"Talk does not cook rice."
The 5 Niyamas: Tapas (Self-discipline)
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Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah. Salutations to all the teachers.
Over the past two weeks, we have been discussing the Niyamas, the second limb of Yoga. This limb deals with the personal conduct of the Yogi such that it is no longer a distraction, and can be dropped away, thus allowing the Yogi to move further inwards with ease.
As a reminder, the five Niyamas are:
Over the past two weeks we have discussed the first two on the list - shauch, or cleanliness - both internal and external, and santosh, or contentment - limiting one’s desires rather than rushing to fulfil them.
This week, we will discuss how to practice tapas, or self-discipline.
It is here that we first start to set up a regular routine for Yoga, starting small with just tapas - so that we strengthen our ability to create a routine in the first place - setting the foundation so that we can slowly tack on other techniques as our practice matures.
You may notice that the last three Niyamas, including tapas, are identical with Kriya Yoga - the preliminary practice to reduce the kleshas and increase will-power. Since we have discussed these at length here and here, in this and the following articles we will specifically discuss how to apply them as Niyamas in the practice of Ashtaanga (the eight-limbed) Yoga.
Tapas: Self-discipline
नातपस्विनो योगः सिध्यति |NaAtapasvino yogah sidhyatiWithout tapas, Yoga cannot be established.
- Vyasa’s commentary on Yoga Sutra 2.1The word tapas (pronounced tuh-pus) literally means “fire” or “heat”, but is often translated as “austerities”, “purificatory action” or “self-discipline.” As with the next two Niyamas, it is one of the aspects of Kriya Yoga - the preliminary practice to the eight-limbed Yoga. You can find more on this aspect in this article.
For those readers who are not familiar with the concept of tapasyaa, the word conjures the image of a starving Yogi standing on one leg over hot coals, or of legendary characters performing impossibly difficult acts to please mythical gods and goddesses, usually to gain special powers.
There are countless stories of these mythological heroes and villains alike, who try to propitiate the divine to gain such things as immortal life, exceptional wealth, or otherworldly powers. For example, Raavan (the apparent “villain” in the Ramayan) is said to have performed tapas for 11,000 years, ultimately offering his own head to the creator deity Brahma, for the boon of immortality and wisdom.
While these may seem like amazing feats, in Yoga, these kinds of powers and gains are considered a distraction at best, and tapas is not taken to this extreme. However, while tapas is not sufficient for Moksha, it certainly plays an important part in the eight-limbed Yoga.
The goal of Tapas is two-fold:
Like all the Niyamas, there are two ways in which to practice tapas - as a mahaavrat (ie. in all times, in all places, in all circumstances), and as conditioned by time and place (ie. once/day, twice/day, etc.). This does not mean that one must choose between these modes of practice, but rather that they are complementary to one another.
We will briefly go over these two approaches here.
Tapas as conditioned by time and place
This kind of tapas is a particular action that is performed by the Yogi at a particular time, at a particular place, or both. It is important to note that not all actions qualify as tapas.
In order to be effective at reducing the kleshas and increasing the will-power, the action must meet the following criteria:
Difficult enough to take significant will-power to accomplish
Not so difficult that it creates an aversion or a pattern of avoidance
This balance may be difficult to strike, and is different for each person. Given this, play around with the level of intensity of your tapas for optimal results in your own practice.
There are two additional caveats:
Don’t do anything that will cause you physical or mental harm: Disease is the first of the nine obstacles to Yoga, and so avoidance of harm is critical to success.
Don’t use your regular meditation practice as your tapas: Any choice of tapas runs the risk of creating a pattern of avoidance towards it. If you choose meditation (or aasana practice) as your tapas, you run the risk of becoming avoidant towards it, which is counterproductive to the following limbs of Yoga.
Ok, now that we’re done with the criteria and warnings, it may be helpful to discuss with some examples of tapas so that you can get to figuring out what works best for you.
Any tapas has three levers, so that the Yogi can adjust the practice to suit their own mental tendencies:
Intensity: The specifics of the tapas (ie. the “what”)
Timing: When you perform the tapas
Frequency: How often you perform the tapas
We will discuss these for each example below.
Note: The goal of these examples is not necessarily to pick from one of them (although that is great too), but rather to get an idea of what may qualify as tapas in your life.
Fasting
There are many methods of fasting, and they vary by level of intensity. In the various traditions of the world, there is usually some form of prescribed fast (e.g. Navratri, Ramadan, Lent, Passover, etc.) - all of these qualify, so long as they meet the criteria for tapas in your life.
Like with any tapas, there are three variables to a fast:
Intensity: What you can eat, drink, or otherwise consume
Timing: What times of the day you will adhere to the rules of your fast
Frequency: What times of the week, month, or year you will fast
As for the first lever, here are some examples of what one can consume during a fast, with varying levels of intensity:
No food or drinks (aka nirjal-vrat)
No food, but water is ok
No food, but water and juice is ok
No food, but any drink is ok
Only nuts and water
Only nuts, water, and juice
Nuts, and any drink
Only vegetarian food
As you can see, there is no limit to the number of variations of a given fast.
Experiment with what works for you, starting with something more intense than you think you can handle, sticking with it without renegotiating the terms in your mind.
Now on to the second lever - when, or what times of day one can choose to adhere to the rules of the fast:
The entire day, 24 hours (e.g. sunrise to sunrise, sunset to sunset, moonrise to moonrise, moon-set to moon-set)
A part of the day (e.g. from sunrise to sunset, from first light to last light, from moonrise to moon-set)
For this lever, it may be helpful to note that it is easy to decide to sleep as long as possible on the day of fasting, or for the mind to find some other excuse.
Be mindful of this temptation - the mind is very clever and tries to find a way out of everything it finds difficult. The goal is to train the mind, so make sure to watch your mind carefully as one would watch a restless child.
Finally, the third lever - how often to practice the fast. Here are some options:
During a particular time of year (e.g. a given month, a given week, etc.)
On a particular day of the month (e.g. the first, eleventh, or thirteenth day of the lunar cycle)
On a particular day or days of the week (e.g. every Tuesday, every Thursday, etc.)
Every day
These options allow for flexibility, depending on one’s own mental tendencies, allowing the Yogi to find the balance that works best for them. You can try to experiment with something that is on the harder side, and turn down the intensity to what you are able to handle.
Over time, you will likely find that it gets easier. At this point, turn up the intensity until it is difficult enough to take a noticeable amount of will-power to do.
The goal of tapas is to practice using your will-power, as one might practice lifting a weight. This way, when situations in life arise that require significant will-power to act, it feels easy.
Cold water
Another traditional method is to practice dunking the body in cold water at a particular time during the day. This can be done early morning or just before one goes to sleep.
If this sounds difficult at first, there are ways to get used to it. For example, have your nice, hot shower, and right at the end turn the hot water all the way off, allowing your entire body to be covered in cold water.
The temptation may arise to turn it off as soon as possible, or to avoid the water altogether. To overcome this temptation, simply decide on an amount of time beforehand, setting a strong intention to completely immerse yourself in the water.
Perhaps start with five seconds, gradually increasing it to ten, twenty, thirty seconds, or even longer as it gets easier. Time can also be kept with the recitation of a mantra of your choice, reciting it a certain number of times, for for a fixed number of breaths.
The important thing is to decide on the amount of time beforehand, and then use the body as an instrument to play out what you decided, not allowing the mind to renegotiate the terms during the act.
Notice how the levers apply here:
Intensity: Cold shower at the end of a warm shower, entirely cold shower, plunge in ice water, etc.
Timing: Varying the length of the cold shower - ten seconds, one minute, three mantra recitations, etc.
Frequency: Once per day, twice per day, every day, once a week, etc.
If you find this difficult, try to watch the sensations in your body closely. What happens to your breath? How does the skin feel? Can you notice the aversion (ie. dvesha) directly? Notice how paying close attention to the sensations - independent of your aversion - alters your ability to stay under the cold water.
Silence
This method is called maun-vrat - literally “silence fast” or “vow of silence.” It can be practiced in a similar manner to the other fasts described above, where there are three levers:
The intensity of the fast
The length of the fast on a given day
The frequency of the fast
For length and frequency, it is much the same as any other fast.
For length, you can decide to remain silent from sunrise to sunset, or from waking until sleeping, for an entire week or month, or any other time interval of your choice.
For frequency, you can decide to practice this fast once per week, once per month, once per year, on a particular day of the lunar cycle, and so on.
However, for the lever of intensity, the maun-vrat has slightly different variations than a regular fast.
Some variations are listed below, in increasing level of intensity:
No speech
No speech or writing
No speech, writing, or facial expressions (ie. no communication whatsoever)
No communication, and no reading
No communication, no reading, and no listening (ie. no language whatsoever)
This final level of intensity means that the Yogi does not indulge in any language whatsoever - this includes both outputs and inputs. Even if someone speaks directly to you, simply listen to their words as though they are any other sound (e.g. the sound of the rain, of rustling leaves, of running water, etc.).
In practice, this can be quite difficult, especially if you live with other people, or if you work every day. However, it has been listed here for the sake of completion.
Just like with the other examples of tapas, the mind will try to find loopholes and renegotiate the terms during the act. Make sure to remain watchful, and ignore the wiles of the mind.
Additionally, rather than seeing the mind as a powerful enemy to be defeated by an act of strength, try seeing it with the same eyes as you would a playful child who knows no better, and is just having fun.
Physical exertion
This category includes any kind of physical exercise or exertion, so long as it is done regularly. Here also, the level of intensity can vary based upon the person.
The levers are the same - intensity, timing, and frequency.
For intensity, it depends on your current body strength. Make sure not to over-exert the body, to avoid injury. The type of exercise is another variation - perhaps it is some stretching, calisthenic exercises, lifting weights, or going for a run or a bike ride.
For timing, you can vary how long you exercise for - this can be five minutes, ten minutes, one hour, and so on, depending on your own capacity.
Finally, for frequency, you can vary how often you exercise - is it once per day, twice per day, three times per week, etc.
Just like with any other tapas, the level of practice is an individual choice.
Sankalp: Intention
Have you ever decided to do something, only to convince yourself that just this time you can ignore it? Perhaps you decided to wake up at a certain time, only to convince yourself that it’s ok to stay in bed a little longer. Perhaps you decided to meditate once every day, but when the time came, you figured you could skip today and make it up another day.
In terms of Yoga psychology, this is the kleshas uprooting the seed of sankalp, or intention, as wild animals uproot saplings on a farm before they can grow into strong trees. You had an intention to do something, but your desires and aversions got the better of you, and you ended up doing something different.
The method, then, is to carefully cultivate your sankalp as a farmer would cultivate a seed with water, carefully protecting it from wild animals that may try to uproot it. Simply place the sankalp carefully in the mind, with attention, and make sure to watch over it in case the kleshas try to get the better of you.
With any tapas, the most important aspect is the initial decision to act - this is called the nischaya-vritti (the movement of mind that decides). The sankalp is like the seed that grows into the nishchaya-vritti, or simply said, the intention is like the seed that grows into decisive action.
Normally, the sankalp may be washed away while still in seed form, or perhaps it grew into a nishchaya-vritti that was not strong enough to hold its own against the kleshas. This is where tapas is critical. Through tapas, the nishchaya-vritti is strengthened, so that no matter what, your body and mind act in accordance with your initial intention.
Finally, the examples above are mentioned only for the sake of understanding. While you can certainly practice these, you can also find your own tapas that works best for you. The goal is to awaken the nishchaya-vritti, and to strengthen it over time, so that when the need arises your will-power is strong enough to turn thought into action.
Tapas as a Mahaavrat
Like the other Niyamas, tapas is to be practiced both as conditioned by time and place (ie. a thing that you do at specific times and places), and as a mahaavrat (ie. a Great Vow).
As a mahaavrat, the practice of tapas means evenness in the face of the dualities that life throws at you.
Some examples of these dualities are:
Hot and Cold
Slow and Fast
Right and Wrong
Up and Down
Simple and Extravagant
Easy and Difficult
Like and Dislike
Success and Failure
Life and Death
Me and You
In practice, this means that the Yogi is equanimous, regardless of the variety of experiences presented by situations in life. It is like when watching a movie, the mind can remain relatively calm even though the characters are going through what one may normally consider to be extreme events.
This does not mean to be indifferent or apathetic, rather to know that while the body and mind may be affected, You are simply their witness, untouched by the dualities of life.
As with all the Niyamas, tapas is an active practice. This means that it requires the Yogi to be constantly mindful of how the body-mind complex is affected by the changing scenery that life presents, noticing the changes, but not clinging to them - as water droplets do not cling to a lotus leaf, but roll off without a trace.
Additionally, one might notice that these dualities do not exist without each other - there is no up without down, there is no hot without cold, and so on. In this way, what we refer to as “opposites” are in fact the same thing, divided only in thought.
This is similar to a magnet, in that no matter how many times you try to cut it up, the pieces always end up with a North and a South pole. Another example is that of a piece of cloth - no matter how many times you cut it, each piece will always have a left and a right side. There is no getting around it. The reason for this apparent conundrum is that dualities are a superimposition. In reality, “left” and “right” are not separate from each other - we made up those concepts and slapped them on to experience in order to make sense of it. Notice, you never actually experience “left” without “right” or “right” without left.” It was always one thing - “leftright” - all along. It is the same with all the other apparent dualities - duality is a mental construction, but we take it seriously, and so we suffer.
In this way, changing our mental model around dualities can help us to transcend the kleshas (e.g. likes and dislikes) associated with either of them. After all, how silly it is to like “left” but not “right” when one cannot exist (or rather, has no meaning) without the other.
All of this is easier said than done, but the practice of tapas, and the following Niyamas make this easier over time, with the twin foundations of Yoga - practice and letting go. The levels of practice are important to note here as well - the more intense the practice, the quicker the results - but find the balance that works best for you. Even a little bit of practice goes a long way.
The Result of Tapas
कायेन्द्रियसिद्धिरशुद्धिक्षयात् तपसः।kaayaIndriyaSiddhirAshuddhiKshayaat tapasahFrom tapas comes a perfection of the body and the senses, due to the removal of impurities.
- Yoga Sutras, 2.42
From the regular practice of tapas, the Yogi weakens their kleshas to such a degree that the mind and body follow the will of the Yogi perfectly. Whatever the Yogi wishes to do in their mind is effortlessly transformed into action.
Normally, we follow the whims of the body and the senses - when we are hungry, we look for food, when we are tired, we look for a place to rest, when we are stressed, we look for ways to relax, and so on.
This constant searching distracts the mind from what it may have otherwise wanted to accomplish.
Through the continued practice of tapas, both as a practice conditioned by time and place, and as a mahaavrat, the Yogi is no longer affected by the dualities that appear before them. The senses then become completely clear, so that the Yogi can see the world as it is, without the tinted lens of their likes and dislikes. The unaffected, or equanimous nature that results from this clearing of the senses and body is called siddhi, or perfection.
There is another interpretation here from some commentators. The word siddhi is often used to denote mystic powers such as levitation, invisibility, clairvoyance, etc. In this interpretation, the practice of tapas is the specific method to gain these siddhis. However, these siddhis are considered a distraction to the ultimate goal of Yoga.
The reason for this is that the very search for mystical powers is an effort aimed at aggrandizing the mind-body-complex (ie. to gain power, wealth, fame, and so on). This leads to a strengthening of avidya, thus delaying Realization.
There are later sutras that discuss this in more detail, where the Yogi is instructed to let go of any powers that may appear before them, as well as the temptation to gain powers, since the very desire for these powers leads towards avidya rather than away from it.
The important thing to note is that each practitioner has their own tapas, and can choose the intensity, timing, and frequency based on their own capacity. Setting the intention (sankalp) beforehand protects from when the mind tries to renegotiate the terms during the act, and practicing tapas regularly increases the buddhi’s control over the senses and the body.
In other words, when you want to act, the body will simply follow.
Finally, it is at this stage that the Yogi must wake up and act. Tapas is not easy, but it has a powerful effect on the mind, weakening the kleshas and increasing the will-power, making the mind more sattvic. Without tapas, the Yogi runs the risk of remaining an armchair philosopher, rather than seeing real results by bringing the teachings to life.
“Talk does not cook rice.”
- Ancient Chinese Proverb
Until next time:
Choose your tapas. Remember - it should be difficult enough that you notice the act of will (aka the nishchaya-vritti), but not so difficult that you develop an aversion or that it causes physical or mental harm.
Set your sankalp. Write it down - what will you practice, when, and how often? If you’d like, you can post anonymously in r/EmptyYourCup.
Practice, practice, practice. Take notes on how your mind feels as you progress. This is how you train your mind to do your bidding.
Be kind to yourself - treat your mind like a child who doesn’t know any better, with love rather than anger.
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, comments, or objections by responding directly to this email, commenting down below, or anonymously at r/EmptyYourCup.
Next time: Svaadhyaay (Self-study)