Yamas

Yamas: 

they're the yamas, ethical codes offered through the practice of yoga, and I love the fact that these are considered goals, suggestions really, for a more peaceful and practical way to live. There is no punishment for failure to adhere to these ethical rules, or at least not by the standards offered by many religions. The yamas are a personal choice of conduct, suggested for our benefit and the means to keep ourselves aligned with an inner sense of peace. Yoga is the path of their fulfillment, eight limbs of practice, every aspect of our lives covered these gentle suggestions. 

it's begins with our social order, how we conduct ourselves with others in the world, rightful living might be the best description for this practice. By using the term rightful it might seem to imply that there's a wrong way of living and that's not what's meant at all - only that through observance to these suggestions our lives, and the lives of others in our community, will be happier, more fulfilled, and conducting ourselves with a contented peace. We would have a more enlightened society. 

and it would happen simply by following these suggestions, starting first with our own peace of mind, our happiness and how we relate to others. The burden isn't on society to change, as yoga sees it, there is no society apart from individuals and it's up to each of us to find away to live together for the benefit of the whole, that a society depends entirely on our personal happiness and peace of mind. In this view, there's no burden here at all, we follow these suggestions for a better way to live. 

with suggestions, goals, there really is no failure, only a restart towards our personal fulfillment, simply re-establishing ourselves towards a greater happiness. That's important to keep in mind, these aren't commandments, they're offered through ages of trial and error, that through best effort to follow them we find ourselves and our community happier and more cohesive, everyone acting with a bit more care and concern for each other. If we act in opposite to these values, we suffer for our poor choices, our lives reflect their absence in glaring defects of greed, violence, and little concern for others or the greater environment at large. We lack compassion, true compassion of wishing the best for others. 

these are the yamas, again, only suggestions, goals for us to reach for and there's standard of perfection to reach for - we just live our lives as best we're able, keeping these ethical codes in mind: 

Ahisma - nonviolence

Satya - truthfulness

Asteya - not stealing

Brahmacharya - sexual maturity and respect 

Aparigraha - non- possessiveness, non attachment 

those are the main five, along with five more suggestions that fall into subcategories, important, and I'll mention them here in their English terms for our consideration: patience and forgiveness, fortitude, compassion, sincerity, mindfulness of diet. These last five become evident in the exploration and practice of the first five suggestion, they're layered, as one point unfold within our lives the others become apparent too, a path within a path within a path, and seamlessly so, each revealed as aspects of the others. There are subtle layers involved here, any one of these suggestion could be explored and show us that it contains the truth of what the others offer, each one is complete, holistic, and meant to lead us to a deeper contemplation of our lives. 

again, they're suggestions, only meant to guide. 

but my own life is testament to their guidance, I'm happier when I keep these goals in mind, more content, and my concern for others grows. 

with that in mind, I write this for my own sake as well as wish for others, 

may you each be happy and at peace. 

~

Peace, Eric