Hinduism’s Code of Conduct

How often do you see a professional team of people
misbehave on the job? You’re on a fl ight from San Francisco
to Singapore. Do the fl ight attendants bicker in the
aisle? Of course not. People at this level of business have
control of their minds and emotions. If they
didn’t, they would soon be replaced. When they are
on the job, at least, they follow a code of conduct
spelled out in detail by the corporation. It’s not unlike
the moral code of any religion, outlining sound
ethics for respect and harmony among humans.
Those seeking to be successful in life strive to fulfi
ll a moral code whether “on the job” or off. Does
Hinduism and its scriptures on yoga have such a
code? Yes: twenty ethical guidelines called yamas
and niyamas, “restraints and observances.” These
“do’s” and “don’ts” are found in the 6,000 to 8,000-
year-old Vedas, mankind’s oldest body of scripture,
and in other holy texts expounding the path of yoga.

The yamas and niyamas are a common-sense
code recorded in the fi nal section of the Vedas, called Upanishads,
namely the Shandilya and the Va ru ha. They are also
found in the Hatha Yoga Pra dipika by Gorakshanatha, the Tirumantiram
of Tirumular and in the Yoga Sutras of Pa tanjali. The
yamas and niyamas have been preserved through the centuries
as the foundation, the fi rst and second stage, of the eight-staged
practice of yoga. Yet, they are fundamental to all beings, expected
aims of everyone in society, and assumed to be fully intact for
anyone seeking life’s highest aim in the pursuit called yoga. Sage
Patanjali (ca 200 bce), raja yoga’s foremost propounder, told us,
“These yamas are not limited by class, country, time (past, present
or future) or situation. Hence they are called the
universal great vows.” Yogic scholar Swami Brahmananda
Saras wati revealed the inner science of
yama and niyama. They are the means, he said,
to control the vitarkas, the cruel mental waves or
thoughts, that when acted upon result in injury to
others, untruthfulness, hoarding, discontent, indolence
or selfi shness. He stated, “For each vitarka
you have, you can create its opposite through yama
and niyama, and make your life successful.”
The following paragraphs, with accompanying
illustrations by A. Manivel of Chennai, elucidate
the yamas and niyamas. Presented fi rst are the ten
yamas, the do not’s, which harness the instinctive
nature, with its governing impulses of fear, anger,
jealousy, selfi shness, greed and lust. Second are illustrated the
ten ni yamas, the do’s, the religious observances that cultivate
and bring forth the refi ned soul qualities, lifting awareness into
the consciousness of the higher chakras of love, compassion, selflessness,
intelligence and bliss. Together the yamas and niyamas
provide the foundation to support our yoga practice so that attainments
in higher consciousness can be sustained.


T H E 10 V E D I C R E ST R A I N TS , YA M A


Yama 1 - Noninjury, Ahimsa
Practice noninjury, not harming others by thought, word
or deed, even in your dreams. Live a kindly life, revering
all beings as expressions of the One Divine energy. Let
go of fear and insecurity, the sources of abuse. Knowing
that harm caused to others unfailingly returns to oneself,
live peacefully with God’s creation. Never be a source
of dread, pain or injury. Follow a vegetarian diet.

Yama 2 - Truthfulness, Satya
Adhere to truthfulness, refraining from lying and
betraying promises. Speak only that which is true, kind,
helpful and necessary. Knowing that deception creates
distance, don’t keep secrets from family or loved ones.
Be fair, accurate and frank in discussions, a stranger to
deceit. Admit your failings. Do not engage in slander, gossip
or backbiting. Do not bear false witness against another.

Yama 3 - Nonstealing, Asteya
Uphold the virtue of nonstealing, neither thieving, coveting
nor failing to repay debt. Control your desires and
live within your means. Do not use borrowed resources
for unintended purposes or keep them past due.
Do not gamble or defraud others. Do not renege on
promises. Do not use others’ names, words, resources or
rights without permission and acknowledgement.

Yama 4 - Divine Conduct, Brahmacharya
Practice divine conduct, controlling lust by remaining
celibate when single and faithful in marriage. Before
marriage, use vital energies in study, and after marriage in
creating family success. Don’t waste the sacred force by
promiscuity in thought, word r deed. Be restrained with
the opposite sex. Seek holy ompany. Dress and speak
modestly. Shun pornography, exual humor and violence.

Yama 5 - Patience, Kshama
Exercise patience, restraining ntolerance with people
and impatience with circumstances.
Be agreeable. Let others behave according
to their nature, without adjusting to you. Don’t argue,
dominate conversations or interrupt others. Don’t be in
a hurry. Be patient with children
and the elderly. Minimize stress by keeping worries
at bay. Remain poised in good times and bad.

Yama 6 - Steadfastness, Dhriti
Foster steadfastness, overcoming
nonperseverance, fear, indecision and changeableness.
Achieve your goals with a prayer, purpose, plan,
persistence and push. Be fi rm in your decisions. Avoid
sloth and procrastination. Develop willpower, courage
and industriousness. Overcome obstacles. Never
carp or complain. Do not let
opposition or fear of failure result in changing strategies.

Yama 7 - Compassion, Daya
Practice compassion, conquering
callous, cruel and insensitive feelings toward all
beings. See God ev erywhere. Be kind to people, animals,
plants and the Earth itself.
Forgive those who apologize and show true remorse.
Foster sympathy for others’ needs and suffering. Honor
and assist those who are weak, impoverished, aged
or in pain. Oppose family abuse and other cruelties.

Yama 8 - Honesty, Arjava
Maintain honesty, renouncing
deception and wrongdoing. Act honorably even in
hard times. Obey the laws of your nation and locale.
Pay your taxes. Be straightforward in business. Do an
honest day’s work. Do not bribe or accept bribes. Do
not cheat, deceive or circumvent
to achieve an end. Be frank with yourself. Face
and accept your faults without blaming them on others.

Yama 9 - Moderate Appetite, Mitahara
Be moderate in appetite,
neither eating too much nor consuming meat, fi sh,
shellfi sh, fowl or eggs. Enjoy fresh, wholesome vegetarian
foods that vitalize the body. Avoid junk food. Drink in
moderation. Eat at regular times, only when hungry,
at a moderate pace, never between meals, in a disturbed
atmosphere or when upset. Follow a simple diet,
avoiding rich or fancy fare.

Yama 10 - Purity, Saucha
Uphold the ethic of purity, avoiding impurity in mind,
body and speech. Maintain a clean, healthy body. Keep
a pure, uncluttered home and workplace. Act virtuously.
Keep good company, never mixing with adulterers,
thieves or other impure
people. Keep away from pornography and violence.
Never use harsh, angered or indecent language. Worship
devoutly. Meditate daily.