Namaste all,

just some reflections..

Scenario 1- identity- teacher; association- students

Last week’s TTC class, among other things,the yamas(moral don’ts in yoga) were focussed.
In it, spoke at length about ahimsa (non violence) and satya (truth). Ahimsa is given the utmost importance in yoga, which is non violence in thought, word and deed.
Now, total non violence in ‚Äòthought’ might be a bit difficult. So let us look at ‚Äòword’ and ‚Äòdeed’.

Most of us might have enough restraint over the sensory organs of hands and feet, so that physical violence is not something which we indulge or face. However, when it comes to words, we do hurt people through sarcasm, downright criticism, contempt etc.

So this week the focus for the TTC students is to observe their words, facial expressions etc, which advertently or inadvertently might be hurting people around them.

Then we spoke on importance of truth, and about abiding in truth too, in thought, word and deed.

Also taught that though truth is very important, it is secondary to non violence, and cited a verse from a scripture called Manu smrti, which says ‚Äòsatyam bruyat priyam bruyat na bruyat satyam apriyam’.

Translated it means, ‚Äòspeak truth, but only if it is pleasant and beneficial to the listener’.

Scenario 2- identity- husband; association- two kids

Sandhyas dance performance is just around the corner. Yesterday was Monday, supposedly family day, but she was into practice the whole day. I was with Sid and Shiv. By evening, felt quite challenged. Then Sandhya called, first saying that her dance practice has finished, and then after a pause, whether she can now go for a hair trimming procedure.

I wanted to say, ‚Äòcommon, now atleast come home’. But remembering that it won’t be the pleasant truth to her.. I instead said, ‚Äòof course, no problem, the kids are like angels, and you can go, take your time’.
2 hrs later a distraught calls from her ‚Äò my hair is a mess now.. i only wanted trimming.. but the lady almost completely cut it off.. now what can i do’.

My trigger response went something like this, ‚Äò you are NOW asking me what I can do?? You should know when to call it a stop.. going from one thing to other.. now hair is a mess.. good.. at least learn something from all this’..

Scenario 3- thinker

That was rude, wasn’t it?. Though there was satyam in what I said, in that truly what can anyone do, once the hair is already cut, but yet, in that utterance of truth, there was no priyam, no sweetness, no benefit, to her or me. The call, she just wanted someone to share her sadness and worry, and not a scathing sermon.

Anyway, what i realize is, sometimes, especially when we are really tired, it is tough to control the indriyas (organs of action), and tongue especially. Patanjali says practice discriminative reflection continuously. So, on speech, a continuous reflection can be, “Am i saying something which is beneficial to the person, or merely hurtful”?

We have to be especially wary of our speech with those who can’t talk back at that point of time. Rudeness to waiters, maids, children.. it is not that we should never be stern.. but some extra statements, judgments etc, we all have to be watchful..

Patanjali clearly says that these have to be practiced by all, irrespective of jati (race), desa (place) and kala (time). So, whether teacher or student, mother or child, employer or employee (various jati differences), we have to practice satyam with priyam (truth for the benefit of the person, which then brings out a sweet quality);

Similarly, whether in studio or home, in office or in car, same practice (referring to desa);

And referring to kala (time), whether during tired time, bad mood time, whatever, still strive, atleast not to hurl words dripping with apriyam (unpleasantness)

So let us all together practice being mindful and truthful, along with suffusing intentions and words with pleasantness, sweetness and beneficence..

Now who is sitting closest to you? Start practicing.. may each word and each action bring about a certain cheer and lightness to the listener..

Namaste