The ultimate goal of dharmics is moksha – an atma (soul) merging with the param-atma (super soul) not to ever adopt another physical body. That is the unshackling every yogi is chasing. Breaking the cycle of death and rebirth, and merging with the higher consciousness is the ultimate goal of every Hindu.
So, what are the Ten Commandments to attain moksha? Well, this is Sanatan Dharma – how could just ten be enough? Sanatanees have twenty. But here’s the catch. They are not commandments; rather just some do’s and dont’s. Ten do’s, and ten don’ts, which you can read in detail on Hinduism Today’s website. They are listed here:
Yama – The 10 Vedic Restraints (Do Not’s)
Yamas “harness the instinctive nature, with its governing impulses of fear, anger, jealousy, selfishness, greed and lust”. (Yamas are about the interpersonal conduct, with the world outside.)
- Ahimsa – Practice non-injury.
- Satya – Adhere to truthfulness.
- Asteya – Uphold the virtue of non-stealing.
- Brahmcharya – Control lust by remaining celibate when single, and faithful in marriage.
- Kshama – Restrain intolerance with people, and impatience with circumstances.
- Dhriti – Overcome non-perseverance, fear, indecision and changeableness.
- Daya – Practice compassion towards all beings.
- Arjava – Maintain honesty, renouncing deception and wrongdoing.
- Mitahara – Be moderate in appetite.
- Saucha – Uphold the ethic of purity, avoiding impurity in mind, body and speech.
Niyama – The 10 Vedic Practices (Do’s)
Niyamas are the “observances that cultivate and bring forth the refined soul qualities, lifting awareness into the consciousness of the higher chakras of love, compassion, selflessness, intelligence and bliss”. (Niyamas are about personal discipline.)
- Hri – Recognize your errors, confess and make amends.
- Santosh – Live in constant gratitude for your health, your friends and your belongings.
- Dana – Be generous to a fault, giving liberally without thought of reward.
- Astikya – Trust in the words of the masters, the scriptures and traditions.
- Ishavara-Pujan – Cultivate devotion through daily worship and meditation.
- Siddhanta Shravana – Eagerly hear the scriptures, study the teachings and listen to the wise of your lineage.
- Mati – Discover the hidden lesson in each experience to develop a profound understanding of life and yourself.
- Vrata – Fast periodically. Pilgrimage yearly. Uphold your vows strictly, be they marriage, monasticism, non-addiction, tithing, loyalty to a lineage, vegetarianism or nonsmoking.
- Japa – Chant your holy mantra daily, reciting the sacred sound, word or phrase given by your guru.
- Tapas – Practice austerity, serious disciplines, penance and sacrifice.
If you are reading these short essays in sequence (#1 through #25), then this essay may have raised your anxiety. What may have appeared to be an excessively relaxed “way of life” of Hindus thus far, perhaps now seems to be quite structured and religious. “What will happen if I don’t abide by these yamas and niyamas?”, is a natural question. “Am I intrinsically evil? Have I committed a mortal sin? Will I be in an eternal hell? Or, will I be reborn a sinner?” Ralph Waldo Emerson would probably respond saying, “Thou canst not gather what thou dost not sow; as thou dost plan the trees, so will it grow. Whatever the act a man commits, of that the recompense must be received in corresponding body.” It is causally that straightforward.
First or all you must pay your entire debt. Persons or events may stand for a time between you and justice, but it is only a postponement. You must pay at last your own debt.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
While it may appear that some are constituted to attain moksha in their current lifetime, the actual preceding journey towards that goal has spanned multiple lifetimes. The process entails purifying karmas to ultimately reach a point where even good karmas stop accruing. No karmas mean no trigger for the atma to look for a new physicality (body). Yamas and niyamas are techniques to execute our life responsibly, and not twist and turn succumbed to the idea of an unknown plan and of an unseen architect.
धार्मिक छवियाँ 