Niyama – The “Niyama” changes our whole life course of action, it brightens up our character. And teaches us to be in discipline.
Shauchantoshtapahsvadhyayeswarpranidhanani niyama:
Shaucha, contentment, austerity, self-study and Ishvara Pranidhan are called rules. Irregular lifestyle leads to an irregular future, in which nothing happens except sorrow and disease. Body and mind can be made healthy through rules.
Table of Contents
Types of Niyama
There must be Niyama in the life of every seeker. Whether a person desires worldly pleasures or wants to attain spiritual happiness, there must be excellent Niyama in his life. Following are the five rules according to Patanjali :-
1- Defecation
2- Satisfaction
3- Tenacity
4- Self study
5- God adored
1. Defecation :
Purity of body and mind is the sanctification. Purity of body and mind cures diseases and sorrows. For the purity of the body, by applying mud, rubbish, triphala, neem etc., bathing with pure water, one gets purified and by giving up lust, anger, greed, attachment, ego, the mind is purified.
The maintainer of defecation lacks detachment from his own organs and the desire to have contact with others. That is, there is no feeling of attachment in one’s own body and in the bodies of others. By practicing for internal defecation through the spirit of friendship etc.
or by any other sadhna like chanting, tapas etc.By destroying the restlessness of the mind, happiness remains in it always. Concentration comes after the destruction of the distractions and all the senses become under the control of the mind. Therefore, the ability of self-realization comes in him.
2. Satisfaction :
To be satisfied and happy Satisfaction is not to crave more than the wealth obtained by hard work and perseverance, not to grieve or rejoice over the attainment of more or less. Santoshi is always happy. Excessive dissatisfaction creates restlessness and disorder in the mind, due to which the body becomes diseased.
There is no other happiness than contentment! Somebody has said that drink Santosamrit – that is, drink (hold) the nectar of contentment. When the seeker is satisfied, then the craving is destroyed, there is a lack of desire.
3. Tenacity :
The impurity is destroyed by the effect of tapas. The body and the senses are perfected. There are many types of austerity, but that austerity which allows one to see one’s self-realization, so that both the inner and outer colors are purified and attains upliftment, is called austerity.
Being self-disciplined Tolerating happiness-sorrow, hunger-thirst, honor-disgrace, loss-benefit, etc., not allowing the mind and body to be disturbed is austerity. To conquer the strong desire for enjoyment and sex is also austerity. Tapas is the control of the senses. Body and mind are strengthened by tapas.
4. Self study :
Self-study leads to the vision of the presiding deity. Swadhyaya in Jainism is considered to be the ultimate austerity. That is, self-study is the study of self i.e. soul (I), contemplation and contemplation. Studying the scriptures and teaching is self-study.
To introspect Swadhyaya means studying oneself and studying social, scientific and spiritual subjects regularly for the purpose of purification of thoughts and attainment of knowledge. It is said that knowledge is the only way to get rid of sorrows.
5. God adored :
There should be complete devotion, complete faith in God. It is also called Sharanagati Yoga or Bhakti Yoga. For peace of mind and peace of body, make only one God as your deity, so that the mind will start conserving energy by getting rid of confusion and disorientation. Worshiping and praising God with thought, word and deed brings concentration in the mind. It is from this concentration that power is concentrated which gives strength to fight suffering and disease. By staying on ‘God’, the scattering of power stops.
It comes from propitiation. When a seeker surrenders his desire, action and everything that confirms his ego to God, he is God-Pranidhan. When a person dedicates himself to God without any hesitation, then he reaches the peak state of Samadhi. When he looks separately at the point of view of the science of science, that is, the matter and the conscious, then he gets right vision and right vision and he realizes God. This is God’s providence.