Yoga of the Heart
Ten Ethical Guidelines for Gaining Limitless Growth, Confidence, and Achievement
by Alice Christensen
From Chapter 10: Ethic #7: Contentment
The Power of Contentment: A long time ago, during my months of training in India with Rama, I accompanied him on a very difficult lecture tour from Delhi to Dharwar, hundreds of miles to the south. When we finally got back to Delhi, we were exhausted, and a kind devotee of Rama offered us the use of his car to drive to Rama’s home in the jungle above Haridwar. I didn’t realize what a sacrifice this was at the time. Cars were so precious in India, and besides, I, a woman, would be driving, since Rama did not know how. This was soon after the British had left India, and women drivers were not usual.
In my American way, I asked if we had a spare tire and whether the car had been checked out for the long trip. I was assured that all this had been done, and in my ignorance I believed them. We left Delhi in the late afternoon. Rama read the road signs for me, and we progressed well on our way.
Night fell, and we slowed down in the intense darkness. We crawled along, among heavily wooded, lonely areas of the jungle. As we stopped in a clearing to check our direction, a tire exploded. I opened the trunk to get out the spare and found it flat and damaged. I sat in the dust with the tire in my lap; I was extremely frightened.
Being stranded and alone in these places at night is no joke; I feared for our lives. Rama, however, did not. He walked around and pointed out the beauty of the moon. He offered me some water and sat down with me to enjoy the evening. He leaned back on his hands — I can see him now — and said, looking at the sky, "You know Alice, it’s a lovely night." I couldn’t say much; I was not the best of company.
After about twenty minutes, we heard a bell in the distance. Then a man on a bicycle rode into our clearing. He stopped and was extremely genial. He said he was on his way home from work — he was a mechanic — and he just happened to have his tool box with him on the back of the bike. He proceeded to change and repair both tires and refused all payment, saying that God had sent him on this path to serve and he was fortunate to have found us. We went on our way in the night. I was very quiet.
The state of consciousness referred to in Shaivism as "wonder, delight, and astonishment" is a simple description of something wonderful that we have not known before: the joy of the present moment. According to Shaivism, the ethic of Contentment can only manifest in the present moment, never in the future or past. If we can pay attention to the present moment in our lives, it can bring great happiness, because our attention does not become confused with past experience, nor does it take second place to the hopes of the future.
HOW TO BEGIN PRACTICING CONTENTMENT
1. Practice resting in the present moment. You can try a version of the exercise described at the beginning of this chapter any time of day when you have a few minutes with nothing to do. Simply sit quietly and observe your inner conversation. Each time you notice your thoughts moving to the past or the future, gently bring your attention back to the present moment. It may help to close your eyes. This is an excellent exercise to try in situations where you have to wait for several minutes, such as in a doctor’s office, but I would not recommend trying this in your car waiting for traffic to move along.
2. Try practicing meditation. In meditation, you quiet your mind and body fully, bring your awareness to your forehead, and try to stop all inner conversation. All desires and all thought processes eventually stop — or at least slow down. You no longer feel desire as a whip. The feeling you will experience in meditation is very similar to the feeling you experience when you are stable in the ethic of Contentment. To get the most out of meditative practice, make sure you will not be disturbed for ten to fifteen minutes. Sit or lie with your back, neck, and head in a straight line. Wear loose, comfortable clothes. Keep yourself warm. For a more complete description of how to meditate, see any of our beginning Yoga manuals.
3. Repeat a mantram. The restful space of the present moment is encouraged by Yogis with the constant repetition of a mantram — a special sound formula. If you do not have a specific mantram given to you by a qualified teacher, use the mantram "Om." Use the repetition of this sound to help you stop your inner conversation and rest in the present moment. This can be done silently or aloud. Try this technique any time of day to help bring your attention back to the present. Be sure to take time periodically to notice how the exercise is affecting you.
From Yoga of the Heart: Ten Ethical Guidelines for Gaining Limitless Confidence, Growth, and Achievement, by Alice Christensen (Daybreak/Rodale Books, 1998).
Copyright 2001 by The American Yoga Association. All Rights Reserved.
