Friday, January 16, 2009

Yama and Niyama the 10 commandments of yoga

Yama and Niyama are often called "the Ten Commandments of Yoga." Each one of these Five Don'ts (Yama) and Five Do's (Niyama) is a supporting, liberating Pillar of Yoga.
Yama means self-restraint in the sense of self-mastery, or abstention, and consists of five elements.
Niyama means observances, of which there are also five.

Here is the complete list of these ten Pillars as given in Yoga Sutras 2:30,32:
1) Ahimsa: non-violence, non-injury, harmlessness
2) Satya: truthfulness, honesty
3) Asteya: non-stealing, honesty, non-misappropriativeness
4) Brahmacharya: sexual continence in thought, word and deed as well as control of all the senses
5) Aparigraha: non-possessiveness, non-greed, non-selfishness, non-acquisitiveness
6) Shaucha: purity, cleanliness
7) Santosha: contentment, peacefulness
8) Tapas: austerity, practical (i.e., result-producing) spiritual discipline
9) Swadhyaya: introspective self-study, spiritual study
10) Ishwarapranidhana: offering of one's life to God


http://biblescripture.net/Commandments.html
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
JUDAISM*
AUGUSTINE
ORIGEN
1
I am the Lord thy God.
I am the Lord thy God and thou shalt not have any strange gods before me.
I am the Lord thy God and thou shalt not have other gods besides me.
2
Thou shalt have no other gods besides me.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Thou shalt not make for thyself any graven image.
3
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4
Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.
Honor thy Father and Mother.
Remember the Lord's Day to keep it holy.
5
Honor thy Father and Mother.
Thou shalt not kill.
Honor thy Father and Mother.
6
Thou shalt not murder.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not kill.
7
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not steal.
9
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10
Thou shalt not covet.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.
Thou shalt not covet.

It is interensting to see that the yoga commandments and the Commandments we learn in Judiasm and Christianity are very similar. They come from different cultures, geographical locations and time periods. Basic truths are illustrated in these commandments. Live them and have a good, clean life.

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