Describe my understanding of personal cleanliness thus far, on the ethical, physical, mental, and spiritual levels. What is Personal Cleanliness to Me?
Balance. Instead of focusing on the spirit, we over-indulge and imbalance the mind and body. Personal cleansing returns balance to the mind and body, without ahimsa. It is an organic, dynamic process that could go out of balance again at any time. Personal cleanliness goes beyond a superficial cleansing of the skin, positive thinking, or eating a clean diet, and involves prevention of future imbalances.
On a practical, physical level, personal cleanliness promotes a host of benefits: youthing, flexibility, healthy weight, immunity, the release of toxins stuck in the tissues, regulated breath, and the free flow of Prana.
On the mind-body level, personal cleanliness triggers the healing of negative emotions. When administered prudently, personal cleanliness is a safe way to unfold spiritual awareness, unconditional love and compassion.
On a practical, physical level, personal cleanliness promotes a host of benefits: youthing, flexibility, healthy weight, immunity, the release of toxins stuck in the tissues, regulated breath, and the free flow of Prana.
On the mind-body level, personal cleanliness triggers the healing of negative emotions. When administered prudently, personal cleanliness is a safe way to unfold spiritual awareness, unconditional love and compassion.
Patanjali says in Sutra II.40-41. "Through its effective practice of physical purity, attachments to toxins and corruptive forces disappear naturally as natural instinctual or intuitive catharsis or revulsion and as such one rids oneself of their noxious influence directly proportionately as to the development of the inner wisdom. Also through both internal and external purity (saucha) of the body, psychic environment, and through the removal of the occlusions of consciousness, there is achieved balance, cheerfulness, one-pointedness, harmony of the senses, and yogic vision. Here one is no longer attracted by corruptive influences because one has established (and is happily rooted within) an inner energetic freedom."
Personal cleanliness of the body has an easy, direct influence upon spiritual consciousness. In The Sunfood Success System David Wolfe suggests that as you cleanse within, you express the virtues and become beautiful without. Outer beauty is a reflection of inner beauty. You will look more beautiful. You will attract beautiful events and experiences and realize instant karma as amazing synchronicities occur.
Personal cleanliness of the body has an easy, direct influence upon spiritual consciousness. In The Sunfood Success System David Wolfe suggests that as you cleanse within, you express the virtues and become beautiful without. Outer beauty is a reflection of inner beauty. You will look more beautiful. You will attract beautiful events and experiences and realize instant karma as amazing synchronicities occur.
My understanding of personal cleanliness was broadened to include the body, mind, emotions and ethics. Each day, I spent a great deal of time in daily contemplation and study of the principle for the day, the external disciplines.
Yamas
- Ahimsa: non-violence, kindness.
- Satya: Compassionate truthfulness
- Asteya: Non-stealing
- Brahmacharya: Sensual self control
- Aparigraha: Greedlessness, Simplicity
Niyamas
- Shaucha: Purity/Clarity
- Santosha: Contentment
- Swadhyaya: Self-Education, Study
- Ishwara-Pranidhana: Surrender to God
In contemplation of the yamas and niyamas, a number of insights and distinctions became clearer to me. Following are some of my favourites:
Bodily Purification
Bodily Purification
Knowledge (Jnana) does not come about from practice of yoga methods alone. Perfection in knowledge comes after the expression of virtue (dharma) through the means of yoga. The practice of yogic methods is not the exclusive means, yet it is only out of that practice of yoga that the perfection in knowledge comes about.
Truthfulness
Truthfulness
The philosophical meaning of the word “Satya” is “unchangeable,” “that which has no distortion,” “that which is beyond distinctions of time, space, and person,” “that which pervades the universe in all its constancy.” There is a more subtle meaning of the word, “Satya,” which is Citsvaru’pa, the Supreme consciousness or Purusha. In sadhana, or intuitional practice, the meaning of “Satya” is “Parahit'artham' va'unmanaso yatha'rthatvam' satyam” i.e., Satya is the benevolent use of words and the mind for the welfare of others.
Not Getting Without Giving
Not Getting Without Giving
All the wealth of the world will be drawn to one who has mastered the practice and discipline of Asteya: not stealing, not coveting, nor hoarding, not taking what was not freely given, as well as not obstructing other people's desires in life.
Sexual Integrity
Sex is a potential modality for personal transformation and self-actualization. It is my intuition that sex can be experienced at a deeper level, even as a spiritual path, when one tests boundaries ... to experience the world in a more ecstatic and “life enhancing” way. I am also discovering and being called to examine themes in my history and character of authenticity, risk, truth, tempo, tone, service versus debauchery.
Keeping Needs Simple
The term “need” is deceptive. What do you need anyway? If it is a true need, how could you keep it simple enough to “keep simple needs”? If you can keep it simpler, was the need not then actually a desire? What is the difference between a need and a desire?
The necessity of each is open to interpretation. From a spiritual point of view there is only spirit. We are all spirit. We have everything. Therefore we need nothing. One good reason to keep your needs simple.
The other good reason is that mundane desires distract you from the Divine. Should we then be counseled to keep our needs simple? Or be counseled to amplify them infinitely to express a desire for experience of the Divine, which is not a “simple need.”
The other good reason is that mundane desires distract you from the Divine. Should we then be counseled to keep our needs simple? Or be counseled to amplify them infinitely to express a desire for experience of the Divine, which is not a “simple need.”
Contentment
The second niyama outlined by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras is santosha , or contentment. It is a condition for enlightenment. Jesus urges his disciples not to be anxious about what they eat or drink or wear but to remember that, because their heavenly Father knows all their needs, they should "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well" (Matt. 6:31-33).
“What is contentment? Contentment is serenity, but not complacency. It is comfort, but not submission; reconciliation, not apathy; acknowledgment, not aloofness. Contentment is a mental decision, a moral choice, a practiced observance, a step into the reality of the cosmos. Contentment/santosha is the natural state of our humanness and our divinity and allows for our creativity and love to emerge. It is knowing our place in the universe. It is unity with the Divine.” Swami Shraddhananda
“What is contentment? Contentment is serenity, but not complacency. It is comfort, but not submission; reconciliation, not apathy; acknowledgment, not aloofness. Contentment is a mental decision, a moral choice, a practiced observance, a step into the reality of the cosmos. Contentment/santosha is the natural state of our humanness and our divinity and allows for our creativity and love to emerge. It is knowing our place in the universe. It is unity with the Divine.” Swami Shraddhananda
To be desire-free and content, is to express patience, not only externally but mentally, towards home, clothing, food, body, mind, intellect, pleasure or pain.
Passionate EffortThere are a lot of levels to yoga practice from studying the Yoga Sutras themselves, meditation, hatha yoga practice. One must be passionately motivated to practice, otherwise the study will shrink or terminate. In I.21, Pantajali says that spiritual consciousness is nearest to those of keen, intense will.
Self-Study
Passionate EffortThere are a lot of levels to yoga practice from studying the Yoga Sutras themselves, meditation, hatha yoga practice. One must be passionately motivated to practice, otherwise the study will shrink or terminate. In I.21, Pantajali says that spiritual consciousness is nearest to those of keen, intense will.
Self-Study
Self study (Sanskrit name: Svadyaya), most crucial of the niyamas, results in the discovery of our spiritual identify. It includes the study of sacred texts or potentially all expression. For me, this is the slipperiest of the principles studied. It seems most precarious, even dangerous, (to the ego or self with the lower case s) to actually discover the source of the “I thought.”
Surrender to Life
Surrender to Life
Surrender to life, the final or tenth niyama, means turning the heart completely to God. It means “let thy will be done.” It is the highest virtue. It is the highest state of mind, the culmination of jnana, bhakti and karma. Mastery in this brings Samadhi, or divine bliss.
It means I give up.
It means I give up.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna said to the warrior Arjuna:
"I consider the yogi-devotee - who lovingly contemplates on Me with supreme faith, and whose mind is ever absorbed in Me - to be the best of all the yogis." (B.G., Chapter 6, Verse 47) "After attaining Me, the great souls do not incur rebirth in this miserable transitory world, because they have attained the highest perfection." (B.G., Chapter 8, Verse 15) "... those who, renouncing all actions in Me, and regarding Me as the Supreme, worship Me... For those whose thoughts have entered into Me, I am soon the deliverer from the ocean of death and transmigration, Arjuna. Keep your mind on Me alone, your intellect on Me. Thus you shall dwell in Me hereafter." (B.G., Chapter 12, Verses 6-8) "And he who serves Me with the yoga of unswerving devotion, transcending these qualities is ready for liberation in Brahman." (B.G. Chapter 14, Verse 26) "Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, offer service to Me, bow down to Me, and you shall certainly reach Me. I promise you because you are My very dear friend." (B.G., Chapter 18, Verse 65) "Setting aside all meritorious deeds, just surrender completely to My will. I shall liberate you from all sins. Do not grieve." (B.G., Chapter 18, Verse 66)Several gurus teach surrender to God.For Patanjali, surrender dissolves endless agitations of the mind, and a means to the unified state of yoga: samadhi. Ishvara pranidhana shifts our perspective from the vritti-activated "I," that creates a perpective of separation. Surrender reunites us with the true Self.B.K.S. Iyengar states in his book Light on the Yoga Sutras:"Through surrender the aspirant's ego is effaced, and . . . grace . . . pours down upon him like a torrential rain." Like the descent through layers of tension to rest in the release of Savasana, Ishvara pranidhana provides a pathway through the obstacles of our ego toward our divine nature-grace, peace, unconditional love, clarity, and freedom."
Prem Rawat, formerly Guru Maharaj Ji, was quoted in 1978 as:
"But there is nothing to understand! And if there is something to understand, there is only one thing to understand, and that is to surrender!"
How would you like to change your life using these principles? What challenges will you face in implementing these principles? What do you imagine the ultimate result will be?
This change of life for me is an easy, enjoyable and a conscious choice. I do not anticipate many challenges other than logistical issues or finding time to do everything I wish to do when I return to work. I have no idea what the result will be, other than I anticipate something sweet.
For my world to change, I have to change. Everything is connected. As above, so below. It seems I have to learn to tune my energies to avert war, both within and outside of myself. Here are a few action items I am seriously considering to integrate into my life:
For my world to change, I have to change. Everything is connected. As above, so below. It seems I have to learn to tune my energies to avert war, both within and outside of myself. Here are a few action items I am seriously considering to integrate into my life:
- Acknowledging and honoring the Divine. Before any action, offer it to God.
- Dedicate practice to something or someone other than self, like an offering. I always forget.
- Recognize my own personal relationship with the Divine and use personalized language, imagery, and names of the sacred. I do this anyway.
- Love. And clean food, clean air, bathing, exercise, pure thoughts, visualization or dharana, sweating, fasting, tapas, vairaga, pranayama, asana, meditation, nature to cleanse. I love all this.
- Asana practice. No brainer.
- Stop and appreciate the beauty of the earth and life more. Be in an environment of friendly animals and natural flora. My best friends.
- Finding the connection to my inner voice and listen to how it guides thoughts, speech, feelings and actions.
- Setting intention.
- Chant.
- Visualize.
- Noticing attachments.
- Accepting what is, instead of struggling.
- Retire from warring. I feel an urgency around this one.
- Explore kindness, gentleness, non-violent psychological and ecological solutions.
- Improve my relationships. Ensure others are not dissatisfied or feeling pushed. Ask others about their feelings. Ensure I respect everyone’s role.
- Conduct “intensity” checks.
- Incorporate ahimsa and diplocmacy into the discipline of truth.
- Experiment with silence.
- Incorporate ahimsa into asteya, and avoid being self righteous about my giving.
- When appropriate, give less or don’t give at all. This is a personal issue.
- As much as possible, place one-pointed focus upon the eternal.
- Reduce desires to our actual possessions and situation.
- Be hyper conscious of contented moments, sustain them for longer, even when embroiled in chaos and disharmony.
- Make time for what is really important.
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