Principle of the Supreme Logic

The First Principle of Yoga

The first principle of yoga says: “You must make every effort to do no harm to any living being unless it is absolutely necessary. If you can’t avoid doing harm, you should follow your duty”.

Sacrifice and Tantra

Wrong understanding of yoga texts

It is another case, if you are curious about way of life of medieval India then in some parts of India it was possible to kill animals for food. But even in those cases the idea of those actions was a kind of mercy. People used special rituals and mantras, which could help those animals after such a violent death not to be born as animals over and over again.

And the description of these rituals formed references that you can find in Tantra about sacrifice: this or that mantra should be chanted if you kill a living being. BUT if there is any opportunity not to kill, then a sane and sensible follower of yoga, will never kill. Yogi would never have this idea in mind.

This is the principle of minimization of harm. But, there is always a couple of freaks (sorry for this words) that could pervert any idea they come across, and they understanding of the idea is like the understanding of an animal.

Just remember, the first principle of yoga – “The least possible harm” is the sacred and fundamental. Of course, it is difficult to accept that someone could be killed, especially people. But we cannot cause no harm at all, BUT at least we can minimize it.

Minimizing the harm

On the other hand, you must understand that we can’t live our life without doing any harm to others. Each of us cannot live a second without killing or hurting somebody: a microorganism that you accidentally inhale, a little bug you stepped on when you were going to work. You hurt living beings even when you eat your vegetarian food, because to produce this vegetarian food, fields were plowed and enormous number of small animals was killed. So suffering is everywhere and you can’t prevent all of it. You just can do your best to decrease it wherever is possible. So when yoga encourages us to do no harm to any living being, it is not such naivety – it is the understanding of reality. Unfortunately, each of us has our own karma: the sum of our actions we have done before. As a result of these actions we have been born here and now. And the world where we were born has certain rules.

Rules of our life

Where did these rules come from? We made these rules. Once, in the past life, we were legislators of the laws by which we are living now. If we are faced with some things that we do not like, somewhere in the past, we probably did the same things to others directly or indirectly. Therefore, in our current life we have what we have. Every second someone dies, violence happens every second and we can’t stop it. Moreover, if we try to change this natural course of history, then we will just create even more dreadful consequences.

What can sharp actions do?

Let me remind you the most typical case: they say people in Africa are starving. Before the World War II people in Africa were not starving, because there were less people: people were born, and a huge number of them immediately died due to some disease. The West gave them vaccine, the mortality decreased sharply. It is clear that the population in Africa began to grow. But people there were not inclined to engage in agriculture, because they used to high mortality and the population was always more or less at the same level. The population was controlled by natural causes. But when the vaccine was given, more people survived and they also became parents giving birth to even more people. But they didn’t have enough food and work for this newborn. And now we have the following situation: millions of people die of starvation. If the vaccine wasn’t given just thousands died due to a disease. Sometimes when you try to do your best for other people, you can create more sufferings that those people had before. Yoga says – you can’t stop doing harm from now, moreover if you tried you can make the situation even worse but you can decrease harm wherever it is possible. For instance, if you supply vaccine in Africa to decrease mortality, also you should supply contraceptives to decrease birthrate to prevent terrible starvation. The essence of the first principle of yoga is following: if there is a way for us to reduce sufferings, if you can avoid doing bad - do it!

Duty

The next question is what to do if we can’t avoid hurting somebody? It happens pretty often.

For example, let’s take a look at the doctor. This doctor is a great professional. But to help the patients the doctor need to make a painful manipulation. And it is the duty of the doctor to make it. Otherwise, it would only make the situation worse and there would be more suffering. Therefore, the second part of the first principle of yoga says: if you can’t avoid doing harm, you should follow your duty. If you must hurt somebody to make his/her life better in the future or decrease the suffering of many other people then do it as good as you can. Still, it would have to hurt someone then don’t increase the harm because of negligence or just of your negative emotions to this person. There's a big difference - if you hurt someone when you try to stitch a wound or you do your work bad and person gets more problems. In the second case, the person would violate the first principle of yoga. Usually we are faced with small things but these things are even more frightening, because they are less obvious.

The first yoga principle and business

For example, you are a director of a company. From one hand you should be nice and polite with your employees, but on the other hand you should be a tough boss to protect your company from the bankruptcy. Because if a boss lets employees do whatever they want and indulge all their desires which don’t help to develop the firm, you and your employees land on the street pretty soon. So a boss should find the balance. If a boss is a real yogi, he/she follows the first principle of yoga “do not do harm any living beings”. At the same time the boss knows that weak employees ruin the business. And, I guess, you know numerous examples.That’s why a successful director should be strict. For improving the work quality the boss may fire bad employee or cut a salary or change the position to a lower one. And some people may be dissatisfied with this situation. There are always two sides of the story. Therefore, following your duty is very important, because if you are a boss, you have to keep discipline and if someone does not accept the rules, then you should follow your duty. Your duty might be unpleasant and you would have to punish an employee. However, humiliation of the fired employee is beyond the duty.

Whining

We must be kind, we should help other people (it is so nice to receive help from others), and we shouldn’t be cruel. But sometimes, before you can even blink, someone is on your head with his or her never-ending whining, with unsolved problems, and, you are also blamed in all the problems this person has. It happens pretty often, especially among close people. When people complain and whine you can feel sorry for them. But your duty is not about listening to complaints, your duty to help them if you can. If you can’t help then what’s the point to listen to this. Whining is more common than war or global conflicts. It can ruin your life and lead you away from the first and second principles of yoga.

Dharma

Everybody has own way in life. This way is called Dharma in Sanskrit. When you follow your Dharma, you do the least possible harm and get from your life as good as your Karma lets you. Karma also determines how much freedom we have. One person has a great potential and can express himself or herself in many different ways. Potential of another person is less and there is more narrow scope of possibilities. There will always be your Dharma regardless of the Karma you have. But whatever Karma you have you always have a way of Dharma. And if you follow your Dharma, you will do minimum of harm to others, and get maximum benefit for you. If you follow this way you feel good and your life will only get better. Even if you get something negative when you follow your Dharma, you get it as less as possible.

Kindness

The first principle of Yoga – do not harm to any living being unless it is absolutely necessary – it is the principle of Kindness. Usually we are attached to a kind person, and an angry man scares us. Very surprising – but formally this principle has nothing to do with yoga. Yoga is a very specific technique of self-exploration, with very specific descriptions of how a man is made; it is about evolution, about specific exercises (if you want to get this - do that). Yoga could be considered as pure logic. But when you think about is it reasonable to be a kind person, you would realize it is completely illogical thing. Indeed, why should I be good, why would not I be the biggest evil in the world? I was told: “It is good to be good, because people love you”. And I answered: “Go to hell, I can’t care less what other people think about me."

Discussion about karma and kindness

I was told: "Well, kindness gives you good karma." And I answered them: "What is Karma? I have no idea about any karma. My neighbor was a thief. He was killing and steeling from the cradle to the grave. He had a terrible car accident but he had enough money to pay to the best of doctors in the world. And they saved his life. Sure he died later, but he died peacefully in his own house. What’s about his Karma? For me Karma is just a nonsenset and has nothing to do with the real life. ”Well, right. You can understand how the law of Karma works only if you can trace sequence of lives of a person. But how could we do it? We can hardly know what was before we were born and we know even less what would happen after we die. We can’t even predict what would happen in our lifetime. From the standpoint of logic, there is no reason to be good, on the contrary, if we use the point of view of logic, there is every reason to be the most evil in the world - do whatever you want today, and don’t care about tomorrow… They talk about Hell and Paradise. If anybody sees that places, or may be you know a buddy in person who came back from those places? I have never met people from those places, my friends neither, I guess it is just a PR for Karma. And, to some extent, this is a correct idea, because we live in the so-called karmic world. Nice Sanskrit word “karma”, but the best translation for this word is “the Law of cause and consequence”: you always get the result of your actions. In the world of Karma Kindness can’t be justified, because as yoga says, kindness is the supreme logic, it is beyond Karma limits. Sometimes they say: "kind from nature" Kind person from the nature is a naturally wise person. This person is naturally raised high in some spiritual ways, because he has lived this way for already many lives before. And, as we are taught by yoga, from the time of death and to the next birth, we lost our memories about the previous life: everything washes away except a certain attitude to life. Kindness is a positive attitude to life.

For instance: in your previous life you taught Sanskrit, read ancient yoga texts, knew by heart millions of mantras, then you died and were born again. When you were born again you didn’t remembered a single mantra, not a treatise. You didn’t remember any details from your previous life. The only thing you took from the previous life - this is a general idea of how you should live. You bring your notions about the way our world is made to the next lives. We don’t start our new life from the scratch.

Kind people are wise people

From the perspective of yoga, naturally kind person is very tempted spiritually. This person can have no education, has no idea about philosophy or any science. This person may not have successful career in any field, but this person is kind. And because of kindness, yoga considers this person to be on higher spiritual level than the most of clever men who perfectly know Sanskrit and learn by heart ancient treatises but have no compassion and love to people, because Sanskrit and ancient treatises is just a nice wrap for their emptiness inside. A kind person, even may have no sharp mind or extraordinary abilities, but this person has the most important thing –internal energy and harmony. And if this person decides to develop the mind, it can be done quickly. The reason for it -a very good base as kindness. And it means this person understands the main principles of creation of our world. Thus the circle closes: Yoga gives power, the power in yoga can be achieved only if you're doing yoga; and if doing yoga, you follow the first and second principles of yoga. The fact that you follow the first principle of yoga means that you already are a sophisticated soul, and it means that you have already practiced something similar in your previous life. From this we may conclude that only the good people come and succeed in yoga.

Supreme Logical Kindness and explaining of it

The definition of "a kind person" is a pretty vague term. It is difficult to catch the idea of the definition. You can easily understand what “smart” means, but “kind” is a problem. You can’t understand it but each of us can feel it intuitively. Why it is so difficult to grasp the concept of kindness? We all understand what it means, but can’t explain it. Kindness is not from our world of karma, which is full of anger. Kindness is from the world of the supreme logic. Our world is about logic: “Eye for an eye”, “No money, no honey”. It is ok for a certain stage of human development. But there I another world above this one. The world of the supreme logic, and that world is based on the different rules. Kindness comes from that world. That’s why we can’t explain kindness in terms of logic. We feel what Kindness is and perfectly feel absence of it but can’t give it a logical definition.

The practical side of the first principle of yoga

Any system of yoga is based on the first and second principle of yoga. The first principle - a principle of kindness - is the principles of no harm of any living being unless it is absolutely necessary. But yoga would not be so famous, powerful and effective if it didn’t give the results. Some people say: “I'm not kind, I’m evil-minded. I am angry. I have no reason to be kind. Everybody lies to me; I’m surrounded by enemies; why I should be kind to them? I do not see any chance to be kind; on the contrary, my mind and my logic tell me that I should be angry and cynical, and do anything it takes to get what I want. And bad people get the best in this world. Where is the logical explanation to be kind?”

Playing kindness

Yoga answers to it: “If you do not understand it, no problem. You are not kind, okay. Do yoga, but follow the first principle of yoga formally, just for show.”

For example, I'm not kind, but I remember the first principle. I get into a situation where I need to make a choice: do this or do that. I'm not kind, I'm angry and I do not know what to choose, but I remember the first principle of yoga: “If I do so, the damage will be less likely, but if I do in other way, the more damage will be to everybody, and the result of both actions are more or less the same. Okay, I will do as yoga says. ”You see what I mean? When I told you: “Just follow the first principle for show”. You do what your logic told you to do, but at the same time you use the first principle of yoga. And this simple actions change your life completely, step by step. Your self-awareness increases and you go the next level of yoga practice. I have no idea how it works but it works. You would get a habit being kind first and then, one day you wake up and realize that your fake kindness has become your natural state of being. I tried to explain it to you in the easiest way. In reality, you will see, it is much more interesting.

Analyze consequences

If you get some information or guidance in yoga but have doubts if it is real yoga or something fake, or you misunderstand something, just use the first principle of yoga as a touchstone. When you meet a Guru and he/she starts explaining you a doctrine of yoga, just remember: “All that glitters is not gold” – pay your attention to the consequences. If you feel worse and worse – may be something is wrong with the Guru’s doctrine. If it did harm to some living being then maybe it is wrong?

For instance, a young married guy decided to practice yoga and read in an ancient book: “If you want became a powerful yogi don’t have sex”. Well, he believed it and didn’t have sex with his young beautiful wife. As a result he caused suffering to his wife. His wife cries but he only tells her: “Darling, it is a ancient wisdom, we should follow it.” Sounds correct at the first sight. But if somebody is suffering because of your action it is a very good reason ask yourself: “What am I doing?” Of course, life is more complicated – if somebody is suffering because of your duty, it is ok. But if a living being suffers because of you and it is not about your duty – stop and think: may be you understood something in a wrong way or translation wasn’t correct, or may be your Guru misunderstood something. You should sort it out. The bottom line of yoga is kindness; you should give and get more and more kindness. If you give and get less and less – it makes sense to ask yourself: “Is it really yoga?” In any case, from the point of view of theoretical yoga if something violates the first principle of yoga, it is not yoga.