Health and Wellness
Health and Wellness
Health and Wellness
MEDITATION AS YOGA
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tapa and dhyana respectively as primary and
secondary essentials.
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THE KNOWER AND THE KNOWN
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Practical, and especially in such a supreme matter as
the realization of the Self, inexactness has to be
completely eliminated.
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ETHICAL BASE FOR YOGA
MEDITATION
A clear conscience is regarded in classic Yoga
as the first desideratum of any attempt to practice Yoga
either physical, mental or spiritual. It is an established
fact that a healthy state of mind has importance if
success is to be assured in the achievement of anything
above the normal. Freedom from emotions then allows
for whole-hearted undertaking, which is capable not
only of withstanding failures but of increasing
enthusiasm to reach the desired end.
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recognized as biological laws. The violation of these
laws entails the destruction of health when violent
psychophysiological forces are prematurely released in
a personality yet not prepared to face them.” Ethical
purity is thus the preliminary step since, according to
Yoga, morality is the basis of spiritual unfoldment.
DISCIPLINARY YOGA
YAMA OR RESTRAINT
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UNIVERSAL ETHICAL NORMS
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Progress is possible, seems right in this context.
Breaking of old habits with a view to stop acting in a
compulsive way, provides a chance to look at ourselves
and thus gain steadiness.
IMPLICATIONS OF NON-INJURY
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The precious seed of self-improvement. In the Yoga
Sutra of Patanjali, non-injury (ahimsa) is mentioned as
one of the principal forbearances that form the integral
part of the eight subservients of concentration. These
are directly conducive to meditation as they help to
remove impurities of the personality-complex (citta).
A close analysis of Patanjali’s Sutra will reveal that by
the sustained practice of ahimsa all impurities are
destroyed and enlightenment of wisdom reaches
discriminative knowledge.
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committed on account of forgetfulness, playfulness, or
necessities having, of course, their origin in the injury
to others.
CATEGORIES OF NON-VIOLENCE
PERMISSIVE OPTIONS
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and suffering in this world is to be found in the evil of
himsa or injury.
FRUITS OF NON-VIOLENCE
IN PRAISE OF TRUTH
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Mundakopanisad, truth is represented as the one and
only means of knowing the Absolute.
NATURE OF TRUTH
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knowledge carrying no information is regarded as not-
true. For example, the knowledge of the barbarians
carries no impression of the objects of knowledge of
the mind, and there is thus no accord between thought,
words and facts. This also includes the speech which
may be objectless. According to Yoga ethics, such
speech is not desirable to be uttered. For, in this case,
even though the knowledge of the speaker is
transferred to the mind of the hearer, yet it is not, as it
were, transferred because of its uselessness.
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commentators, therefore, regard such injurious
utterances as not only not-truth but even as sin. The
contention is that though outwardly such a truthful
course may be considered virtuous yet, since by his
truth he has caused injury to other persons, he has in
reality violated the true standard of Yoga ethics – the
fundamental principle of ahimsa or non-injury.
LIMITATION OF TRUTH
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Truths (apriya satya), (ii) nor pleasant untruths (asatya
priya), for both are forbidden.
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things belonging to others. Abstinence from theft
consists in the absence of the desire thereof. It is
believed that when a man becomes steady in this
virtue, all ‘jewels’ from different quarters approach
him. Acquisitiveness is a common weakness of man.
Usually the more he has, the more he desires. That is
why spiritual and religious philosophies condemn
stealing, which is not only immoral as an act but can
soon pervert the healthy development of one’s
personality. Besides, as in the case of the other
restraints, asteya has definite social implications.
Acquisitiveness is not only damaging to the inner
growth of an individual, but is also an offense against
society.
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an essential requisite which is enforced upon the
would-be students of spiritual life.
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the full significance of all such issues, namely the need
and usefulness of the process of sublimation,
recommended the replacement, deflection or
purification of the energy not only of the sexual
impulses but also of the non-sexual mental
modification (cittavrtti). This is best achieved by
efforts of concentration and elevated moral and
spiritual life, humanism, devotion and purity so
necessary to deflect the mind from sexual impulses.
NIYAMAS OR OBSERVANCES
Purity
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