36 Light on Yogathing. Then everything he really needs will come to him by itself at the
· proper time. The life of an ordinary man is filled with an unending
series of disturbances and frustrations and with his reactions to them.
Thus there is hardly any possibility of keeping the mind in a state of
equilibrium. The sadhaka has developed the capacity to remain satisfied
with whatever happens to him. Thus he obtains the peace which takes
him beyond the realms of illusion and misery , with which our world
is saturated. He recalls the promise given by Sri Krishna to Arjuna
in the ninth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita: 'To those who worship
Me alone with single-minded devotion, who are in harmony with Me
every moment, I bring full security. I shall supply all their wants and
shall protect them for ever.'
Niyama
Niyama are the rules of conduct that apply to individual discipline,
while yama are universal in their application. The five niyama listed
by Pataiijali are: saucha (purity), santo�a (contentment), tapas (ardour
or austerity), svadhyaya (study of the Self) and ISvara pranidhana
(dedication to the Lord).Saucha. Purity of body is essential for well-being. While good habits
like bathing purify the body externally, asana and prii!.fiiyama cleanse
it internally. The practice of asanas tones the entire body and removes
the toxins and impurities caused by over-indulgence. Prii!.fiiyama
cleanses and aerates the lungs, oxygenates the blood and purifies the
nerves. But more important than the physical cleansing of the body
is the cleansing of the mind of its disturbing emotions like hatred,
passion, anger, lust, greed, delusion and pride. Still more important
is the cleansing of the intellect (buddhi) of impure thoughts. The
impurities of the mind are washed off in the waters of bhakti
(adoration). The impurities of the intellect or reason are burned off
in the fire of svadhyaya (study of the Self). This internal cleansing
gives radiance and joy. It brings benevolence (saumanasya) and banishes
mental pain, dejection, sorrow and despair ( daurmanasya). When one
is benevolent, one sees the virtues in others and not merely their faults.
The respect which one shows for another's virtues, makes him self
respecting as well and helps him to fight his own sorrows and dif
ficulties. When the mind is lucid, it is easy to make it one-pointed
(ekagra). With concentration, one obtains mastery over the senses
(indriya-jaya). Then one is ready to enter the temple of his own body
and see his real self in the mirror of his mind.
Besides purity of body, thought and word, pure food is also neces
sary. Apart from cleanliness in the preparation of food it is also