Do Unto Others... (Yoga Sutras 2.35-2.45) Yamas and Ni-Yamas

Perhaps the most talked-about aspects of the Yoga Sutras are the first two limbs of the ashtanga, that is  the Yamas and Ni-Yamas, and the selectivity with which they are understood, applied and interpreted. Most "famous" of them all is a-himsã, or "lack/absence of violence" most commonly known as non-violence and most notably championed by no less than Mahatma Gandhi with respect to his advocacy for revolution without violence.

However, things get tricky when the concept of moral obligation comes into play, as it usually does with the Yamas and Ni-Yamas, but there is no real evidence within the text that there is any compulsion for anyone to follow or adhere to any of them. Rather, more in line with our last post, I am inclined to view the Yamas and Ni-Yamas at a sort of Yogic Golden Rule, in other words, do it because it makes the world a better place, not because you have to. Nietzsche made this distinction (a viveka of sorts) with the difference between an Old-Testament Du sollst es nicht tun (Thou shalt not do it) versus an internally driven Ich will es tun (I want/wish to do it). In the former, one is compelled by societal norms and morales with respect to action, whereas the latter is considered the Free Will of the Soul/Self determining action.

The former is criticized because it only prevents an action out of fear of punishment rather than reverence or sense of duty or Dharma, while the latter is criticized because it can readily lead to a lawless society of murderous actions merely based upon a desire to act upon such thoughts...

So, where does that leave us with respect to the Yamas and Ni-Yamas? Somewhere in between, or better yet, somewhere beyond, or outside the black and white of fatalism and/or freedom. What if they just make good, common sense?

While puzzling over these 11 (though as we shall see, most likely they are 10, both logically and grammatically) sutras providing more detail about the Yamas and Ni-Yamas, a very curious, though blatant tell about them jumped out at me. And, some may groan here, but it was indeed because of the grammar, and the more I thought about it, two things came to mind. One, there is truly almost NO attention to grammar in any translation and/or commentary that I have come across, and two, the grammar says it all!

In short, the Yamas all share a common denominator and the Ni-Yamas do as well, and guess what? They are different. And, it is very telling how they are different which elucidates the difference between a Yama and a Ni-Yama, and it has nothing to do with morality, ethics or compulsion. One is a locative absolute, and the other is an ablative. And, if we pull out Whitney's Sanskrit Grammar, we remember that the ablative in this context (Whitney 291) means: a starting point, or cause... while the locative absolute (Whitney, 303) is a state of Be-ing! Highly significant difference, and it will inform both our translation and interpretation (and ultimately, application).

So, lets's begin with a-himsã and 2.35...

Ahimsã-pratishthãyãm tat-san-nirodhau vairatyãgah  2.35

When one is established in a state of a-himsã, hostility is relinquished in his presence.

So, as with the following 4 Yamas, it is when someone is in a state of BEING of ahimsã that the hostility of others will dissipate. It is not the ahimsã itself, then, but the state of the person exhibiting it. In other words, ahimsã by itself is neutral. This will be quite the opposite for the Ni-Yamas and could in effect mean that the Yamas in and of themselves, have no value, and furthermore, may not be ever-present because a state of Be-ing is not necessarily permanent...

We continue then with satya, or truth and 2.36

Satya-pratishthãyãm kriyã-phalãshrayatvam  2.36

When one is established in a state of satya, there is an abiding of the fruits of action/s.

Again, it is not satya, or truth, in which the fruits of actions abides, but rather when one is in the state of being truthful. The locative of prati-shthãyãm makes it so as in all of the first 4 Yamas.

And, again, with asteya, or absence of stealing.

Asteya-pratishthãyãm sarva-ratna-upasthãnam 2.37

When one is established in a state of non-stealing, all jewels become manifest.

Now, this needs a caveat because the opposite does not apply. If all jewels are manifest, it does not mean that they were not obtained by stealing...such as the recent case of the televangelist asking for prosperity prayers to buy him a 50-million dollar private jet from his parishioners...And, don't think for a moment that the Yoga world is immune to such deceit by any means...

Then comes the controversial brahmacarya, or abstinence, self-discipline or celibacy, which trips up many a Yogi and/or Yogini who was thinking that the Yoga Sutras were just swell up to this point. Why? Because people like to have sex, especially when they have been working on their asanas so much...Strictly taken, brahmacarya would include celibacy, but it could also mean "behaving in the manner of self-discipline...as a student". Well, you can see where that can get you into trouble if you have been around a co-ed college dorm any time recently...What does the sutra actually say?

brahmacarya-pratishthãyãm viryã-lãbhah   2.38

When one is established in a state of self-discipline, virility is gained.

This could refer to the concept that the retention of semen for men results in increased virility because when there is an orgasm, part of that is lost. On the contrary, more recent science suggests that not having male orgasms can lead to higher risks of prostrate cancer and too-much testosterone in the system. That would apply obviously to Yogis, but not to Yoginis. As such, this sutra does indeed become a bit troublesome as to take it literally, gender-based, or figuratively in modern times and stick with self-discipline and moderation. I have heard all three viewpoints strongly defended, and none are overly convincing, and I have seen and heard this used as a "pick-up line" from male Yogis to female Yoginis to assume a façade of innocence..so for me, the jury is still out on 2.38...

Moving on then for 2.39:

Aparigraha-sthairye janma-kathantã-sambodhah  2.39

When one is firm in a state of not desiring more than needed, the “how” of one’s birth is known.

(when we stop desiring the what, then the how becomes manifest)

(Sthairye is a different locative form) This is interesting, and somewhat esoteric in comparison. However, it is not totally inaccessible. If we really look at a-pari-graha as the "lack of wanting too much", or more than one needs, then it borders on contentment or santosha that we see in the Ni-Yamas. But, for this sutra, it can also be seen as a sense of not wanting more of the body than what we need for daily life, and when we go beyond that, then we can begin to see the how of things rather than the what. Because, if we are constantly absorbed in thoughts of the what of the body...we are stuck at a certain level. But, if we pan out to a more cosmological-eyeball perspective, we can see the body does not end with the physical sack of bones, tissues and such that we walk around in every day. Meditation then is the first step of this, and perhaps with this closure of the 5th Yama, we are ready to move on to the Ni-Yamas.

Beginning with shauca, I think it is necessary to put 2.40 together with 2.41, because, again, looking at the grammar, connected by a "ca" or "and", and no new ablative indicating a new Ni-Yama, logically this is one sutra (something we shall see to be quite troublesome with the translation of ãsana next time...).

shaucãt svãngajugupsã parair-asamsargah  2.40

sattva-shuddhi-saumanasya-ekagryendriya-jayãtmadarshana-yogyatvãni ca 2.41

From cleanliness, one desires to guard the body from defilement by contact with others (things/persons) and the preparations for Yoga such as sattva, purification, cheerfulness, singular concentration, control of the sense and the direct vision of the Soul/Self come about.

Here we have our first Ni-Yama and our first ablative shaucãt, with the -ãt denoted that. So, shauca then is the CAUSE of the following, not the state of Being as we saw with the Yamas. In other words, be-cause of cleanliness, x,y, and z happen, not because a person is in the state of being clean. 

Then comes my personal favorite...santosha... and 2.42:

Samtoshãd-anuttamah sukhalãbhah  2.42

From contentment the ultimate happiness/well-being is obtained.

Again, it is not being in the state of contentment, but contentment itself that brings about the well-being, or eu-daimonia (happiness)....

Kãyendriya-siddhir-ashuddhi-kshayãt tapasah  2.43

From tapas, or austere action/discipline comes the destruction of impurities in the form of the perfection/refinement of the bodily senses.

(Tapasah is the ablative form here...). And, here we are back at 2.1 with our trinity of Kriyã Yoga: tapah, svãdhyãya and ishvara-pranidhãna! Though, there is absolutely no recognition of this in the text either before or later that there is a connection, leaving many to wonder just how many cooks were in the Patañjali kitchen with the broth of the Yoga Sutras was being made? 

Moving right along

Svãdhyãyãd-ishta-devatã-samprayogah  2.44

From self-study, communion with the desired divinity occurs.

(Svãdhyãya plays a very important role in the Taittiriya Upanishad, but we'll save that for a separate post..). Nonetheless, it again bears repeating that this is self-study itself that causes communion with the desired deity, not being in the state of self-studying...

And, finally, to round of the Kriyã Yoga trinity and the 5-fold Ni-Yamas one fell swoop, we again encounter ishvara-pranidhãna, of which we have already spoken more in detail before...

Samãdhi-siddhir-ishvara-pranidhãnãt  2.45

From reverence to a higher power come the attainment of Samãdhi.

However, as with the final Yama, or state of being of aparigraha, which leads one to the greater knowledge and know-how of the Universe, we end quite a powerful note with the Ni-Yamas in no less stellar fashion...

With reverence to a higher power, we shall obtain Samãdhi! That si the entire goal of the Yoga Sutras, so it is no small change, nor coincidence that with this, it is time to get busy with Yoga...begining with ãsana, though not quite in the way most people think in Yoga these days...

So, stay tuned to find out how then!

PS...notices to whom this letter is addressed from Gandhi...at the Gandhi museum in Mumbai should you pass by...and a post on Gandhi and Hitler...