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LIVING WITH CODES OF CONDUCT
An informative article about how ancient practicality applies to everyday life here and now. An easy to follow system for attaining positive attitudes, clearer minds and simpler lifestyle.
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Living with Codes of Conduct
by Padmasri
With all that is going on in the world everyday we often get mixed messages about right ways of being in relationship with each other. Media images fill our senses with the horrors of the day while violence and blood desensitizes our sensory input. Where have our mentors gone? Who do we look to to find out how to live an honest life?
As a practitioner of Yoga for over 30 years these answers were always there hidden in ancient works that gave glimpses of how to be in this world. Some messages seemed beyond my reach such as living a celibate lifestyle. Others seemed practical such as working hard to reap the benefits of the harvest. My favorite of the ancient texts is simply called The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali translated by Swami Satchidananda. It is as useful now in the modern world as it was back thousands of years ago.
This work falls under the category of philosophy and is a required text at our yoga school. It explores ways of being in right relationship to yourself and to others. And it gives the basic “do's and don'ts and methods to achieve certain states of being. It is as useful now as it was thousands of years ago. It is another way of looking at a prototype for living that could be called a 'Lifestyle Code of Conduct'.
Like any code it has its challenges and its interpretations. For the most part the information contained in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are easy to follow and practice if you want to start changing yourself from the inside out. Instead of putting so much energy into trying to change everyone around you, open the book and start changing yourself. Instead of looking for the mentor or heroine one day you'll look in the mirror after practicing some of the suggested methods and see that the mentor was there all along. It was you.
Try it. Give it a month. You may start to notice that your circumstances change for the better and that your attitude seems more positive and your health is improving. The only way to know is to take the action. Good luck.
Here are the Do's and Don'ts written thousands of years ago:
THE YAMAS - The DON'Ts
1. Ahimsa -- Non-violence (The practice of being kind and compassionate on all levels including physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually).
2. Satya -- Truth (The practice of speaking and knowing what is certain, factual, objective and real).
3. Asteya -- Non-stealing (The practice of being content with what you have).
4. Brahmarcharya -- Moderation (The practice of self-control).
5. Aparigraha -- Non-coveting (The practice of controlling desires, yearning, longings for something or someone).
THE NIYAMAS - The DO's
1. Saucha -- Purity (The practice of being clean in mind, word and actions).
2. Santosha -- Contentment (The practice of being happy and satisfied no matter what is before you).
3. Tapas -- Austerity (The practice of working hard).
4. Swadhyaya -- Self-Study (The practice of looking within to find the answers).
5. Iswara Pranidhana -- Dedication to the Divine (The practice of seeing a bigger intervention or picture of life).
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