Guest guest Posted December 26, 2001 Report Share Posted December 26, 2001 Generally individuals pursue each day of their lives searching for something, wanting something.......Money for living, knowledge through listening, reading and sharing, pleasure through stimulants, intoxicants, sex, shopping and food, maintainance, development and cultivation of their family and environment,.... and other activities.....It is difficult for some individuals to be content with what they have.........Sometimes I wonder if there was more of a feeling and understanding of contentment when life was simpler...........Before television, computers, and all the other technological developments of the 20th century.......Contentment seems to be a hard thing to come by, and perhaps it is related to one's personality.....We are content with a new relationship, romance, job, place to live........and then perhaps two years or so down the line, there is discontent, a lack of satisfaction and appreciation for what one has... Contentment is one of the five niyamas, the personal observances and practices of Raja Yoga/Astanga Yoga as put forth in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and ten niyamas of Sadanga Yoga, as put forth in The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, that we understand and develop in order to assist in stilling the mind.......The Yamas and Niyamas of Raja Yoga are there, are shared with us, are there as guidelines to help us interact with the world and others in a skillful way, and to develop ourselves and calm the mind so we can get beyond the sensual enticements of the world, and the deep seated conditioning and mental patterns that have developed as a result of this......and the modifications and defilements of the mind..... It is beneficial for us to understand them and make the effort to apply them in our lives.....To reflect on their significance........Contentment is also mentioned as being of great importance in other scriptural authorities.......Hebrews 13:5 - " ......be content with what you have " , and Proverbs 6:35 - " neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts " ....Dhammapada 23:12 - " .....Good is contentment with just what one has " ....... When we develop a sense of contentment, we more deeply understand and cultivate the gifts we have been given..and the mind's power and pure energy of the soul...... Yoga Sutra 2:42 - " From contentment (we) gain supreme happiness and unexcelled delight " ...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2001 Report Share Posted December 27, 2001 Thank you for such a wonderful and insightful reminder as to what " being content " is all about...it gets lost in the shuffle of the rat race of this century! I sometimes wish we could move back to a more simple time...one of amazing contentment....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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