YAMAS AND NIYAMAS

Hinduism and its scriptures offer fundamental ethical guidelines for good conduct. They provide suggestions on how we can improve our behavior, control our emotions and ego, and become more tolerant, loving, understanding and forgiving, and ultimately grow into better human beings. Twenty codes of conduct called, yamas and niyamas (restraints and observances), are recorded in 6,000 to 8,000-year-old Vedas, in their final section which are the Upanishads.

Every lesson, every talk from my Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami emphasizes that at the deepest level, we are a pure, radiant, blissful soul. Satguru teaches us to strive to improve our behavior, become better individuals, and live in that state of higher consciousness. 

One may ask – if, at the deepest level, we are one with God, then what prevents us from being in that state of higher consciousness every day, every moment? The answer is – our mind! It’s our instinctive nature, ramifications of the intellect and the pride of the ego that holds us back.  

In this fast-paced and demanding modern life, it is easy to become depressed, stressed and impatient, allowing our mind and intellect to go out of control, easily slipping into the instinctive nature of lower desires and negative emotions. However, to continue advancing toward our true spiritual nature, we must strive to fully understand our mind, we must learn to control and master our mind, and use it as a tool rather than letting the mind control us.

Three different aspects of mind, as explained in Guru’s Wisdom, are –

  • Spiritual nature – this is intuitive nature, pure consciousness, truth, love.

  • Intellectual nature – includes reasoning, overthinking, logical thinking, source of discrimination.

  • Instinctive nature – consists of emotions of greed, hatred, anger, lust, fear, jealousy.

Controlling the mind is one of the important aspects of Hinduism. The mind can be grown and trained to allow us to live in a blissful state, in our soul nature, and in peace and happiness. Many people have no concept that they can change their nature through self-reflection and self-effort. They can improve their behavior and raise their state of consciousness, if they choose to.

For example, at school, a high school student during a meeting with the principal and dean, would not dare to interrupt or bicker, which he might otherwise do with peers, parents or other family members. In the principal's office, the student would show respect and have control over his mind, thoughts, and emotions. Similarly, people demonstrate professionalism, maintain composure, and communicate with clarity at work, following the code of conduct established by the corporation.

Satguru Bodhinatha once stated a verse from Tirukural (35): “Virtue is living in such a way that one does not fall into these four: envy, anger, greed and unsavory speech.”

Hinduism and its scriptures offer fundamental ethical guidelines for good conduct. They provide suggestions on how we can improve our behavior, control our emotions and ego, and become more tolerant, loving, understanding, and forgiving – and ultimately grow into better human beings. Twenty codes of conduct called, yamas and niyamas (restraints and observances), are recorded in 6,000 to 8,000 year old Upanishads. They are also found in  the Tirumantiram of Tirumular and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. 

Yoga's Forgotten Foundation gives an in-depth explanation of the ten yamas and the ten niyamas. The yamas represent the ‘don'ts’, that help control the instinctive nature, which is driven by impulses such as fear, anger, jealousy, selfishness, greed, and lust. Following these are the niyamas, the ‘dos,’ which are practices designed to develop and nurture the soul qualities of love, compassion, selflessness, intelligence, and bliss. As Satguru Bodhinatha explains that these restraints and practices help us build, improve and transform our values and our character through self-reflection and self-effort, by observing and controlling how we think and act. Good values and strong character is the foundation for happiness and spiritual growth, and is the path to become more resilient, understanding and peaceful.

The Ten Vedic Restraints – Yamas, as listed in What Is Hinduism?

  • Practice noninjury, not harming others by thought, word or deed, even in your dreams. Live a kindly life, revering all beings as expressions of the One Divine energy. Let go of fear and insecurity, the sources of abuse. Knowing that harm caused to others unfailingly returns to oneself, live peacefully with God’s creation. Never be a source of dread, pain or injury. Follow a vegan/vegetarian diet.

  • Adhere to truthfulness, refraining from lying and betraying promises. Speak only that which is true, kind, helpful and necessary. Knowing that deception creates distance, don’t keep secrets from family or loved ones. Be fair, accurate and frank in discussions, a stranger to deceit. Admit your failings. Do not engage in slander, gossip or backbiting. Do not bear false witness against another.

  • Uphold the virtue of non-stealing, neither thieving, coveting nor failing to repay debt. Control your desires and live within your means. Do not use borrowed resources for unintended purposes or keep them past due. Do not gamble or defraud others. Do not renege on promises. Do not use others’ names, words, resources or rights without permission and acknowledgement.

  • Practice divine conduct, controlling lust by remaining celibate when single and faithful in marriage. Before marriage, use vital energies in study, and after marriage in creating family success. Don’t waste the sacred force by promiscuity in thought, word or deed. Be restrained with the opposite sex. Seek holy company. Dress and speak modestly. Shun pornography, sexual humor and violence.

  • Exercise patience, restraining intolerance with people and impatience with circumstances. Be agreeable. Let others behave according to their nature, without adjusting to you. Don’t argue, dominate conversations or interrupt others. Don’t be in a hurry. Be patient with children and the elderly. Minimize stress by keeping worries at bay. Remain poised in good times and bad.

  • Foster steadfastness, overcoming non-perseverance, fear, indecision and changeableness. Achieve your goals with a prayer, purpose, plan, persistence and push. Be firm in your decisions. Avoid sloth and procrastination. Develop willpower, courage and industriousness. Overcome obstacles. Never carp or complain. Do not let opposition or fear of failure result in changing strategies.

  • Practice compassion, conquering callous, cruel and insensitive feelings toward all beings. See God everywhere. Be kind to people, animals, plants and the Earth itself. Forgive those who apologize and show true remorse. Foster sympathy for others’ needs and suffering. Honor and assist those who are weak, impoverished, aged or in pain. Oppose family abuse and other cruelties.

  • Maintain honesty, renouncing deception and wrongdoing. Act honorably even in hard times. Obey the laws of your nation and locale. Pay your taxes. Be straightforward in business. Do an honest day’s work. Do not bribe or accept bribes. Do not cheat, deceive or circumvent to achieve an end. Be frank with yourself. Face and accept your faults without blaming them on others.

  • Be moderate in appetite, neither eating too much nor consuming meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs. Enjoy fresh, wholesome vegetarian foods that vitalize the body. Avoid junk food. Drink in moderation. Eat at regular times, only when hungry, at a moderate pace, never between meals, in a disturbed atmosphere or when upset. Follow a simple diet, avoiding rich or fancy fare.

  • Uphold the ethic of purity, avoiding impurity in mind, body and speech. Maintain a clean, healthy body. Keep a pure, uncluttered home and workplace. Act virtuously. Keep good company, never mixing with adulterers, thieves or other impure people. Keep away from pornography and violence. Never use harsh, angered or indecent language. Worship devoutly. Meditate daily.

The Ten Vedic Practices, Niyamas, as listed in What Is Hinduism?

  • Allow yourself the expression of remorse, being modest and showing shame for misdeeds. Recognize your errors, confess and make amends. Sincerely apologize to those hurt by your words or deeds. Resolve all contention before sleep. Seek out and correct your faults and bad habits. Welcome correction as a means to bettering yourself. Do not boast. Shun pride and pretension.

  • Nurture contentment, seeking joy and serenity in life. Be happy, smile and uplift others. Live in constant gratitude for your health, your friends and your belongings, Don’t complain about what you don’t possess. Identify with the eternal You, rather than mind, body or emotions. Keep the mountaintop view that life is an opportunity for spiritual progress. Live in the eternal now.

  • Be generous to a fault, giving liberally without thought of reward. Tithe, offering one-tenth of your gross income (dashamamsha), as God’s money, to temples, ashrams and spiritual organizations. Approach the temple with offerings. Visit gurus with gifts in hand. Donate religious literature. Feed and give to those in need. Bestow your time and talents without seeking praise. Treat guests as God.

  • Cultivate an unshakable faith. Believe firmly in God, Gods, guru and your path to enlightenment. Trust in the words of the masters, the scriptures and traditions. Practice devotion and sadhana to inspire experiences that build advanced faith. Be loyal to your lineage, one with your satguru. Shun those who try to break your faith by argument and accusation. Avoid doubt and despair.”

  • Cultivate devotion through daily worship and meditation. Set aside one room of your home as God’s shrine. Offer fruit, flowers or food daily. Learn a simple puja and the chants. Meditate after each puja. Visit your shrine before and after leaving the house. Worship in heartfelt devotion, clearing the inner channels to God, Gods and guru so their grace flows toward you and loved ones.

  • Eagerly hear the scriptures, study the teachings and listen to the wise of your lineage. Choose a guru, follow his path and don’t waste time exploring other ways. Read, study and, above all, listen to readings and dissertations by which wisdom flows from knower to seeker. Avoid secondary texts that preach violence. Revere and study the revealed scriptures, the Vedas and Agamas.

  • Develop a spiritual will and intellect with your satguru’s guidance. Strive for knowledge of God, to awaken the light within. Discover the hidden lesson in each experience to develop a profound understanding of life and yourself. Through meditation, cultivate intuition by listening to the still, small voice within, by understanding the subtle sciences, inner worlds and mystical texts.

  • Embrace religious vows, rules and observances and never waver in fulfilling them. Honor vows as spiritual contracts with your soul, your community, with God, Gods and guru. Take vows to harness the instinctive nature. Fast periodically. Pilgrimage yearly. Uphold your vows strictly, be they marriage, monasticism, non-addiction, tithing, loyalty to a lineage, vegetarianism or nonsmoking.

  • Chant your holy mantra daily, reciting the sacred sound, word or phrase given by your guru. Bathe first, quiet the mind and concentrate fully to let japa harmonize, purify and uplift you. Heed your instructions and chant the prescribed repetitions without fail. Live free of anger so that japa strengthens your higher nature. Let japa quell emotions and quiet the rivers of thought.

  • Practice austerity, serious disciplines, penance and sacrifice. Be ardent in worship, meditation and pilgrimage. Atone for misdeeds through penance (prayashchitta), such as 108 prostrations or fasting. Perform self-denial, giving up cherished possessions, money or time. Fulfill severe austerities at special times, under a satguru’s guidance, to ignite the inner fires of self-transformation.

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