The second of the Niyamas is Santosha or Contentment. Though many of us use the term in our daily life, let us pause for a moment to know its meaning. Contented means, feeling or showing satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation.
Being students of spirituality, let us try to explore contentment from three different perspectives, the physical layer, the mental layer and the intellectual layer. At the physical layer, most of us have ever increasing needs for flashy products and gadgets. We want the latest smart phone, the latest car model, the best designer shoes and what not. Are we ever contented with what we have? At the mental layer, comes the emotions of love, affection etc. Can anyone truthfully say, they are fully content with the love and affection they receive ? Can I say with all gratitude that I am content with the attention and love given to me my by own spouse, child etc? At the intellectual level, am I contented with the title I have at work? If we reflect on the three layers truthfully, it is obvious that our life is full of discontent.
Let us also understand what are the different types of contentment. Let us say I am a lazy person who just likes to curl up in bed and be happy with the morsels of food given to be my some kind soul. If someone comes and tells me that there are some boxes I need to move and I will get paid in the form of a sumptuous meal, I may say that I am very contented with the morsels of food I get and do not want the sumptuous meal. Is this real contentment? I am only saying I am contented because I am lazy and do not want to work. I would call this as lazy contentment or Tamasic contentment. Next, take the case of a sales person who is going all out to win an order. He is trying very hard. But, unfortunately the order goes to someone else. He claims he is contented with whatever business he has, by telling that the order was not worth it. It was a loss making proposition or that the client was bad etc. In this case, the sales person is using " the grapes are sour" explanation for his contentment. I would label this as the "sour grapes" contentment or Rajasic contentment.
Are the above real contentment? Obviously, they are not. If contentment is driven by sloth or laziness as in the first case or by just giving a rational explanation for not getting the order as in the second case, it is not contentment. In both cases, the burning is there in the individual to get the object, either the sumptuous food or the order. However, they are telling the world that they are contented.
One may ask, if contentment is good, would an individual or society progress? If I join a job as a clerk and say I am contented and not work hard to progress up the corporate ladder, is that not a bad thing? If a scientist were to say, he is contented with the progress he has made with new drugs and does not want to do anything more, is that right? The obvious answer is no.
As students of spirituality, we know that we are not the body, mind and intellect. Since discontent impacts at the physical, mental and intellectual level, when I realize I am above these three levels, there cannot be any discontentment at all. Again, we know that for each of us, action is a must. Any action done with a motive of self aggrandizement , by assuming that we are the body/mind/intellect complex is bound to cause discontentment. So, how do we achieve the goal of ensuring societal progress and at the same time remain contented? The only way is to act with the principle of Karmayoga. When I do any act focusing only on the act and not its results, whatever be the result, there will be contentment. As an individual, if I work hard keeping in mind that is my duty at office, I may or may not get rewarded with more money/promotions etc. But since my focus is on my duty alone, there is no discontent. Similarly, any societal activity done with the aim of doing good, but just focusing on the activity and not on the fruits like a recognition, a Nobel prize etc, there will never be discontentment.
This ability to be in this world, do activities and still stay contented is what is essential for spiritual progress.
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Please buy and read any of these books:
My Humble Understanding Of Spirituality
Attain Infinite Bliss - A Spiritual Guide
The Spirit of Spirituality
Being students of spirituality, let us try to explore contentment from three different perspectives, the physical layer, the mental layer and the intellectual layer. At the physical layer, most of us have ever increasing needs for flashy products and gadgets. We want the latest smart phone, the latest car model, the best designer shoes and what not. Are we ever contented with what we have? At the mental layer, comes the emotions of love, affection etc. Can anyone truthfully say, they are fully content with the love and affection they receive ? Can I say with all gratitude that I am content with the attention and love given to me my by own spouse, child etc? At the intellectual level, am I contented with the title I have at work? If we reflect on the three layers truthfully, it is obvious that our life is full of discontent.
Let us also understand what are the different types of contentment. Let us say I am a lazy person who just likes to curl up in bed and be happy with the morsels of food given to be my some kind soul. If someone comes and tells me that there are some boxes I need to move and I will get paid in the form of a sumptuous meal, I may say that I am very contented with the morsels of food I get and do not want the sumptuous meal. Is this real contentment? I am only saying I am contented because I am lazy and do not want to work. I would call this as lazy contentment or Tamasic contentment. Next, take the case of a sales person who is going all out to win an order. He is trying very hard. But, unfortunately the order goes to someone else. He claims he is contented with whatever business he has, by telling that the order was not worth it. It was a loss making proposition or that the client was bad etc. In this case, the sales person is using " the grapes are sour" explanation for his contentment. I would label this as the "sour grapes" contentment or Rajasic contentment.
Are the above real contentment? Obviously, they are not. If contentment is driven by sloth or laziness as in the first case or by just giving a rational explanation for not getting the order as in the second case, it is not contentment. In both cases, the burning is there in the individual to get the object, either the sumptuous food or the order. However, they are telling the world that they are contented.
One may ask, if contentment is good, would an individual or society progress? If I join a job as a clerk and say I am contented and not work hard to progress up the corporate ladder, is that not a bad thing? If a scientist were to say, he is contented with the progress he has made with new drugs and does not want to do anything more, is that right? The obvious answer is no.
As students of spirituality, we know that we are not the body, mind and intellect. Since discontent impacts at the physical, mental and intellectual level, when I realize I am above these three levels, there cannot be any discontentment at all. Again, we know that for each of us, action is a must. Any action done with a motive of self aggrandizement , by assuming that we are the body/mind/intellect complex is bound to cause discontentment. So, how do we achieve the goal of ensuring societal progress and at the same time remain contented? The only way is to act with the principle of Karmayoga. When I do any act focusing only on the act and not its results, whatever be the result, there will be contentment. As an individual, if I work hard keeping in mind that is my duty at office, I may or may not get rewarded with more money/promotions etc. But since my focus is on my duty alone, there is no discontent. Similarly, any societal activity done with the aim of doing good, but just focusing on the activity and not on the fruits like a recognition, a Nobel prize etc, there will never be discontentment.
This ability to be in this world, do activities and still stay contented is what is essential for spiritual progress.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please buy and read any of these books:
My Humble Understanding Of Spirituality
Attain Infinite Bliss - A Spiritual Guide
The Spirit of Spirituality
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