# Class Three - Vows **1) There are ten vows (or yama) which the yogi Swatmarama says were “spoken by the great and wise in the ancient commentaries on the art of yoga.”  The first four of these are called the “Root Four,” the karmic basis of all success in yoga.  Name these four, also giving the Sanskrit, its root, and related English words.** (a) Never harming a living thing: Sanskrit ahinsa Aih<sa, from the root √han hn! , meaning to smite.  Basis for the English gun. (b) Speaking only what is true: Sanskrit satya sTy, from the root as As! , to be.  Related English words are is and essence. (c) Never stealing from another: Sanskrit asteya Atey, from a joined to steya.  The a is the initial negative, as found in atheist and apolitical.  Steya comes from the root √sta Sta, meaning to be stealthy.  The English steal and stealth are related. (d) Sexual purity: Sanskrit brahmacharya äücyR, made of brahma joined to charya.  Brahma means Pure One and comes from the root √birh b&hœ , meaning to be big, or strong.  Related words are Brahmin and verdant.  Charya means way of life, or behavior, and comes from the root √char crœ , meaning to move.  The English car is related. **2) How do the Root Four of the ten vows, or yama, relate to the immediate and ultimate goals of our yoga?** The karma of respecting life is that our own body grows strong and healthy: the immediate goal of yoga as we know it.  In the long run, protecting life is responsible for the transformation of the body into light: the ultimate purification of the channels and chakras. Speaking only the truth results in being around honesty—good and authoritative teaching—and enables ourselves to teach as well with honesty and accuracy, leading ultimately to the Angel body which can travel to all planets to help all beings. Respecting other’s things leads to prosperity, allowing us to help others in greater ways, and ultimately resulting in the paradise of an enlightened being. Sexual purity, respecting others’ relationships, leads us to higher, spiritual relationships with a partner whom we eventually see as an Angel who is assisting us in our journey. **3) The third of the ten vows listed by Master Swatmarama is “refraining from being angry or upset.”  Give the Sanskrit for this; its root; and related English words.  Then explain the immediate and ultimate karmic results of patience which apply to our yoga.** The Sanskrit word here is kshama ]m, which comes from the root √ksham S;m! , meaning to endure.  Related English words are quiet and calm.  The classical karmic result of refusing to get angry or upset is physical beauty; the ultimate result is the beauty of an enlightened Angel’s form. **4) Name the most important of the ten vows mentioned by Master Swatmarama, and explain its importance; include also the Sanskrit word, its root, and related English words, as well as the English meaning of the Tibetan equivalent.** The most important of the ten vows is to maintain love for every living being.  The Sanskrit word for love here is daya day), which can also mean giving.  The root is √da da, which also means to give.  Related English words are donation and endow.  The karma of love for many beings is that we come to be the holy Angel who can care for them all.  The Tibetan word here is nying-tse, meaning heart’s love. **5) After listing the ten vows, or yama, Master Swatmarama goes on to give the ten commitments, or niyama.  The first of these is called “undertaking hardships for our practice.”  Give the Sanskrit word here; its root; and some related English words.  Describe its normal form; its highest form; and what is not its form.** The first of the vows listed by Master Swatmarama is tapas (tapas).  This comes from a root √tap tp! , meaning to heat.  Related English words are tepid and Beltane, the ancient Celtic fire ceremony to the angel named Bel.  Tapas means being willing to put up with challenges in our spiritual practice: not having enough time or funds; dealing with karmic obstacles that our practice attracts; continuing to work on our practice even when we are tired or sick The highest form of tapas is patience: putting up with people who are making us angry or irritated.  What is not a kind of tapas is to undertake any supposedly spiritual practice which damages our precious body or mind: extreme and irresponsible fasting, for example, or not getting enough sleep or relaxation.  The great Swami Vishnudevananda felt so strongly about this aspect of practice that he made relaxation one of the central requirements of his disciples. **6) Satisfaction is the second of the ten commitments, or niyama, listed by Master Swatmarama.  Describe its two aspects, and also describe what it is not.  Then give the Sanskrit word; its root; and some related English words.** There are two aspects to satisfaction: not wanting what we don’t have, and enjoying what we do have.  For example, stopping any tendencies we discover in ourselves for wanting a bigger place to live when we don’t really need it; and then learning to take pleasure in a small, very functional place to live.  What is not a good form of satisfaction is to be satisfied with the progress of our spiritual practice: here, a drive to go higher is always necessary, given our approaching death. The Sanskrit word here is santosha s<tae;; it is made of two parts, sam and tosha.  The prefix sam means completely or together, and is found in English words with the prefix com, such as completely or committee.  The word tosha comes from the Sanskrit root √tush  tu;!  ,meaning to be content.  This is related to an old Indo-European root √teuh, meaning to be thick, fat, or coagulated.  Related English words are thigh (thick part of the body) and butter (a thickened liquid). **7) “Worshiping ones Lord” is another of the ten commitments, or niyama.  Describe the purpose and benefits of this practice.  Give the Sanskrit word, its root, and some related English words.** It is said that the very act of taking a person as our teacher allows them to channel for us, as every single enlightened being in the universe speaks through them.  To then pay honor to them, or make offerings to them, is to honor and offer to every enlightened being, with equal good karma.  This karma is possibly the most powerful one of all that will help us succeed in our yoga practice. The Sanskrit word here is ishvara pujanam $ñr pUjn.  Ishvara means lord, and has two parts.  Ish has a meaning of master, and derives from the root √ish $z!  , which means to be master.  The English wish is ultimately related, here meaning the one who gets their wish. Vara means superior, or higher, and comes from the root √vir v& , meaning to choose.  Related to the Indo-European √wer, meaning to raise up (as in holding up an object one chooses).  The English aorta, air, and aorta are all related, in the sense of a raised thing. **8) Three of the commitments, or niyama, are related to formal learning of sacred knowledge; Master Swatmarama calls them “studying the schools of philosophy,” “listening to teachings on the schools,” and “recitation.”  Describe how these three differ.** “Studying the schools of philosophy” here refers to textual learning, and especially learning to compare the ideas of different schools to come to correct conclusions about our practices and beliefs.  “Listening to teachings” means going to a Master to learn their true meaning according to the authentic oral lineage.  “Recitation” is memorizing texts so that we can have their contents in our mind, working on our subconscious all the time, and ready to call up whenever we need it, for example in deep retreat. **9) A “sense of shame” is listed as one of the commitments.  Explain what this implies, and its partner state of mind.** According to the early traditions of India, two states of mind are needed in order to be a good person and do good things.  The first is a “sense of shame,” meaning that when we are tempted to do a negative deed, we avoid it because we think “this is not who I want to be.”  The second is a “sense of consideration” (in Sanskrit, apatrapya), meaning that we avoid negative deeds by reflecting on how it will make others feel, in general and about us. **10) The last of the ten commitments listed by Master Swatmarama is huta, or the offering of fire.  Explain what a common use of this offering might be.** A common use of the offering of fire is as a purification for mistakes we have made during our mantra or other yoga practice. **11) Give the Sanskrit word for a “yoga pose,” its literal meaning, its root, and related English words.  What is the primary purpose of a yoga pose?** The Sanskrit word for a yoga pose is asana Aasn.  The literal meaning of this word is a seat, and surely the earliest and most important poses were different ways of sitting and preparing the inner winds for meditation: the purpose of asanas.  The Sanskrit root is √as (spelled Aas!), meaning to sit; this root itself comes from another root √as (spelled As!), meaning to be.  Related English words are is, essence, and, possibly, ass. **12) How many different yoga poses are described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and what three broad groups can they be placed in?  Also give the names of the first four, in Sanskrit and English; and describe each very briefly.** There are 15 different poses described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika: 4 preparatory poses for meditation sitting; followed by 7 poses to increase strength, balance, and flexibility; and then 4 final poses for deep meditation.  The first four asanas are: (a) Auspicious Pose (Svastika Asana): lightly crossed legs, feet between thigh and calf; similar to modern Sukhasans (b) Cowface Pose (Gomukha Asana): legs crossed with feet facing out, knees atop each other; the modern Gomukha Asana without linking hands in back and over shoulder (c) Warrior Pose (Virasana): not the modern version, which is a stretch of upper thighs sitting with feet out to sides of hips; try a half lotus with other foot facing back alongside hip (d) Turtle (Kurma): sitting on heels in anal region