5 principles of yoga: Truth (Satya)

With the practice of yoga, we always meet the philosophy behind it. Yoga without the philosophy will be equal to Gymnastics as we are doing asanas withouth knowing their relevance. In the book by Patanjali on Ashtanga yoga or Raja yoga, he start with eight limb path.

Let begins with Yama the first in order. Yama means that the principles of yoga. But here the word principle applied in a different sense than west. In east principle means just to watch and to live with that awareness. West has 10 commandments but none of the eastern religion have commandments. Therfore principle are not taken from outside they have to be nurtured within yourself.

Satya, truth is the first principle of Patanjali yoga. Truth is GOD, Quran says. I have read many english translation of Patanjali yoga sutra, but most of them are misguiding as they represent Satya, as TRUTHFULNESS. There is a big difference between truth and truthfulness. Truth needs no proof or screening while truthfulness have to be proved at every point. Thats why many of western translations describe it as to be truthful with word, action and thinking.

But Patanjali is not teaching how to be moral? He not guiding the moral standards, as  yoga has no specific rules on morality. Morality exist at the level of mind, but yoga is meant to go beyond mind. So it is incorrect that Patanjali has tried to make us more moral.

Trurth in sense of Patanjali implies to be true with yourself. There should be no fallacy, no extra covering of perceptions and desires. He just want us to be in a  true state in which we are. He condems wilful and forceful transformation. Just as Tao, he means that change is temporary but transformation is eternal.

Truth is not easy to understand, many of us try to change the world, we need to bring the revolution at the external level, Patanjali marked that world is too vast, it is almost impossible to bring a commendable change. Therefore he adviced a easy way that transform yourself and the worl will change. It just needs to be what we are not what we ought to be.

Truth means to accept yourself as you are without any delusions. It is not easy to accept yourself with an animal instinct or the worse mode of state. Therefore we try to change ourselves sometimes by changing the color of bedroom, changing the lifestyle or converting to an another religion. Many people couldnt even felt transformation with Yoga, so they have tried to change yoga also, sometimes doing it faster, slower or now in hot rooms. But at last we find that nothing have changed, because we are always same inside and never let to accept ourselves.

A basic requirement for a yoga practitioner is to accept himself as a truth rather than with delusions. Before reading the more depth of yoga philosophy the Truth have to be established as it will bring the benefits of inner riches rather than an Egoistic barrier.

In next we will talk about benefits of being truth.