What are the yamās?
ahiṁsā satya asteya brahmacarya aparigrahāḥ yamāḥ॥30॥
अहिंसासत्यास्तेयब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहा यमाः ॥३०॥
Non-violence, truth, non-stealing, moving in the Brahman, non-accumulation are the five yamās.
- Patañjali Yoga Sutra 2.30
jātideśakālasamayānavacchinnāḥ sārvabhaumā mahāvratam ॥31॥
जातिदेशकालसमयानवच्छिन्नाः सार्वभौमा महाव्रतम् ॥३१॥
The great vows are universal and are not limited by life state, country, time or circumstances.
- Patañjali Yoga Sutra 2.31
These are the greatest words because it is applicable in all places, at all times, to all people, throughout, without exception. There are certain laws which can apply just to certain people, certain places, at certain times. They are not universal. But these five principles are universal. These are great vows which keep you normal.
The first yamā is ahiṁsā. Even animals follow ahiṁsā. An animal does not become violent without reason. Wild animals hunt only when they are hungry and when they want to eat. They do not just go and hunt for pleasure. But human beings do. They kill each other in the name of God, in the name of love. Mindless violence is prevalent in the world in the name of country, religion, and race. This is total lack of vivekā, total lack of wisdom. A violent person cannot listen to anybody. His ears are sealed.
Why does violence happen? It is due to frustrations. The mind gets frustrated and the frustrations keep building up. Questions keep amassing in the head. These very questions turn into violence. It catches on to the surroundings. A crowd commits violence. Individually, a person may not be able to commit a violent act, but when that person is in a crowd, he finds the strength to do so.
Vivekā is when a person takes to nonviolence: "I will not kill any animal, any life on this planet - consciously or unconsciously." Already, without your knowledge, you are destroying many creatures. You walk, and many ants are dying under your feet. You are not killing anyone. It is just happening. But an intention to destroy something, an intention to do violence can destroy your very basis, your very own roots. Dropping this intention for violence is ahiṁsā.
The second yamā is satya. It is to be with what is right now, to be in this moment, to be with something that is not changing, to know that something deep in you is not changing. Satya does not only mean speaking the truth. Do you see what I am saying? Satya is a total commitment for truth. It is not just words. Unfortunately, people mistake satya to be just speaking the truth. Many people consider being blunt as truthful.
Getting established in truth and non-violence is yoga >>
(This is part of a series of knowledge sheets based on Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's commentaries on Patanjali Yoga Sutras.)
