Yama
Yama ( Sanskrit , m., यम yama, abstention, self-control) is the first level or link of Raja Yoga (or Ashtanga Yoga or Kriya Yoga ) according to Patanjali and represents a kind of code of conduct. The other seven levels of Raja Yoga are Niyama , Asana , Pranayama , Pratyahara , Dharana , Dhyana and Samadhi .
A total of five Yamas are described: Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha. They are part of the Sadharana Dharma , general rules of behavior of the Hindus.
1. Ahimsa
Himsa means violence or cruelty in Sanskrit . Ahimsa , non-violence, means more than just the absence of violence. Ahimsa is also understood to mean friendliness, affection and consideration - a well-considered treatment of all living beings and of oneself. However, it does not mean that one must not defend oneself in the event of an attack. Ahimsa is not excessive abstention from killing even the smallest animals. Unlike some Buddhist monks, a Raja Yoga practitioner would be able to dig up a garden, even if small animals such as worms are killed in the process.
Ahimsa is to be practiced in thoughts, words and deeds. This means not to speak or think negatively about someone, as this would have a damaging effect on the person concerned and also on the negatively thinking person himself.
In a broader sense, ahimsa means overcoming the desire to kill. This means that the classic yoga paths require a vegetarian diet from the student. Ahimsa is, so to speak, the basis for a successful yoga practice, in which the development of mental abilities is in the foreground. Giving up the use of force against others is based on the knowledge of the common roots, and is ultimately also an acknowledgment of one's own being and of the principle of life in general. The classical yoga texts (for example the Yoga Sutra by Patanjali , Chapter 3) report that advanced practitioners can acquire enormous psychological abilities. A person who is not established in ahimsa could be at great risk to himself and others. Therefore, dealing with this topic is a factor that should not be neglected in practice.
2. Satya
Satya means truthfulness, truth in Sanskrit . It means to be truthful in words, deeds and thoughts and always to tell the truth. "The more truthfully a person speaks, the more powerful his words become" Quote from TKV Desikachar . Being truthful also means not lying to yourself, admitting unpleasant things to yourself, for example if you made a mistake. But it is not always desirable in the sense of Satya to tell the truth, because it could hurt others. Satya means considering what we say, how we say it, and how it can affect someone. A conscious use of words, and that also means that it is sometimes better to be silent. In a deeper sense it also means a conscious handling of thoughts - because the thought is the root of the words.
3. Asteya
Steya means theft in Sanskrit, asteya is the opposite and means not to take anything that does not belong to you (or has not been given). This applies not only to material, but also to intellectual property : For example , not to adorn yourself with someone else's feathers - or not to disappoint people who trust you with things or thoughts.
4. Brahmacharya
In Sanskrit Brahma means the essential, the one true - char means to move - Brahmacharya is therefore the "movement towards the essential". Brahmacharya is interpreted as sexual abstinence in some directions / schools of yoga . Most often it is meant that the yogi shapes his life and his relationships with people and things in such a way that they are conducive to his pursuit of wisdom and his understanding of the highest wisdom.
5. Aparigraha
Aparigraha means non-access in Sanskrit. What is meant is to always only accept what is appropriate, not to take advantage of supposedly "favorable" opportunities (take-away mentality) and not to take advantage of other people. The yogi should also refrain from accepting rewards and gifts , as they tend to create obligations and bonds for the recipient.
literature
TKV Desikachar: Yoga - Tradition and Experience Verlag Via Nova, ISBN 3-928632-00-0