UNIVERSAL MORALITY (YAMA)

Yama is moral discipline. The Yamas are the moral virtues which, if attended to, purify human nature and contribute to health and happiness of society. The Yoga Sutra describes what happens when the five behaviours i.e. ahimsa (compassion for all living things), satya (commitment to truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (sense control) and aparigraha (neutralizing the desire to acquire and hoard wealth) become part of a person's daily life.

The word ahimsa plainly means not to hurt or show cruelty to any creature or any person in any way whatsoever. Ahimsa is, however, more than just lack of violence as custom-made in yoga. It means sympathy, sociability, and thoughtful consideration of other people and things. It also has to do with our duties and responsibilities. Ahimsa implies that in every state of affairs we should adopt a thoughtful attitude and do no harm.

Satya means "to speak the truth," yet it is not always desirable to speak the truth on all occasions, for it could hurt someone unreasonably. We have to think what we say, how we say it, and in what way it could affect others. If speaking the truth has negative consequences for another, then it is better to say nothing. Satya should never come into disagreement with our efforts to act with ahimsa. This guideline is based on the understanding that honest communication and action shape the bedrock of any healthy relationship, community, or government, and that purposeful trick, exaggerations, and mistruths may harm others. 

Asteya means "not to steal"; or to take nothing that does not belong to us. The practice of asteya implies not taking anything that has not been freely given. This includes fostering a consciousness of how we ask for others’ time for inconsiderate behaviour demanding another’s attention when not freely given is, in effect, stealing. This also means that if we are in a situation where someone entrusts something to us or confides in us, we do not take benefit of him or her. Stealing includes not only taking what belongs to another without consent, but also using something for a different purpose to that intended, or beyond the permitted time.

Brahmacharya is used mostly in the sense of abstinence, particularly in relationship to sexual activity. Brahmacharya suggests that we should form relationships that promote our understanding of the highest truths. Brahmacharya does not necessarily imply celibacy. Rather, it means responsible behaviour with respect to our purpose of moving toward the truth. Practicing brahmacharya means that we use our sexual energy to revive our link to our spiritual self. It also means that we don’t use this energy in any way that might harm others.

Aparigraha means to take only what is necessary, and not to take advantage of a situation or act greedy. We should only take what we have earned; if we take more, we are exploiting someone else. A yogi feels that the gathering or hoarding of things implies a lack of faith in God to provide for his future whereas we feel safe by trusting in God.