Microsoft Word - Taimni - The Science of Yoga.doc

developed and purified Buddhi or discriminative faculty and this function of Buddhi,
unhindered by the complexes in our mind, is possible only after prolonged training in
doing the right thing at all costs. It is only by doing the right that we get added
strength to do right in the future and also acquire the capacity to see what is right.
There is no other way. So the Sadhaka who wishes to perfect himself in the practice of
Ahimsa leaves all academic considerations aside, keeps a strict watch over his mind,
emotions, words and actions and starts regulating them in accordance with his ideal.
Slowly, as he succeeds in putting his ideal into practice, the cruelties and injustices
involved in his thoughts, actions and words will gradually reveal themselves, his vi-
sion will clear tip and the right course of conduct under every set of circumstances will
become known intuitively. And gradually, this seemingly negative idea of harm-
lessness will transform itself into the positive and dynamic life of love both in its as-
pect of tender compassion towards all living creatures and its practical form, service.
Satya: The second moral quality denoted by the word Satya has also to be taken
in a far more comprehensive sense than mere truthfulness. It means strict avoidance
of all exaggerations, equivocation, pretence and similar faults which are involved in
saying or doing things which are not in strict accordance with what we know as true.
Downright lying is considered bad in civilized society but there are many variants of
untruthfulness in speech and action which are not regarded as reprehensible in our
conventional life. But all these must be completely eliminated from the life of the Sad-
haka.
Why is truthfulness essential for the Yogic life? Firstly because untruthfulness
in all its various forms creates all kinds of unnecessary complications in our life and so
is a constant source of disturbance to the mind. To the foolish man whose intuition has
become clouded lying is one of the simplest and easiest means of getting out of an un-
desirable situation or difficulty. He is unable to see that in avoiding one difficulty in
this manner he creates many others of a more serious nature. Anyone who decides to
keep a watchful eye on his thoughts and actions will notice that usually one lie re-
quires a number of other lies for its support and in spite of all his efforts, in most
cases, circumstances take ouch an unexpected turn that the lie is exposed sooner or
later. This effort to keep up falsehoods and false appearances causes a peculiar strain
in our subconscious mind and provides a congenial soil for all kinds of emotional dis-
turbances. Of course, these things are not noticed by the ordinary man living a life of
conventional falsehoods. It is only when he begins to practise truthfulness that the sub-