Niyama 3B – Svadhyayam (Introspection) – Svikruta (Acceptance)

Svadhyayam (Introspection):  Sva means “self’ or “belonging to me.” Adhyaya means “inquiry” or “examination”.  Svadhyaya literally means, “To get close to something.” In this context, it means, to study oneself through meditation or contemplation.
This aspect has 2 parts: mimamsa (reflection) and svikruta (acceptance). We have already spoken about mimamsa in the previous blog.
Svikruta (Acceptance): Often one finds himself in situations where none of the options in the solution appeal. One has to accept that which is given, and this is the first step to finding a solution, accepting current state of being. When one accepts current state, then along comes acceptance of one’s actions and its consequences. This results in a solutions mind-set with lower anxiety and stress levels. A key requirement of acceptance conditioning is being non-judgemental.
Anecdotes, experiences and situations to help understand…
Example 1 (Wikipedia Extract) Joan of Arc (French: Jeanne d'Arc; 6 January c. 1412 – 30 May 1431), was an illiterate, peasant girl born to a middle class family during a period of great turmoil in France, with the French king facing severe reversals in the Hundred years war against the English. At age 13 she has visions of saints and at age 17 she announced that she had been ordered to go and restore the kings throne "I must be at the King's side ... there will be no help (for the kingdom) if not from me. Although I would rather have remained spinning [wool] at my mother's side ... yet must I go and must I do this thing, for my Lord wills that I do so”. Despite being laughed at, she managed to meet the king Charles VII and impress him. She sought and got permission to lead the army and what followed was legendary victory after victory in each battle culminating in the crowning of Charles VII in Reims on Sunday, July 17, 1429. Her victories continued until her capture, followed by trial at the hands of the English who subjected her to heresy trials. Despite being just 19 and illiterate, she protected herself adroitly with a wisdom which confounded her cleric inquisitors. Finally, she was condemned to being burned at the stake through use of false evidence.

• What was is that Joan saw?
• What did she accept as a command?
• On what basis did Charles VII accept her as an army commander capable of defeating the English when he had so many able commanders at his side?

Example 2 - Paul Brunton was a British philosopher and mystic. He left a journalistic career to study a variety of Eastern and Western esoteric teachings. Brunton felt charged with the task of communicating his experiences of inward and spiritual quest to others and to write accounts of what he learned in the East from a Western perspective. His works have had a major influence on the spread of Eastern mysticism to the West. In his book, A Search in Secret India, he outlines his search for a Guru or teacher and rejecting all for very rational reasons. Finally, he surrenders to Sri Ramana Maharishi and this surrender is not on logical terms.

• Is such a surrender possible?
• Is it possible to surrender to a concept or person?

Brunton was able to present what he learned from the Orient in layman terms. He was primarily influenced by Sri Ramana Maharishi, who maintained that the purest form of his teachings was the powerful silence which radiated from his presence and quietened the minds of those attuned to it.

Some teachings of Sri Ramana;

• Of all the thoughts that rise in the mind, the thought ‘I’ is the first thought.
• That which rises in this body as ‘I’ is the mind. If one enquires ‘In which place in the body does the thought ‘I’ rise first?’ it will be known to be in the heart [spiritual heart is ‘two digits to the right from the centre of the chest’]. Even if one incessantly thinks ‘I’, ‘I’, it will lead to that place (Self)’
• The mind will subside only by means of the enquiry ‘Who am I?’ The thought ‘Who am I?’ destroying all other thoughts, will itself finally be destroyed like the stick used for stirring the funeral pyre.

Share your opinion and experiences

• What is acceptance of one’s fate?
• How does one reconcile evidence with intuition?

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Niyama 3A – Svadhyayam (Introspection) – Mimamsa (Reflection)

Svadhyayam (Introspection):  Sva means “self’ or “belonging to me.” Adhyaya means “inquiry” or “examination”.  Svadhyaya literally means, “To get close to something.” In this context, it means, to study oneself through meditation or contemplation.

This aspect has 2 parts: Mimamsa (Reflection) and Svikruta (Acceptance):

Mimamsa (Reflection): All stimuli lead to responses resulting in experiences. The quality of the experience is dependent on awareness of the environment and awareness of the impact of the experience on one's sense of identity. Here, the person not only reviews the situation objectively but also considers his present experience (do I like this? How do I feel? Why am I anxious?).

This element is one of the most important aspects of Situational Awareness as it is the most effective way of increasing jnana (awareness of one's identity). While it is easy to learn a skill, it requires reflection on the subject to comprehend its subtleties and their impact on oneself.

Anecdotes, experiences and situations to help understand…

(Wikipedia extract) Nelson Mandela was born into a Thembu royal family. His early life was dominated by traditional Thembu custom and taboo. Growing up, Mandela attended church services every Sunday with his guardians and Christianity became a significant part of his life, though he never really gave up his Thembu heritage. In college, he was a supporter of the British but was rusticated for protesting against the management. Running away from an arranged marriage, he moved to Johannesburg where he pursued a career in law where he found himself attracted to communism. He got involved in South African politics and became part of ANC, becoming a founding member of ANC- Youth League. He participated in the anti-apartheid Defiance Campaign. Initially a peaceful protester, organizer and leader, he worked to unite all non-whites into a cohesive opposition. Concluding that peaceful solution was not achievable, he began to advocate violent opposition to apartheid. Imprisoned for 25 years, he was subjected to privation and torture. Mandela studied Islam in prison. Released, now having worldwide acclaim and recognition, he transformed to a moderate politician advocating unity and reconciliation.

• Trace the changes to Nelson Mandela’s thinking and view on life.
• How does Mandela recocile what he wants with what he can get?
• How did he reconcile so many diverse views?
• How did he manage fear?
• Is reflection of experiences structured? Or is it flashes of inspiration?

Share your opinion and experiences

• What is the impact of reflection on one’s sense of identity?
• What are the changes that one’s sense of identity experiences with each reflection? Is this static or does the sentience of ones identity change with each reflection?
• When does reflection result in a feeling of serenity or balance within us?
• How important is emotional stability in reflection? How does emotional stability change ones sense of identity (jnana)?

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Niyama 2 - Santosham (Contentment)

Santosham may be defined as gratification obtained by doing one’s duty.
Happiness is fleeting, but peace is more lasting. Calmness not only increases clarity of thought, but it also calms others down. Another’s positive feeling always increases positive energy in us. How does one recognize this & more importantly, imbibe it?
There is no easy answer to obtaining this sense of peace. But, often, we do come across people who, though they may not be affluent, exude a sense of peace that lifts us also. How do they get it?
Two elements seem to drive our ability to be content; being able to act in congruence with one’s conditioning, and having realistic expectation on the outcome in any situation.
Anecdotes, experiences and situations to help understand…

(Wikipedia extract) Horatio Nelson was a British flag officer famous for his participation in the Napoleonic Wars, most notably at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, in which he lost his life. 

Just before the battle was to commence on 21 October 1805, Nelson ordered the hoisting of the signal, “England expects that every man will do his duty”.

Shortly after one o’clock, Victory’s captain, Thomas Hardy realised that Nelson was not by his side. He turned to see Nelson kneeling on the deck, supporting himself with his hand, before falling onto his side. Hardy rushed to him, at which point Nelson smiled “Hardy, I do believe they have done it at last... my backbone is shot through”. He had been hit by a marksman and the bullet had entered his left shoulder, pierced his lung, and came to rest at the base of his spine.

Nelson was carried below by a sergeant-major of marines and two seamen. He was made comfortable, fanned and given lemonade and watered wine to drink after he complained of feeling hot and thirsty.

Just before he died, Beatty, the surgeon, heard Nelson murmur ‘Thank God I have done my duty’. Scott, who remained by Nelson as he died, recorded his last words as ‘God and my country’. Nelson died at half-past four, three hours after he was shot.

 

 

Painter Denis Dighton's imagining of Nelson being shot on the quarterdeck of Victory

Trafalgar embodies both, the ability to managing expectations and contentment at the outcome of performing one’s duty. Do you have similar experiences?
Share your opinion and experiences

• How important is awareness of reality on Santosham (feeling of contentment).
• How do we generate this feeling of serenity within us?
• How importance is the ability of current reality in the feeling of contentment?
• How important is “confronting versus sidestepping issues” for achievement of contentment?
• What is the impact of expectation on contentment?
• How important is it to do your duty in order to achieve the feeling of calmness?
• What is duty? Where does it start and where does it end? How do we know we are doing our duty?
• How important is emotional stability in achieving a sense of peace?
• What happens to the feeling of calm when the solution is one of consensus as opposed to compromise? Which is better?

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Niyama 1B - Soucham (cleanliness) - Antarasoucham (internal cleanliness)

Internal cleanliness: During an experience, when stimulus is received, it is compared with our conditioning (svadharma). Since a perfect fit between stimulus and conditioning is not possible, there is a gap between expectation and reality which requires adjustment. This adjustment results in dissonance, depending on the gap and intensity of dissonance.

We often make judgements that are opposites (like/dislike, good/bad, true/false etc.). These result in biases which get carried over to the next experience, thereby clouding judgement in subsequent experiences. Post the experience, there exists a residue in the form of memory and learning, both positive and negative which needs to be purged for equilibrium to be regained.

The correct method is to continuously reset one’s conditioning before each experience. This system of auto-cleansing ensures that we are continuously cleaning ourselves of previous biases and preparing ourselves to be willing receptacles of the next experience.

Anecdotes, experiences and situations to help understand…

We can classify our relationships into three types – Casual – as with any stranger; Interested – as with a neighbor or office colleague and Involved – as with a spouse or parent. We approach on the same subject with each differently… for example – heavy rains have resulted in flooding. With a casual relationship, the approach might be with indifference; with a neighbor – it might extend to asking for assistance or offering one; and with a parent – it might be one of safety. Very rarely would one extend the enquiry of safety to a stranger.

However a child would never exhibit these filters- it cries when hungry or angry, smiles otherwise and resorts to very little subterfuge. Its clean on the inside, unlike adults who carry baggage due to differentiation in relationships.

• So, why can’t we be a child in all our relationships?
• Even if cannot, how do we expunge the weight of the baggage?
• Can deep breathing or distraction help?
• Obviously, in some situations, on cannot breathe deeply when stresses – try deep breathing in a conflict situation with the spouse or superior, that’s a guarantee for escalation. What does one do then?

Share your opinion and experiences 

• What are the different ways in which a person may harmonise one’s experience with reality? 
• I sleep a reset button? What about food? 
• Can breathing be used to cleanse one’s thoughts? 
• Why is cleanliness given such a high priority in the scheme of self-improvement?  
• What is the impact of cleanliness in thinking and improvement? 

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Niyama 1A - Shoucham (cleanliness) - Bahirasoucham (external cleanliness)

Soucham (cleanliness) consists of Bahirasoucham (Outward Hygiene) and Antarasoucham (Internal Hygiene).  

Outward hygiene: Performance of ablutions regularly, maintaining a clean body, healthy diet, good lifestyle, company and clean environment are elements that ensure external cleanliness.  

Anecdotes, experiences and situations to help understand… 

Anecdote 1- In India – snanam (bath) in common usage means wetting the body completely. There are 9 apertures on the body (mouth, eyes (2), ears (2), nostrils, anus and genitals) and all must be thoroughly cleaned. The act of water falling on the body + rubbing action of the hands on the body increases blood flow to the skin resulting in a feeling of freshness and increased awareness. 

Hindu traditions also require awareness of cleanliness at all levels, so much so that, in certain situations, despite having finished a bath, the individual has too sprinkle water on oneself while chanting “Apo-hish-ta may-o-bhuva” ending with “Apo-jana-yatha cha-na.” Apah means water. 

Jewish – Tevilah and Niddah 

Traditional Judaism divides ritual washing into two categories, Tevilah (full body immersing- mikva) and Netilat yadayim (washing in a cup).  For certain situations, even the type of water used is specified in some cases, such as Nisddah can be done with tap water: 

Negel vasser (‘Nail water’): After awakening in the morning or after a nap, one is expected to wash one’s hands by pouring water over one’s fingers thrice while reciting a blessing. 

Netilat yadayim (‘Raising the hands after ritual washing’) which is done with a blessing, prior to eating any meal. This is done without blessing after touching an impure object such as ones private parts, shoes, animal etc. 

Mayim acharonim (‘After-waters’): Washing one’s hands after a meal.

• What cleansing rituals do you follow? 

Anecdote 2 - Environmental hygiene is also very important – Almost all major illnesses which result in lost time and cost come from lack of awareness of the criticality of self-control. Spitting, defecation, urination and other practices such as smoking chewing tobacco etc. result in water borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, leptospirosis and air borne diseases such as throat infection etc. Clearly, an individual is responsible, not just for his own health, but also for the health of his neighbor and society at large. 

In 1330s, a plague hit China and spread to Europe in 1347 and by 1351 had reached all corners of Europe and the Middle East. It had the effect of killing around 35% of Europe’s population (35 million people in 2 yrs). Overall, it reduced the world’s population from 450 million to between 350 and 375 million. During this time it was noticed that Jews, living in Ghettos, away from the village suffered lower deaths. This was on account of strict Rabbinical Laws on cleanliness followed by them. The water that they used was from wells in their backyard and not community wells, leading to greater control over bacterial infection. Also, injunctions on personal hygiene and disposal of waste ensured that the carriers, rats were less likely to infect the community. This common sense approach, weaved into the form of ritual protected the people long before antiseptics and theory of germs became fashionable. 

Anecdote 3 - In India, there are strict rules for cleanliness, especially when eating. Indian’s eat only with the right hand. Eating from another person’s plate, something that has come in contact with your mouth, your saliva or your plate is not allowed and called 'jootha' (in North India), 'ushth' (in Western India), 'etho' (in Bengal), 'aitha' (in Orissa), 'echal' (in Tamil Nadu), 'enjulu' (in Karnataka), or 'engili' (in Andhra Pradesh).  

In many parts of India, after touching any food that has been cooked, one is allowed to touch lacto based ghee, milk, curds etc. only after washing, to avoid contamination of vegetable with animal products and vice-versa.  

It is also normal in many parts of India to separate utensils for cooking and utensils for eating.

• Do these rituals matter? why? 

Share your opinion and experiences 

• Is cleanliness an important factor in achieving situational awareness and reduced stress? 
• Cleanliness is next to Godliness… why did our ancients say it? How do various societies manage this? 
• What are your views on the Indian rules of hygiene? Can soap replace these rules?  
• Why is cleanliness given such a high priority in the scheme of self-improvement?  
• What is the impact of cleanliness in thinking and improvement? 
• Which is better? Toilet paper or water? Why?

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