YOGA AND TOTAL HEALTH • February 2018YOGA AND TOTAL HEALTH • February 2018^99yoga. But that kind of yoga has
no meaning. It is not backed by
determination of the highest order.
So we have to see that are we
genuinely interested in learning and
willing to put in the effort bit by bit.
That “bit by bit” is very important.
You cannot do it suddenly. But if that
inclination is there then in small areas
you will avoid it. Even though you
have the chance, even though the
other individual will not mind, you
scrupulously see that you don’t take
away things that don’t belong to you.
If you want it, you can openly ask for it.
You will not quietly pick it up and tell
yourself that it didn’t matter, that it was
too small a thing and you needed it.
These clever arguments that we make
are our worst enemies. That clarity and
determination is not there.
There was a great man who was very
well-known. One person went to his
house and he saw him smoking. He
was shocked. So he asked, “Swamiji
you are smoking!” The Swamiji replied,
“I tell people not to smoke, but in my
house who cares! There is nobody
to observe me. So I smoke.” A yoga
teacher in London, right in his yoga
class has got wine bottles and glasses,
and every little while he drinks and
teaches yoga. So this is going on.
Some people do it openly, some do
it secretly. So the clarity of decision is
not there. The point is that if you really
want to improve or succeed in any
area of your choice then, naturally, you
have to work. Merely telling people or
making New Year vows does not help.
The practical effort has to start. But we
find it very hard. We might observe it
for just a day or two.So in yoga these ‘restraints’ as they are
called, are the first steps. Not that you
can fully succeed, but keep them in
mind and keep working at it. Mistakes
will happen, but by and large you are
thinking about it, trying to practice it,
and in small areas you will definitely
succeed. There are a lot of people who
have followed these things.