Literal meaning of “ sanyam ” is restraint. It is crucial for us to prevent the drainage or misuse of our powers and potentials. In general, most of us consume our mental and bodily energy in haphazard activities driven by the passions of our ever turbulent mind s and sense organs. Even a so-called ordinary person may accomplish wonderful things if he checks the wastage of his capabilities and makes constructive use of his potentials. We have to be vigilant on four fronts and observe abstinence of sense organs , control over the turbulence of mind , and optimal uses of time and worldly resources.
The Restraint of Sense Organs :
For the sanyam of the sense organs, most difficult and important is the sanyam of the tongue and the sex-organs . These two are the greediest organs vulnerable to ‘ addiction’ . As you are all aware, the greed of the tongue disturbs our digestive system, gulps anything edible or non-edible for taste and spoils our health . The unrestrained indulgence in sex drains out our vital energy and thus weakens our physical and mental strength. Unbridled use of tongue in speech invites animosity and insult. One cannot think of any notable progress or even having a health y and hearty life for a long time without res training these sense organs.
The Restraint of Thoughts:
There is hardly any moment in a day from the time we get up, when our mind is void of any thought. But what kind of thoughts? Most often these are hazy flashes of auto-wandering of our mind in its world of ever-new desires or abrupt imaginations and retrieval of memory as per egotist impulses. Anger, excitation, depression , etc are all offshoots of an unstable and wayward mind . I don’t have to say much on how important it is to have good mental concentration. Be that study, writing, research , focused use of any skill or art, everything requires thorough mental engrossment for success. Even the daily chores can’t proceed smoothly unless our mind is calm and stable to some extent. Success in mental control and constructive channelization of thoughts opens up the doors to all-conquering win-win achievements along any chosen walk of life .
The Restraint of Time:
Time is the most precious resource gifted by Nature to us. But we spend most of it in sleeping or in laziness. We shun hard work and don’t do things in a planned systematic manner. When there is some pressure or something of our immediate interest, we get over-enthusiastic and spend all the time in one particular task. This is an extreme, which often burns out our energy or puts us under stress. And, the moment the pressure or interest is gone we just slip back to the other extreme – become dull and aimless; don’t even care for how our time is flying in haphazard activities, arbitrary thoughts and daydreaming. Look at the lives of those who have attained success in some field of life . You will find one thing in common – prudent management of time.
The Restraint of Money/Resources:
Equally important is the adept use of available resources. Money happens to be a vital resource on materialistic fronts of life . But unless utilized cautiously, it only encourages addictions , luxury driven life -style leading to a variety of physical and mental health problems ; extravagant show-off, which in one form or the other, invites jealousy, anxiety or threats of burglary etc. Those who are not wealthy need to be more careful, as every penny of their hard earned money is important. Those who have substantial amounts for fulfilling basic necessities and duties should invest the remainder wisely in projects that help many others in a viable manner and generate more wealth for wider use. Industriousness , planned budgeting , and thoughtful use of money is the secret of prosperity. Assiduity and controlled use of resources also lend essential support in one’s efforts of self-restraint of sense organs and are therefore important for self-dependence and self- development .