________________
PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS
Abstention from greed has also been interpreted as abstention from receiving gifts. To quote Swami Vivekananda: “The mind of the man who receives gifts is acted upon by the mind of the giver, so the receiver is likely to become degenerated. Receiving gifts is prone to destroy the independence of the mind, and make us slavish.” This may seem to many of us to be “a hard saying”; but we must remember that Patanjali is describing the strict disciplines of the dedicated yogi. In the everyday world, most gifts can be regarded as relatively harmless, as long as they are tokens of genuine affection. Nevertheless, there are some which are not-especially when they belong to that rather sinister category described by incometax specialists as “business gifts”—and we must beware, in general, of a too easy acceptance of other people's generosity and hospitality Ja wifar-dan-ao 165-Hraunha fosgat:
HI HÌNH HKT48 | 3 ? II 31. These forms of abstention are basic rules of conduct.
They must be practised without any reservations as to time, place, purpose, or caste rules.
Patanjali admits of no excuses or exceptions. When he tells us, for example, to abstain from harming others he means exactly what he says. He would have no patience with a man who assured him: “Certainly I'll abstain from killing-except, of course, in time of war, on a battlefield, when we're fighting in a just cause and it's my duty anyway, as a member of the armed forces.” शौच-सन्तोष-तपः स्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि
Frutat: 113711 32. The niyamas (observances) are purity, contentment,
mortification, study and devotion to God.
