Give up the Greed : Aparigraha

Patanjali took a dim view of greedy, possessive people. In Hinduism the emphasis has always been on acquiring things of lasting value. In a religion that believes in reincarnation , this means collecting things you can take with you. Everything you own is lost at death. What you can carry with you into the next life is generosity of spirit, devotion to God and Goddess, fearlessness, and all the good karma you've acquired through your loving and selfless acts. Greedy behaviour can't benefit you for more than one lifetime. Generosity benefits you forever. 

Constant Craving : Santosha

" Be content. But not satisfied!" the late Swami Rama Bharati used to tell me. He was reiterating the old truism that the wealthiest person is the one who's content with what he or she has. Constant craving for more things, more success, more sex, and more premium grade ice cream transports us out of the present into a continual uneasy relationship with a fantasy future in which we hope things will be better. But God-in the form of the deepest states of consciousness-can be experienced only in the present moment. When the mind stops being distracted by what it hasn't got, it can start attending to what it does have-living presence of divine being within itself.

Yet complacency is also a spiritual pitfall. So the swami warned against feeling smug or self-satisfied, feeling that you'd gotten as far spiritually as you need to go until you've actually reached the final goal. Enlightenment is an attainable goal to those who sincerely strive and connect with divine grace, according to Hinduism.

"You can do it! You will do it! Do it now!" Swami Rama would shout.

Keep It Clean : Saucha

Hindus strongly believe in internal purity and external cleanliness. It's not unusual to find orthodox brahmins bathing repeatedly throughout the day. ( This is more understandable if you keep in mind the heat and dust of India.) But a dirty body is the least of problems on the spiritual path. Meditation is the Hindu method for cleaning out the gunk in the mind, which is far more serious obstruction to spiritual progress. And through japa, constant repetition of the the mind remains full of pure vibrations throughout the day, rather than polluting itself with erotic fantasies and gossipy internal jabber.

Five Things to Definitely Do

Patanjali then spelled out five niyamas, the things everyone should be doing :
1. Saucha  : Cleanse yourself
2. Santosha : Be content
3. Tapas     : Discipline yourself
4. Svadhyaya : Study
5. Ishvara Pranidhana : Surrender to God.

Control Yourself ! Brahmacharya

All Hindus are supposed to practice brahmacharya, celibacy. Fortunately, celibacy has a broader meaning for married couples! Husbands and wives who are faithful to each other are considered the equivalent of celibate. But Brahmacharya means more than avoiding extramarital sex. It also avoiding any kind of sensual overindulgence. Not giving in to gluttonous impulses for a second or third bowl of ice cream is a form of brahmacharya, for example. 

Not taking What's Not Yours : Asteya

Taking something that doesn't belong to you is wrong according to Hinduism. (So is hoarding

something you don't really need that someone else does need!) Yet the command to practice asteya,nonstealing, was never enforced as strictly in Hinduism as it was in the West. In medieval Europe, a starving man could be hanged for stealing a loaf of bread.

Hindus were a lot more flexible about this kind of thing. In a country with an increasing number of hungry people, it has long been acknowledged that sometimes you have to do to keep body and soul together. Punishment for poor people stealing something they urgently needed like food or clothing was not severe, and sometimes wasn't enforced at all. Gratuitous theft, however, was viewed less tolerantly. 

Honest Indian : Satya

You'll notice that Patanjali's instruction not to lie comes after his advice not to harm anyone. Hindus are very conscious that speech can be hurtful, even when-perhaps especially when-it's true. In a society where so much depends on group dynamics, good Hindus take care to ensure that their speech is kind and helpful. Even when this means bending the truth a little.