4th Step Path of Discipline
4th step Raja Yoga- Path of Discipline
Raja Yoga literally maning the path Royal path is the path of mental discipline that accords independence, confidence and fearlessness. It is the path mental discipline that pushes the Yogi up the highest rungs of the spiritual ladder. When one has been started blossoming in love, when that love has been expressed as service and when mind has been refined by the merits service become a unique individual elicited in devotion climb to the 4th step of Discipline where the practitioner take a multidimensional approach in disciplining actions. Performance of actions always needs a disciplined approach and a proper attitude. Each action is generally performed in three stages 1) Intention, 2) Attention and 3) Action. This well ordered approach help mainly to integrate the mind and body to improve ones will power. It helps in channelizing the inner powers and reduces the wastage of precious life force energy. After putting effort one must arrive at a state of effortlessness. Ephasis on Raja Yoga is on effortless meditation and the life of discipline without struggle.
Physical Discipline: This deals with the subject of physical health. Excessive sedentary work and lack of rest with no regards to health leads to spiritual downfall. We live in an environment where we have to carry out various transactions for our day to day life and health becomes an extremely important prerequisite for such transactions. Hatha Yoga deals with various exercises which help in keeping ones health. We can never dwell to spirituality, as long as our body does not cooperate. For body to cooperate there needs to be a balance between activity and rest, eating and fasting, waking and sleeping. This perfect balance is physical discipline.
Sensory Discipline: It is obvious that sensory organs are the gateway through which we experience the material world. They are like gates to inner world of experience. It is up to you to control who/what comes in to your inner world through these gateways and what you use these sensory organs for. Depending on the control you have these inner world can become “a heaven” or “a hell”. Excessive or illegal indulgence in sensory pleasures makes the inner world a hell. Sensory discipline involves indulging in right things using the organs of hearing, touching, seeing, tasting & smelling for the right and appropriate use which is conducive to spiritual progress.
Verbal Discipline: While speaking we need to focus on the quantity and quality. It should have the relevant content and should be as short as possible; the subject matter of the speech should be useful either for self or others and should not be useless rumors or gossips; it should be compassionate and reflect care for others and it should not hurt others feelings. One should talk only truth; the language should be polite and reflect humbleness. One should not keep talking on the past and future unless it has relevance for the present where we use past experience effectively and use it to plan for the future. One should not poke nose in others affairs, keep finding faults and by all means avoid arguments. Verbal discipline fundamentally ensures that healthy relationships are built and it is only with healthy relationships you can do transactions effectively. Words once spoken cannot be reverted back and they are extremely powerful and hence care should be taken before uttering a word.
Mental Discipline: In spite of having a healthy body and control of sensory organs, healthy relationships and poised the mind unless controlled can still wander on variety of useless things like excitement, tension, anger, jealousy, competitiveness, fantasies and the list can go on and on. The mind whatever it has perceives retains impressions. That is memory. The same mind judges I want this, I don’t want this, I like this I don’t like this, this is intellect. The same mind says I, I, me, me, me- this is ego. In the same manner one consciousness become mind, becomes intellect, becomes the memory and becomes ego. They are different manifestations of the same consciousness. By appropriate mental discipline one can train consciousness to relax, focus, concentrate, expand to see larger picture or dwell on divine oneness of self!