My quest to delve deeper into the practice of yoga has a dual purpose; to become a more complete yogi for students and myself, and to attain a higher understanding of the best practices of living life in general. When I came across the term Parikarma in connection with others such as Maitri, Upeksha, Mudita and Karuna, I was obviously intrigued. What we commonly understand by the word Parikrama is circumambulation; the ritual of circling a religious shrine or similar. Here we are talking about Pari-Karma: Pari meaning all over or around and Karma which means action and duty. So what does this have to do with yoga?
What is Parikarma in yoga?
Various people have described the Parikarmas differently: as purificatory practices, as embellishments or as immeasurables. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras speak about the Parikarmas as certain sublime attitudes to imbibe and to inculcate in life. The Parikarmas are described as the four keys to four locks. The ‘locks’ that they speak of are four types of people: happy and sad, honourable and dishonourable people. The positive attitudes that we inculcate are the keys to deal with these ‘locks’ or predicaments. They are the keys to mental peace. Put simply, these are the ways for us to keep a peaceful mind in a troubled and complicated world.
Parikarma Maitri explained
Most of us know that the word ‘maitri’ means friendship and a sense of comradeship with others. It is about being of a generous enough spirit to accept and celebrate the good fortune of others; to be happy for the happiness of others. The mentality that makes us resent the good fortune and success of others must be eschewed. We have to develop the capacity of joy and happiness for others. The idea is to moderate one’s dislike of others and to calm oneself down. Parikarma maitri is about continuing to be calm even in the face of irritations and everyday provocations. When things don’t go your way, it is important not to get worked up but to moderate and temper one’s reactions to the situation.
The concept of using the key of maitri towards happy people may sound easy but is not always so. Seeing the happiness and success of others often brings out our less than admirable urges and qualities. Envy and resentment ensue. Take for instance a neighbor buying a new car that you wish you could afford, or a colleague getting a promotion that you secretly hoped to get. Another person receiving good fortune should not trouble us; even if that good fortune is undeserved in your view. It is important to seek happiness in the same way that a miner’s eye seeks gold or diamonds, recommends the sage Patanjali.
Maitri is also something that we can apply to our own most intimate relationships. It is about a kind and gentle lovingness, an acceptance of those who are closest to us. It is about showing love and regard for those people and about being loyal to them. Yoga is a fund of these life lessons as well. One is but to delve a little below the surface to find the wisdom within!