**1) The first form of self-control, avoiding harm to any other person, primarily refers to not killing. Describe two forms of killing that we may not recognize here in the West.**
In the ancient books of India and Tibet, the word “person” (purusha, or gangsak) also refers to all animal forms of life, all of which seek to avoid pain and to attain what feels good to them. It is however much more serious to kill a human than an animal, since a human has the immediate capacity to study, meditate, and attain high spiritual goals that will be of benefit to all living beings. These ancient teachings also clarify that consciousness enters a new rebirth at the moment of conception, when the egg and the sperm unite. They thus strongly assert that it is murder (and a “particularly repugnant form of murder, since the victim cannot defend themselves”) if the fetus is terminated at any time, from conception onwards.
**2) Give the Sanskrit for the first form of self-control; explain the parts of the word; and list several related English words.**
The Sanskrit for never harming another person is ahinsa. The word is made of two parts: the prefix a- A, meaning “not,” and hinsa ih<s, which means “to harm.” A is found as “not” in atheist, amoral, and apolitical. Hinsa comes from the root √han hn! , meaning “to smite.” Related English words are gun, offense, and bane (which originally meant “slayer”).
**3) Describe what “telling the truth” actually involves.**
In the ancient teachings, “telling the truth” means never causing, with what you say, an impression within another person’s mind which is in any way different from the impression you yourself have of something. And so actually telling the truth is quite difficult to do.
**4) Which form of lying has the most serious karmic result?**
The most serious form of lying is to lie about ones spiritual attainments; for example, to say that one has seen ultimate reality, or angel beings, when actually one has not.
**5) Give the Sanskrit for “always telling the truth”; its root; and related words.**
The Sanskrit for “always telling the truth” is satya sTy, which comes from the root √as As! , meaning “to be.” Related words are is, essence, yes, and Mahatma Gandhi’s satyagraha, or “steadfast in truth.”
**6) Define the act of stealing, and give three examples of stealing that we might not realize are stealing.**
Stealing is defined as taking or using anything that belongs to someone else without their permission. Some examples of stealing that we might not realize are stealing are the following. (1) First, when we accept employment from another person, we are expected to work during certain hours—to do otherwise at work is to steal. The same applies to using resources in an office (such as the phone) which we know is not agreed to by the company. (2) This tendency we have to think that misusing what belongs to “big” people or organizations is alright is very typical with public property—for example, to litter in a park or to cheat on our taxes is in effect stealing from everyone else in our city or country, since collectively they must pay the cost of cleaning or replacing lost funds. (3) Wasting resources of the planet, even just by not turning a light off when we don’t need it, is stealing from future generations.
**7) Describe the two principal meanings of brahmacharya, or maintaining sexual purity.**
For people who have made a formal commitment to celibacy, maintaining sexual purity means to refrain from any form of sexual activity. For others, it refers primarily to strictly honoring the body between two other people who are in a committed relationship.
**8) The final form of self-control is to overcome possessiveness. Describe the three different types of self-control that this implies.**
In traditional ancient presentations of self-control, overcoming possessiveness is always accompanied by two other forms of self-control: overcoming ill-will towards others, and avoiding mistaken worldviews. Possessiveness is being unhappy when others get something nice. Ill-will is being happy when something bad happens to someone else. Mistaken worldview is the root of all failure at self-control. Some examples of mistaken worldview are not believing in past or future lives; not believing that good deeds always give us good results, and bad deeds bad results; and not working to overcome our misunderstanding of reality.
**9) What is the form of self-control which is often added to those presented here in the Yoga Sutra?**
By tradition, giving up the use of alcohol and drugs is often added to the different types of self-control. This is because intoxicants tend to lower our healthy inhibitions, thereby contributing to our failing at all the other forms of self-control.
**10) Describe the source of the different forms of self-control—that is, who is it that has instituted these rules of life—and who it is therefore that should observe them.**
Master Patanjali makes a strong point of saying that the various forms of self-control are necessary for all people, regardless of their degree of spiritual development, and regardless of their race, social status, country, religion, or the era which they live in. These “rules” have not been instituted by any religious organization; or by lawmakers; nor by parents or teachers. Following this code of life is simply “demanded” by the very laws which govern the universe: if we want to be happy, if we want to be successful, if we want to avoid pain, then we must observe this way of leading our lives.
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