Patangali Yog Sutra

Looking beyond the trials and tribulations of life

We were discussing about the Niyamas first one being Shoucha (inner and outer cleanliness) and second one being Santosha (Contentment or happiness).

Shoucha and santosha come together.

If there is no shoucha there can be no santosha. If you are in constant touch with other people, then you are not letting your energy to be your energy even for sometime. You are always trying to be in association with somebody .

So, you are lost. You do not know who you are. You do not know yourself. So keep some distance and some time for yourself once in a while. Learn to know what your real strength is, what your real weakness is and what your true spirit is. This is shoucha and with shoucha comes santosha or happiness.

You can come home happily and say with a smile, "today the entire job that I did flopped! There was no success in any of the work I did today." Anyway everything has flopped, so at least do not let the mind also flop. You should have the guts to say "come what may I am not going to give up the smile on my face because I am much more than the event or the circumstances. Everything comes and goes, but I continue in spite of all the situations."

Just turn back and look at your life when you were a kid. How many times have you cried? You cried as though hell has fallen on your head. You thought that was the end of the world and then sobbed and sobbed and then went off to sleep. So what happened afterwards?

Once a lady from Italy told me, "I lost my daughter not even six months ago. But I have started going to public functions. I am just being normal. I am not sad. Is something wrong with me? I feel so guilty even to smile. When she was gone I was very sad, no doubt, but I still go to parties. Of course, every mother has that little pinch inside." I said, "never mind, go. You do not have to be a masochist, thinking about the sad event all the time." She said, "But, people expect me to be sobbing all day I cried for a whole month.

I felt all that pain. But I am moving on with my life now. But people expect me to be sad all the time."


This is true. If someone has the courage to move ahead, we think that something is wrong with that person.

I tell you there is nothing wrong. In the places where Tsunami stuck on December 26, 2004 and people who were hit so badly, after our teachers taught them some breathing techniques and meditations, people were singing, smiling and dancing!! Many would not understand this. These people who were so paranoid to even look at the sea, in just two-three sessions of meditations began singing and dancing and they wanted to carry on with their lives.

The traumas have been left behind because our very nature is joy and happiness. The sadness or sorrow is only in the circumference. It is like a cloud covering the light that you are. The nature of your being is joy. That needs to be uncovered. Again, you need not make a mood out of it. When somebody has passed away, you cannot say "Okay, now I am going to be happy" and smile and dance! No, you should not do that. The ancient people had designed a methodology for this. They said that, if anyone dies in a house, the people of that house are in ‘ashoucha' for 10 days. For 10 days you can mourn and cry Even if you do not cry, they will bring some professional criers in some parts of India! There is a whole drama of crying which happens. Later these people collect the two or five hundred rupees and go happily , laughing the moment they are out of the gate and leave the house. But they really cry when they are in the dead person's house. This is to bring out the emotions of the near and dear of the dead one, so that they can be genuinely happy after the 10 days. After 10 days of mourning, on the eleventh day , they usually distribute sweets to the people, have a celebration, wear new clothes, have a family get together and have a feast.

On the day of the final rituals, they take some ghee and water and put it on their eyes which give a cooling effect and then they decide. "Okay, now we get on with our life." If a spiritual person passes away, then even this not there. Then every moment is a celebration because the sprit is all pervading. In the same way, there is shoucha when a child is born in a house for 10 days. You are so excited because a new soul has come into your family. So be with all the excitement and happiness for 10 days. You are free from all the social rules and obligations for you to enjoy 100 per cent.

Then come back to your commitments and responsibilities.