The Five Yamas – Social Ethics to Protect your Mind

When you were a child, you were taught the Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’  

This golden rule formed the basis of how you were taught to interact with the world. What’s right, wrong, socially acceptable and socially unacceptable. 

But who decided these societal norms? Are they just an arbitrary set of rules made up by someone in power? Why should you endeavour to be a “good person?” Who decides what it means to be a good person? 

In yoga philosophy, the five yamas, or social ethics, are so important that they’re listed as one of the eight limbs of yoga. In this post, we’ll discuss what these rules are and why they’re so important. 

What are the Eight Limbs of Yoga?

yama niyama–asana pranayama pratyahara dharana dhyana samadhayo-‘stavangani 

|2.29| Patanjali Yoga Sutras 

Restraint, observance, postures, regulation of breath, substitute food for the mind, ability of the mind to focus, meditation and higher states of consciousness are eight limbs of yoga.

The limbs of yoga develop together; similar to how pulling one leg of a chair results in the entire chair coming toward you, when you practice one limb of yoga, the other limbs begin to develop as well.

The Goal of Yoga 

Before we dive into the five yamas and their purpose, let’s understand yoga. 

The word yoga comes from the root word yuj in Sanskrit. Yuj means union between the body, breath and mind. It is when we come into that union that we experience all the wonderful benefits of yoga. 

Besides what is already commonly understood about yoga, here are some of the lesser-known facts about the practice: 

• Yoga is a spiritual practice. 
• Yoga brings your body, mind and soul into harmony. 
• Yoga helps you find purpose, peace of mind and deeper meaning in life. 
• Yoga helps you heal, burns your karmas and takes you toward moksha or spiritual enlightenment. 

The goal of yoga is to eliminate pain and suffering from your life, empower you, and bring you home to your Self. 

The Role of the Five Yamas in Yoga 

Yoga is a journey from the outer world to the inner world. This journey is only possible when there is harmony in the outer world. 

The five yamas or social ethics help you create that harmony by outlining simple guidelines on how interact with the world around you. Without observing these guidelines, you will remain caught up in the world and struggle to go inward. 

By following the five yamas, you’ll raise your level of consciousness and reach the state of yoga or union. 

Why Observe the Five Yamas 

Let’s say you’re not interested in raising your level of consciousness, practicing yoga or reaching spiritual enlightenment. Why should you observe the five yamas? 

The five yamas are guidelines created based on your true nature as peace, love and joy. These guidelines are in place to save you from your own mind. 

By observing the five yamas in your thoughts, speech and actions, you act in accordance with your highest self and allow your true nature to shine through into the world. 

When you ignore the five yamas, you contradict your nature. Something pricks you from inside and brings pain and suffering that outlast the perceived benefits of going against your nature. 

Ahimsa (non-violence) 

Violence is not in your nature. 

Though there are both predators and prey in nature, there is no senseless violence. When a predator has eaten, it will not hunt. 

This is rarely the case in human societies. In our societies, violence is rarely committed for survival purposes. It’s more commonly committed from excessive lust, hatred, greed, attachment and ego. Being exposed to or committing acts of violence keeps you stuck in a cycle of shame, guilt, blame, and aggression instead of creating a stable base for your life. 

If someone is being aggressive toward you, know that somewhere inside, that person is hurt and agitated. A happy person doesn’t hurt others, only a hurt person does. Approach the situation with patience and compassion. 

Committing to ahimsa in action, speech and thought brings you closer to nature and invites peace within and without. 

Satya (truth)

In nature, animals do not fret about survival; they live in the moment knowing that nature provides. They eat, go about their business and hunt again when they’re hungry. Animals are always with what is and that is satya. 

Satya is what is this very moment. The past exists only in your memories and the future, only in your imagination. Truly the only thing that exists right now, is this moment. This moment is the Truth.  

Commitment to satya is not only truthfulness to others but also truthfulness to yourself. Yes, your situation may seem unfair but complaining about it will not change it. Accepting the situation as it is will eliminate internal resistance and allow you to act skilfully and make the most of it. 

Without committing to and practicing satya, you will remain afloat in your thoughts and the illusory world around you. 

Asteya (non-stealing)

Asteya is the equivalent of ‘Thou shalt not covet.’ Stealing, craving and desiring the possessions of others will keep you in a constant state of lack.  

You will constantly be chasing external validation through objects, experiences and recognition rather than creating stability in life. You’ll never be able to see how much you have and feel gratitude and contentment for all you have received in life. 

Asteya extends beyond the physical realm and advises practicing restraint when it comes to craving the talents and positive qualities of others as well. When you experience something beautiful—whether it’s hearing a melodious voice, tasting someone’s mouthwatering cooking, or seeing someone’s natural beauty—and wish that you possessed such gifts, you have already stolen. 

Practicing asteya by shifting your attention away from the talents and successes of your peers and onto your own good qualities, will boost self-confidence and contentment and eliminate feelings of jealousy and inadequacy in you. 

Brahmacharya (moving in Brahman, celibacy)

Brahmacharya is commonly associated with celibacy as sex is one of the strongest vasanas or impressions in the human mind. However, the literal definition of brahmacharya is one who moves in infinity: Brahman is the infinite and acharya is one who moves in.  

The essence of this yama is knowing that you are more than the body. Cravings for physical pleasure in any form keeps you stuck in the grossest layer of your existence. When you free yourself from these cravings, you create a solid base to begin your inward journey and reconnect with yourself. 

Animals in nature are not obsessed with eating; they will eat their share and move on. Nor are they attached to mating; it will happen as nature has prescribed and that’s it. By being in tune with nature, animals are free from the insatiable cravings and desires of the mind. 

Promiscuity and indulging in the endless desires of the mind make your mind and body weak. Practicing Brahmacharya brings you enormous strength. 

Aparigraha (non-accumulation)

All types of accumulation distract and weaken your focus.  

Let’s take a simple example of owning a car. If you own a car, your mind will be constantly engaged in preserving that car. You’ll think about maintaining it, finding appropriate insurance, making sure that car doesn’t get stolen, parking, etc. If you use public transit, you don’t have to think about any of these things. 

Aparigraha is the root of minimalism and the crux is not that you should own nothing – it’s that you should be unattached internally to your belongings. 

Over-attachment will not allow you to think and see situations clearly. If something were to happen to your car, you’ll spend more time lamenting than mentally zooming out of the situation and making an appropriate decision with how to move forward. 

Similarly, collecting insults and praise will create an inferiority or superiority complex in you – both of which will make you imbalanced. 

Practicing aparigraha and learning how to let go will bring you true freedom. 

Saving your Mind with the Five Yamas

When living in a society full of unethical people that seem to get ahead by lying, cheating and stealing, why should you walk the straight and narrow path? 

The journey of yoga is a journey home to your inner Self. This journey is your soul’s journey – it extends beyond lifetimes. In this journey, what you accumulate and achieve in the outer world is not a reflection of your inner world. When you drop this body, your wealth, relationships, business, status will all go with it. You will come back again with a new body, but the same mind.  

Your mind is the root of all obstacles in your life and if you don’t take care of it, you won’t make any progress toward your higher Self or moksha – freedom from the cycle of life-and-death. Rather, your life will be like a Merry-Go-Round where you get on the horse, go around in circles, and get off at the same place you got on. 

When you practice the five yamas, you save your mind from getting stuck in the Merry-Go-Round of the world so you can reconnect with the Truth of who you are. 

Save your Mind and Build a Stable Foundation for your Inward Journey 

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