenment is
very short, but it is difficult to tread because we always expect that someone from outside
will come and enlighten us. But this does not happen. Unless you are prepared to take
responsibility for yourself, to understand your own inner being and your own internal states,
you will not find happiness. You have to learn to do that.
BRIDGING THE TWO WORLDS
Though the worlds within and without are different, they are not totally separate. So you
will have to learn to create a bridge between them. If you do not know how to live in the
external world you will never have happiness. You cannot, for life and relationships are one
and the same. You cannot separate them. Somehow, somewhere, everyone is related to
something, to someone. Even a swami is related to his practice. He has no worldly
relationships, it is true, but he is concerned about his students, about their progress. We
should learn to deal with these relationships. This is very important, for if we do not do that,
then we are constantly blasting our inner peace. If we leave our duties, if we run away, we
will still have problems because we carry our mind with us all the time no matter where we
live, and the source of our problems is in our mind.
Some of you will say you have done your best in the external world, yet still you are
unhappy. You should remember one thing: it is the ego that comes in the way of your
relationships. For example, two people may have decided to live with each other, but most
of the time they are on their own ego trips. "I want this," one says, and the other says, "I
want that." That I and that want come between the two of them and create a problem. So
in relationships ego stands as one of the biggest barriers. Modern egos are very strong
because people do not get training in taming the ego. We all have different wants, and if we
try to fulfill them without regard for others there will be conflict.
You should not expect to gain happiness from others. Everyone asks, "Do you love me?" But
there is no need for doing that. You can find out within how much you love a person, and
that is exactly how much that person loves you. Do not ask, "Do you love me?" That is not
love, but expectation. You are expecting too much from others. Just love, and you do not
have to ask the question. The whole world suffers because everybody says, "Do you love
me? Do you love me?" You expect others to love you, and yet you do not love. Love does
not mean expectation, love means awareness. If you are aware that in everybody's heart,
deep within, there is eternity, you will love that. You will be able to say, "I love you not
because of your body, senses, and mind. I love you because you are an eternal shining
flame. We are like lamps, and your eternal flame is shining the same as the one in me. I
love that flame." Saying "I love that flame" means that you are loving yourself when you
love others. It becomes very easy. So you should learn to change your concepts, change
your attitudes toward life a little bit and make it into a poem, a thing of beauty.
One of the sages I met in the Himalayas said to me, "I don't know why people are bothered
so much; it is very easy to enjoy life." So I said, "What is the formula, sir?" And he said,
"Life needs adjustment. Its goal is contentment, but those who do not know how to adjust--
how can they attain their goal?" When you cannot adjust yourself in the external world, the
whole problem lies with your inner understanding. So learn to study your inner processes,
and then you will be happy.
But modern people have no time for insight. They do not want to sit calmly even for a few
minutes. And if they do try, then they start thinking, and this leads to turmoil. But it is not
our thinking process that creates the disturbance, that makes us petty and small. It is
something called emotion. No matter how much wisdom you have, no matter how much you
understand, it will not help you if you have not organized your emotional life. No amount of
book learning can help you do this. Even if you know the scriptures, you cannot be happy if
you have no control over your emotions. So you should learn to study where the emotions
are coming from and why they are creating problems for you. You have to find the way to
divert and channel these negative emotions.
One way to do this is to learn to control your attitude as you perform your actions and
speech in the external world. Nobody knows how you think; people know you because of
your actions and speech, and this is how you relate to the external world. So if you know
how to direct your speech and actions, you can know how to live peacefully in the external
world. The wound from a bullet can be cured, but the wound from a word is not that easy to
heal. If someone is very harsh to you, or if someone has spoken something that you cannot
forget, that wound is still there. Speech is very powerful; action is also very powerful. So
only those who know how to conduct their actions and speech can be happy in the external
world. Behind our actions is that which motivates us to perform them, and that force is
called desire. If you are always saying, "I don't know why I did that, and I am sorry," then
you are lying to yourself. You know why. Even if you do not consciously remember the
reason for being compelled to do something, you still know it. Many of your actions are
controlled by your unconscious mind, but any part of you that motivates you to do
something is also yours, and you can learn to control it, too.
FOR ME BUT NOT MINE
How do we perform actions in such a way that they do not become a source of problems for
us and for others? If we learn to change our attitude, we will be happy. When we have to do
something, we should find out how to do it in such a way that we are not attached to it. All
the things of the world are meant for us to enjoy--but they are not ours. All of our pleasures
and joys are marred when we start owning things, for if we try to possess things we become
attached to them. Nothing belongs to us. That which gives us problems is our "my"
business: "My house, my car, my bank, my this, my that." Wherever our my is attached,
that gives us problems. We get attached to these things--and attachment brings misery--
and then we cannot enjoy them.
Do you know that the words we use most the whole day, from morning to evening, are I,
my, and mine? All the time we tell people, "I have done this; I am sad; I am happy; I am
rich; I am poor...." Whatever we do we always use that I. But suppose someone were to
say, "Well, sir, you are talking of your I all the time. Can I know what that I is?" You would
have to keep silent. If someone were to say, "Is that body your I? you would say, "No, it is
merely my body." So where is the I that you want to express all the time? What is that I of
which you are talking all the time? Have you known that l? Where is that l? When you start
studying yourself, you become aware that you have to know one thing: you have to know
the I that is within you. And there is only one way of knowing it. You must ask yourself the
question, "Who am I?" If you ask other people, "Who am I? What are we trying to do? What
is God? What is Self? What is Self-realization?" they will think that you are crazy. But for
knowing yourself and your I, you do not have to consult others. You have the power to find
out for yourself.
If you put yourself in a completely dark chamber away from all light, then where are your
hands? You cannot see your own palms, yet you know that they are there. What is that
which tells you? Who tells you that your hands are there? Who tells you that you still exist?
For knowing your own existence, you do not need any outside light. You have the capacity
to find out within yourself. So first of all, you should learn to know yourself, and the
ancients say there is a way to do this. If you were to ask a sage, "Who am I? Am I this
body?" the sage would say, "No, you have a body, but you are not the body." "Then am I
the senses?" "No, the senses are different from you." "Then am I the breath?" "No. Body,
senses, and breath are not at all you." "Oh, then I think I must be the mind." "No, the mind
goes through modifications--through the thinking process, through thought patterns,
through analysis--it is constantly fluctuating. So you are not the mind." "Then who am I?"
"You are seated behind body, senses, and mind. That which is peeping through the mind,
senses, and body, that you are."
When you start understanding yourself, when you begin to cease to identify with your body,
senses, and mind, then you will find that your own self is an eternal wave; your own self is
a child of immortality. That which creates problems for you is your mind, because you are
constantly identifying yourself with its thought patterns. You do not know, you do not think,
that there can be something more, something deeper, higher, and stronger than the
thinking process. You think, for example, "My husband said I am a bad woman. So, I must
be a bad woman. My son also says I am bad. And my friend the other day told me I am
bad. I am definitely bad." You have accepted these suggestions from outside. But you have
not cared to make the effort to truly understand; you have not cared to look within. So you
feel guilty, and you are suffering. This happens with everyone. You should sit down some
time and think about it. Do not blame all these things on God, saying, "God made me like
this, so I am like this." God made you beautiful, but you make yourself miserable. And you
also have the power to make yourself happy. Both are of your own doing. You can
transform your personality by understanding this.
BEYOND BODY, SENSES, AND MIND
How will you transform your personality? By being constantly aware of the Reality within,
which is not body, senses, breath, or mind, but beyond that--that flame, that light, that life.
Remind yourself: "I am not body, I am not senses, I am not mind--so who is there to create
problems for me? This body, these senses, these thoughts have no power to create
problems for me, so why am I suffering? I am suffering because of my association with the
body, senses, and mind. It is all right to have them, to use them and enjoy them, but when
I become attached to them and identify myself with them, I am bound to suffer." Suffering
comes when you have something and you do not know how to use it. If you are aware of
this, you will quickly come to realize that you have all the things you need; you simply need
to learn how to use them. That is all.
So you should know the technique for using the instruments that you have. And that is, you
should be constantly aware-- inside--of the Reality. "I am beyond body, senses, and mind.
Who is there to make me suffer?" If you say "God," then that poor God should suffer more
than we because he would be responsible for having created a whole world of suffering. If
you believe that God has created such a miserable world, then there is no need for believing
in God. But God has not created a miserable world; it is we who have created a miserable
world for ourselves. All the miserable conditions in the world have been created by us, and
we can remove them and be happy. So constantly be aware of the Reality that is beyond
body, senses, and mind. And when you do your actions, think that all the things of the
world are meant to be used and should be used--they should be enjoyed. But know that
they are not yours. Then you will be happy. Happiness is not something that we cannot
have. It is our right; it is our birthright; we are working for that; we live for that; we hope
to continue to live for that.
You talk of other worlds, other dimensions, unknown things. You should not do that. You
should understand the nature of the known. You are not satisfied with the things of the
world, but it is the nature of the world that nothing is permanent. Everything is subject to
change; everything is decaying; everything is dying. Accept this fact--and then live in the
world. Do not talk. about the unknown. Do not expect the unknown to come and enlighten
you; do not expect the unknown to suddenly drop in and make you happy. Make yourself
happy by understanding that the light of lights is within you.
That which is called God or the Lord is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. If he is
not within you, then he is not a great Lord, he is not omnipresent. If he is omniscient, then
that means that the knowledge of God IS within you. And If he is omnipotent, then the Lord
in his full majesty must be within you. So that which you consider to be God is within you in
his full majesty. You do not know that because you rely on your body, which is subject to
change. But there is something that does not change--something beyond the body, senses,
and mind. It is that light, that flame, that eternity--which is within you--that does not
change. It is called God within you.
So remember, you are not so miserable as you have made yourself out to be. You are God,
too, and cultivating this constant awareness within you will help keep you from false
attachments, from identifying yourself with your body, mind, and senses. So you must say
to yourself, "Body, mind, and senses are mine, but they are not me, for I am that eternal
flame which is not subject to change, death, and decay." This awareness should always be
with you.
So how do you live in the external world? How do you find inner peace and happiness? By
creating a bridge between the internal and external worlds, by adjusting your attitude when
you perform your actions and speech, and by being constantly aware of the Reality within.
-------
Time and Place for Yoga Meditation

SwamiJ.com
Choosing a regular time and place

is a real key to progress in meditation.
Regular Time
Regular Place
Regular Time
Swami Rama on Time for Meditation
Choose a time that works for you:
The time you choose should be comfortable for you, and should fit in with your daily
schedule and the schedule of others.
Ideally, the better times for meditation are early morning or late evening. The ancient
teachers of yoga meditation say that the ideal time is about 3:00 or 4:00 am. The times
just around sunrise and sunset are also particularly nice for meditation.
Although such times may be theoretically better than other times, they may not be right for
you personally if they do not match your schedule, your current predisposition for
meditation, or the people with whom you live. The real key to regularity of meditation is
tochoose a time that works for you.
It is also nice to think of time in the context of activities. For example, in the morning you
may find your meditation is best after bathing, but before taking your breakfast. Having it
programmed in your mind that this is the sequence in which you do your morning activities
and practice will go a long way towards developing a good habit.
On the other hand, there may be something about your household schedule which alters the
ideal situation. For example, you may know that it is better to bathe before meditation, but
you may find you are too disturbed by the sounds of others in the house after your bathing
time. You may decide to sit for meditation first, while others are bathing, and that this is a
quieter time for you.
These are only examples--What is important in selecting a time is that you experiment with
it, finding out what works just right for you. So-called rules about sitting times are useless if
by trying to follow the rules you end up not sitting at all.
Choose how many times per day to sit:
It is also most useful to make a decision as to how many times you will meditate per day,
whether one, two, three, or more. It is very useful to make a solid decision on this point.
Then allow yourself the flexibility of altering the duration of your practice.
For example, you may like to sit for 30 minutes just after you come home from your daily
work. What do you do on a day where there is not this much time? Better that you sit for
only one minute, or sit long enough to count five breaths, than to not do the practice at all.
It is amazing how even a very brief time can be of use in the moment, as well as in habit
formation.
If you must miss your scheduled meditation:
There are stories of people committed to yoga meditation and how they sit at all cost, even
life and death situations. Such stories are supposed to inspire us. This is a nice goal, but for
many people this can be a setup for failure in your meditation, as you may not be yet able
to muster that much determination. It seems best for most people to cultivate a sincere
attitude of commitment to specific times, but then be a little flexible in life situations.
If you must miss a meditation time, do not just change the meditation time that day. This is
admittedly a mind game, but you will find it very useful to take a stance that this is still my
meditation time, but that this time I will not be making my appointment. This way you are
not changing your meditation time. The date or appointment remains fixed, absolutely
fixed, but you are missing it this time out of choice. Then, at the time of your meditation,
turn your attention inward, even for a moment, and remember--just remember. Then, do
your meditation at a later time the same day.
When you're too tired at the end of the day:
The end of a very long day can be a tempting time to skip meditation, just for this one day.
The one day turns into many days. Better that you train yourself to sit for one minute, or a
count of 10 breaths, or for that matter, even 3 breaths, or 1. Whatever you do, that act of
sitting just for a moment will affirm your intent to be inward for meditation. It will have an
effect on habit development.
Regular Place
Use the same place:
Using the same place for meditation each day is an important part of developing a good
habit. Then the mind does not have to question, or scan around the house or room,
wondering where to go today.
This one space will also become a point of reference for you in daily life. If it is in your
bedroom, for example, it should be one specific spot. It may be a space on the floor where
you leave your cushion, or it may be a specific chair that is kept uncluttered and is only for
meditation. You will notice for yourself that from time to time your attention will go to that
space during the day, as if you are remembering that this special place is there for you, and
that you will be returning there soon for a quiet, joy-filled inner journey.
Where you will not be disturbed:
Your place of yoga meditation should be somewhere in the house where you are not in the
traffic pattern of other people. It is better that the meditator work around other people than
that the other people have to change their lives for the benefit of your practice. It is, of
course, very nice when people can work together in a family (or workplace) so as to provide
quiet space and time for one another.
For only this purpose:
Choose a space that, as best as possible, is not used for some other purpose. Somewhere in
your house is a quiet space that you do not otherwise visit so often.
It may be, for example a particular space along a particular wall in your bedroom that you
normally have no other need to go to. If you look with a keen eye, you will easily spot many
such places. Then, allow yourself to use that space only for the purpose of meditation. Here,
we are talking about this small space, not the whole room. You may want to leave your
cushion in that spot, or if you use a chair, then that chair is left only for that purpose, not as
a collecting place for clothes or other objects.
Quiet, pleasant, comfortable:
Your space should be quiet, pleasant, and comfortable. While it should be a nice space, it is
better to not become rigid about this. A yogi should have some degree of flexibility in what
defines comfort, pleasant, and quiet.
Comfort should be reasonable. Pleasant should be simple, and not overly stimulating to the
senses.
A meditator knows that it is not sounds which disturb meditation, but our reaction to that
sound. So it needs to be reasonably quiet, not absolutely quiet.
Not on your bed:
There can be a real temptation to do meditation on the bed in which you normally sleep.
This can create a bad habit, as it is in the nature of mind to make associations. Meditating
on the bed can create a confusion in the unconscious mind whereby sitting for meditation
becomes associated with sleep. Better to have a separate space on the floor or on a chair to
do your yoga meditation.
-------

Swami Ram Teaching

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Keys to Successful Living

See also the list:

Keys to Successful Living

Deciding Things on Time

Understanding Habit Patterns

Controlling the Primitive Urges

Sleep is another primitive fountain. We consider ourselves to be extremely knowledgeable

Living in the External World

Developing the Proper Attitude

I pray to the divinity within you.

Yoga Sutras 2.30-2.34:

 Purifying your body and mind (2.40-2.41)

27 varieties of negativity: Those contrary actions, speech, or thoughts can be done by

2.30 Non-injury or non-harming (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), abstention from stealing

 ahimsa = non-violence, non-harming, non-injury

 Ahimsa: non-violence, non-harming, non-injury (2.35)

Coloring or klishta: It is extremely important to understand the subtler context of the

 jati = type of birth, species, state of life

 Jati: In relation to beings of any type of birth, species, or state of life

 shaucha = purity of body and mind

 Shaucha: purity of body and mind (2.40, 2.41)

Coloring or klishta: It is extremely important to understand the subtler context of the

 vitarka = troublesome thoughts, deviating (from the yamas and niyamas)

 Ahimsa: non-violence, non-harming, non-injury (2.35)

 vitarkah = troublesome thoughts, deviating (from the yamas and niyamas)

Karma article: See also the article on:

1. 3 doers of action: yourself, recruiting another, or approving

Examples: Here are a few examples of how these might interact:

 Anger: Anger is symptomatic of pushing against, or of aversion (dvesha), one of the

The next sutra is 2.35

Regulating Lifestyle and

Index of this web page:

See also the article:

Developing a Lifestyle conducive to meditation

Lifestyle and the Four Basic Urges

See these four primitive urges in the graphic in the article:

Value of emphasizing four areas

Regulating and Observing the four fountains

Attaining a certain degree of regulation creates an improved environment for self-

See also the article:

Diet and Meditation

See also the articles:

 Vegetables: A mixture of green, yellow, and other vegetables provides lots of

1) Does it provide good nutrition?

Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces:

Two Forces in Physics Two Directions for People

Receding rather than Traveling

Two Forces in Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra

Sankhya-Yoga: In Sankhya, which is the foundation for Yoga, there is Purusha,

A satellite in a geostationary orbit (remaining over one location on the Earth) is

Thus, Yoga Sutras 1.2-1.3 describes Yoga as a process of setting aside or

Don't remove the Inner, Centripetal force

As with the rock and the string,

Choose Truth as the Highest "T"

Seek Truth alone, and the others will come.

See also the list:

BRIDGING THE TWO WORLDS

FOR ME BUT NOT MINE

BEYOND BODY, SENSES, AND MIND

Time and Place for Yoga Meditation

Choosing a regular time and place

Choose a time that works for you:

Choose how many times per day to sit:

If you must miss your scheduled meditation: