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?