Pillars for an Harmonious Life
By: Alex Koma
Tags: Blue Insights, Life, Yoga, Self Improvement, Life Lessons

Each in his life was faced with a manifestation of illogicality in others and himself. Often we spend our time, money, life resources unreasonably. As a result, it seems to us that they are constantly in short supply. Is it possible to find an inexhaustible source of strength and energy?

The principle of Kindness (Ahimsa) implies that we will try our best not to harm any living creature unless necessary. If there is no opportunity not to harm, then we are guided by our duty. This is the first principle that Yoga recommends observing to achieve harmony with oneself and with the surrounding world.

Further, Yoga strongly recommends observing the Second principle — the principle of Efficiency or Logic (Brahmacharya). According to this principle, we do our best not to waste our time and energy in vain, but to achieve our goals in work, study, leisure, or Yoga. Everything that leads us away from our tasks should be ruthlessly discarded.

What does it mean to be logical?

Where does the illogic in us come from?

What goals does the second principle imply?

Does one need to become ruthless to others?

In Yoga, any manifestation belongs to one of three levels: illogical, logical, and super logical. Some features of our behavior that we inherited from the time of life in animal bodies have lost their relevance in the human body. If in animal bodies such manifestations were absolutely justified and logical, then already in the human body the same behavior becomes illogical. Through the mechanism of associative relations, stereotypes of behavior are firmly entrenched in our structures and continue to manifest themselves in the human body, often inappropriately. Illogicality weakens the mind, reduces freedom, and leads to a misunderstanding of a particular situation, to aggression and suffering.

Logic in Yoga implies the observance of the law of Karma, the law of cause and effect. Each life situation has its cause in the past and is its consequence. At the same time, this same situation is the reason for the consequences in the future. How a series of karmic situations in our life will unfold depends on what actions we perform and whether they are logical according to the Second principle of Yoga. We all write our own code of laws of Karma, according to which our life and destiny are formed.

Super logic is a concept that is superior to logic, but often outwardly similar to illogical. How to recognize the super-logical? Firstly, super-logic will never contradict ordinary logic. And secondly, logic is such an instrument of our mind, using which we can always distinguish one from the other. Inconsistency will not pass the test of logic. In the event of controversial situations in life, when it is difficult to determine whether we have encountered a manifestation of illogicality or super-logic, you should not be afraid to use logic to analyze the problems that have arisen. If we are faced with a super-logical situation, then logic will never destroy it. And if our logic suddenly destroys what we considered to be super-logic, then it was illogical and should not be regretted.

The knowledge of yoga is super logical, the concept of kindness, friendship, love, enlightenment is also super logical — all this is from an area beyond our usual logic. Yoga calls us, developing logic and perfecting the mind, to exclude illogical manifestations from our life as much as possible and thereby advance to super logic.

Yoga does not impose specific goals

The goal of Yoga is absolute unconditional freedom from everything, including Yoga, if it makes your life not free. Therefore, coming to yoga, you can have a variety of goals. Moreover, any motivation leading to yoga is worthy of respect!

Yoga only recommends, first of all, not to do harm, and secondly, to outline the goal and consistently go to its implementation, without being distracted by extraneous matters. The Principle of Effectiveness calls us not to waste our time and energy, not to be scattered, not to be exhausted in those matters that in no way will bring us closer to our goals.

The application of the Second principle without following the recommendations of the first is fraught with the fact that a person can become cruel and cynical, inclined to go towards his goals by infringing on the freedom of other living beings and causing harm to them. So tyrants are born, “walking on their heads.” And on the contrary, one who strictly follows the First principle, without harming anyone, and at the same time achieves his goals, following logic and common sense, “finds” the path of dharma in his life. Such a yogi follows his duty and at the same time expands his freedom, but not at the expense of infringing on the freedom of others, but at the expense of rational use of his life resources.

The first principle of Yoga for that and the first to be respected in the first place

Situations can be very different. For example, you were invited to a bar after work, while you decided not to drink strong drinks on weekdays. Following the task, you smoothly, without sudden movements, move forward, reducing the frequency and duration of such meetings. And even if circumstances sometimes force you to retreat, you, “having broken”, remember the goal and do not stop trying.

Often beginner yoga is faced with a very difficult task — a change of interests and life priorities leads to a change in the circle of friends. What to do with “old” friends? Strictly following the first principle, we do not allow our relations with loved ones to move to the enemy level. No drastic steps should be taken in this regard. As a rule, subject to the First and Second principles of Yoga, the circle of communication changes gradually, quite easily, and harmoniously. The right people themselves will remain and reach for you, the unnecessary ones will “fall off” themselves, as it will become “not interesting” to them.

An inexhaustible source of strength and energy is inside us

Illogical, unreasonable actions, as a rule, lead to conflicts and cause a whole storm of negative emotions, which depletes us. Compliance with the principles of Yoga reduces the number of such situations, eliminating the leakage of vitality. At the same time, Yoga calls to reveal from within the power that every living creature possesses, or rather, our Higher Self. But we do not know about it from our own ignorance. Knowledge of yoga eliminates this ignorance, and regular practice allows you to uncover an inexhaustible source of strength and energy, cleansing all our structures and channels. Through classes, we will experience from personal experience that all knowledge, power, and enjoyment are within us.

I want to be logical! I can be logical! I will be logical!

Observing the above recommendations and principles, we naturally stop spending unnecessary forces. Moreover, due to some reserve, we can make a qualitative breakthrough in our spiritual development subject to the regular practice of yoga and find an inexhaustible source of strength and energy within ourselves.

Be logical, but not indifferent!