Sunday, February 1, 2009

Limb 1 -------- The Yamas.

As the ten commandments are to Christians, as the noble truths are to Buddhism, the Yamas are to Yogis. They are the fundamental precepts of living. Simply put they state.

  • Ahimsa: don’t be cruel, be considerate.
  • Satya: be truthful.
  • Asteya: don’t steal or take anything that is not yours.
  • Bramacarya: don’t be distracted by the sensual pleasures on the search for truth.
  • Aparigraha: don’t take more than is appropriate.

Further explanation:

  • Cruelty: the only cruelty that exists is to act against the calling of the heart, without soul-guided consciousness.
  • Truth: the only truth is that which comes from our heart and soul.
  • Stealing: the only one we can truly steal from is our self.

Sensual pleasures: our sensual pleasures are those things we have illusion about. When we listen to the heart and soul we are not distracted by the lower mind, the senses which take us in the direction of learning the truth.
That is why they exist.

Taking: don’t take more than is appropriate. Moderation is the middle path. Only infatuation and resentment will incline us to take more than we need.

No comments:

Your Ad Here