Some time ago, I decided to immerse myself in the practice of satya, or truthfulness. I wanted to be as truthful as possible in all arenas of my life, not because I saw myself as a very untruthful person, but because I wanted to attain the greatest level of honesty and authenticity in my life and I saw satya to be a great vehicle for this.
My understanding of satya within the realm of Yogic philosophy is that honesty allows us to be free from any sort of illusion and opens us fully to reality. We first practice this towards ourselves by becoming aware of how we really think, feel, and act in every aspect of our lives. As we become adept in this practice, we are able to be more fully honest in our interactions and relationships with others, …show more content…
Some of the truth of the things we think and feel are not, in our perspective, the most beautiful or comfortable of things to be experiencing or sharing. Sometimes we find it more pleasurable for the time being to run away or hide how we are really thinking and feeling. While this seems to eradicate the problem completely, it is only a matter of time before it slowly creeps back into our lives, or comes barging in when we least expect it and are certainly not prepared for it. Another challenge is when we are brutally honest with ourselves and others to the point where we forget about mercy and compassion. What benefit does having or sharing the truth have if we are not able to use it in a loving manner?
This brings me to my present focus in my personal practice: ahimsa. Ahimsa can be loosely translated as non-violence. Ahimsa and satya are the first two yamas of Yoga, which are ethical principles for relating to the world from a more authentic place. The practice of the two yamas together can be likened to the Golden Rule from the Bible, which encourages us to "love thy neighbor as thyself". How, exactly, are we supposed to love and be kind and truthful to others if at first we do not extend these courtesies to …show more content…
Known as part of the physician 's creed, this phrase has been used as a reminder that if the treatment is going to cause more harm in the long-run, then perhaps the best thing to do is nothing. In the practice of satya, we can see this phrase as a reminder that if one is not prepared to accept and utilize the truth; that seeing and sharing the truth may not be the most appropriate choice. I have experienced this more times than I can count. I am very blessed to have my thoughts and opinions honored by my family and friends so much that they often seek me out for advice. It has taken me time to realize that while I may be blessed with the perspective and insight to see the truth of their thoughts and feelings, as well as the potential thoughts and feelings of the others involved in the situation, sometimes sharing this whole truth is not very helpful to them at all. It does not mean I lie, but I think first about how much of the truth would actually be helpful to them. It 's a still a practice of ahimsa and satya, in that I first ask "how can I best extend love to this person right now?" and "what truth would be most beneficial to them right now, in this moment?" Why give someone more than they can
My understanding of satya within the realm of Yogic philosophy is that honesty allows us to be free from any sort of illusion and opens us fully to reality. We first practice this towards ourselves by becoming aware of how we really think, feel, and act in every aspect of our lives. As we become adept in this practice, we are able to be more fully honest in our interactions and relationships with others, …show more content…
Some of the truth of the things we think and feel are not, in our perspective, the most beautiful or comfortable of things to be experiencing or sharing. Sometimes we find it more pleasurable for the time being to run away or hide how we are really thinking and feeling. While this seems to eradicate the problem completely, it is only a matter of time before it slowly creeps back into our lives, or comes barging in when we least expect it and are certainly not prepared for it. Another challenge is when we are brutally honest with ourselves and others to the point where we forget about mercy and compassion. What benefit does having or sharing the truth have if we are not able to use it in a loving manner?
This brings me to my present focus in my personal practice: ahimsa. Ahimsa can be loosely translated as non-violence. Ahimsa and satya are the first two yamas of Yoga, which are ethical principles for relating to the world from a more authentic place. The practice of the two yamas together can be likened to the Golden Rule from the Bible, which encourages us to "love thy neighbor as thyself". How, exactly, are we supposed to love and be kind and truthful to others if at first we do not extend these courtesies to …show more content…
Known as part of the physician 's creed, this phrase has been used as a reminder that if the treatment is going to cause more harm in the long-run, then perhaps the best thing to do is nothing. In the practice of satya, we can see this phrase as a reminder that if one is not prepared to accept and utilize the truth; that seeing and sharing the truth may not be the most appropriate choice. I have experienced this more times than I can count. I am very blessed to have my thoughts and opinions honored by my family and friends so much that they often seek me out for advice. It has taken me time to realize that while I may be blessed with the perspective and insight to see the truth of their thoughts and feelings, as well as the potential thoughts and feelings of the others involved in the situation, sometimes sharing this whole truth is not very helpful to them at all. It does not mean I lie, but I think first about how much of the truth would actually be helpful to them. It 's a still a practice of ahimsa and satya, in that I first ask "how can I best extend love to this person right now?" and "what truth would be most beneficial to them right now, in this moment?" Why give someone more than they can