The Code of Conduct

     This chapter is devoted to two of the minor Upanishads, which are the scriptures that are not as widely publicized; yet this code forms the very root of Hindu philosophy. More often than not, Hinduism has been presented as a religion without dogmas, without do’s and don’ts. In the Hindu scriptures, the teachings may not be prescribed as commands, nor are there punitive threats extended to those who would defy. But there are teachings—lots and lots of them. Without spiritual teachings, what other role does religion have to play?

      A code of conduct is presented as yamas and niyamas in the Shandilya and Varuha Upanishads. The teachings contained in these Upanishads are the essence of all the spiritual instruction in the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, the Srimad Bhagavatam, Patanjali’s Yoga Shastra, and other faiths such as Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, which formed as allied religions of Hinduism.

      The moral and ethical virtues enunciated here are of the very highest standard. Any Hindu would be proud of such a rich heritage of spiritual wisdom.
      The yamas are the don’ts, which harness and control the impulsive, lower sensual nature, with its governing impulses of fear, anger, jealousy, selfishness, greed, and lust. The niyamas are the do’s—the religious observances that cultivate and bring forth the refined soul qualities, lifting awareness into higher realms of compassion, selflessness, wisdom, and bliss.

      The Yamas:
1. Ahimsa (nonviolence): Practice non-injury in thought, word, and speech. Harm caused to others always returns to oneself; therefore, live peacefully with all.

2. Satya (truth): Always be truthful. Deception and secrecy create distance. Admit your failings. Satya has been placed as second to the yama of ahimsa. If telling the truth would be harmful to another being, the truth may be withheld or modified. The truth also needs to be spoken in gentle and soft tones.

3. Asteya (nonstealing): Uphold the virtue of no stealing and non-coveting another’s property. Control your desires and live within your means.

4. Brahmacharya (practice divine conduct): Control lust by remaining celibate when single and faithful in marriage. Don’t waste the sacred force by promiscuity in thought, word, or deed. Be restrained with the opposite sex. Seek holy company. Shun pornography, sexual humor, and violence.

5. Aparigrah (control greed): One may acquire reasonable and good things in life, but control of desires is essential so that one may not hanker needlessly after worldly possessions beyond limits.

6. Exercise patience and restraint: Be agreeable. Don’t argue, dominate conversations, or interrupt others.

7. Foster steadfastness, overcoming non-perseverance: Achieve your goals with a prayer, plan, persistence, and push. Overcome obstacles.

8. Practice compassion: Conquer callous, cruel, and insensitive feelings toward all beings. See God everywhere. Be kind to people, animals, plants, and the Earth itself. Oppose family abuse and other cruelties.

9. Maintain honesty: Renounce deception and wrongdoing. Act honorably, even in hard times. Obey the laws of your nation and locale. Pay your taxes. Be straightforward in your business. Be frank with yourself. Face and accept
your faults without blaming them on others.

10. Be moderate in appetite: Neither eat too much nor consume meat, fish, shellfish, fowl, or eggs. Enjoy fresh wholesome vegetarian foods that vitalize the body. Eat at regular times, only when hungry, at a moderate pace, never between meals, in a disturbed atmosphere, or when upset. Follow a simple diet, avoiding rich or fancy fare.

Niyamas:
1. Shaucha (purity): Uphold the ethics of purity, avoiding impurity in mind, body, and speech. Maintain a clean, healthy body. Keep a pure, uncluttered home and workplace. Keep good company, never mixing with adulterers, thieves, or other impure people. Never use harsh, angered, or indecent language.

     Purity has been accorded a very special place in Hindu philosophy. When people think, speak, and perform only what is necessary, kind, helpful, and un-harmful, they are considered pure. They are naturally happy. This is the state of inherent and natural joy and bliss, or ananda.

A clean personal environment, bathing, and wearing clean clothes are mandatory before starting any worship rituals. Clean, washed clothing are strongly advocated. It sometimes is thought that clothes are not unclean until they appear soiled or dirty.

Eating clean food is also considered to be essential. Food may be freshly prepared and eaten soon after cooking. The longer it stays unconsumed, the more it loses its living force, which Hindu sages named as the process of mumia.

2. Santosh (contentment): Nurture contentment, seeking joy and serenity in life. Be happy, smile, and uplift others. Live in constant gratitude for your health, your friends, and your belongings. Contentment may not lead to complacency. Rather, effort should always be made out of a sense of duty toward God and not because of personal greed.

3. Tapa (sacrifice): Be prepared to make sacrifices, and learn to be calm and patient under most difficult circumstances. Practice austerity, serious discipline, and sacrifice. Perform self-denial, giving up cherished possessions, money, or time.

4. Svadhya (study of the scriptures): Learn the Holy Scriptures regularly. Eagerly hear the scriptures, study the teachings, and listen to the wise in your lineage. Read, study, and—above all—listen to readings and dissertations by which wisdom flows from knower to seeker. Revere and study the revealed scriptures, the Vedas and Agamas.

5. Ishwarapranidhan and puja (devotional worship): Cultivate devotion through daily worship and meditation. Set aside one room of your home as God’s shrine. Offer fruit, flowers, or food daily. Learn simple worship (puja) and the chants. Meditate after each puja.

6. Prayashchitta (atonement): Atone for misdeeds through penance, such as 108 prostrations or fasting. Allow yourself the expression of remorse, modesty, and showing shame for misdeeds. Seek out and correct all your faults and bad habits. Welcome correction as a means to bettering yourself.

7. Dashamamsha (offering to God’s cause): Be generous to a fault, giving liberally without thought of reward. Tithe, offering one-tenth of your gross income as God’s money to temples, ashrams, and spiritual organizations. Treat guests as God.

8. Sadhana (meditation): Cultivate an unshakable faith. Believe firmly in God, gods, guru, and your path to enlightenment. Trust in the words of the masters, the scriptures, and traditions.

9. Develop a spiritual will and intellect with your sat guru’s guidance. Strive for knowledge of God, to awaken the light within.

10. Vrata (sacred vow): Embrace religious vows, rules, and observances. Honor vows as spiritual contracts with your soul, your community, and with God, gods, and guru. Fast periodically. Essentially, the vrata is a sacred trust between an individual and the Divine and may be undertaken always in that spirit.

11. Japa (chant your holy mantra daily): Recite the sacred sound, word, or phrase given by your guru. Bathe first, quiet the mind, and concentrate fully to let japa harmonize, purify, and uplift you.

 These yamas and niyamas constitute Hinduism’s fundamental  ethical codes.

NOTE: This chapter is adapted from: Hinduism Today. Kapaa, Hawaii: Himalayan Academy, April-June 2004

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