But letting go at the moment of death is important for whatever may
follow after. By letting go, we also release the latent imprints (sam
skara) of this life and give ourselves a clean start in whatever is to
come. The integrated practice of asana brings the wisdom that dimin
ishes the ambition for self-preservation. The sublimation of abhinivesa
frees the spiritual aspirant from the obstacle of fear. In this way, at the
moment of death, we keep our presence of mind. This helps. There is
no panic, no hanging on to the past, no fear of the unknown future.
Gandhiji, for example, as he lay dying after being shot by a fanatic,
kept the presence of mind to call continually on the name of God,
Rama, Rama. That is a clean end and a fresh beginning.
The code of yama should stem from the core of our being and ra
diate outward. Otherwise it is merely a hotchpotch of cultural man
nerisms. Niyama addresses directly and immediately the problems of
our internal environment. If yama is the root of yoga, niyama (personal
ethics) is the trunk that builds up physical and mental strength for self
realization. These observances take us from having a bath to meeting
God. That is why it is possible to say that yama and niyama are the
foundation, the pillars, and the culmination and proof of yogic au
thenticity.
Niyama: Purifying Ourselves
There are five niyamas, or individual ethical observances. They are
cleanliness (sauca), contentment (santosa), sustained practice (tapas),
self-study (svadhyaya), and humble surrender to God (lsvara pranid
hana). Sauca is related to the cleanliness achieved through asana prac
tice. The cultivation of contentment (santosa) is to make the mind a fit
instrument for meditation as contentment is the seed of the meditative
state. Tapas is sustained practice, performed with passion, dedication,
and devotion in order to gain physical prowess (sakti). Self-study,
(svadhyaya) is the pursuit of skilful intelligence (kushalata). In action
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