Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga: NIYAMA | SAntosha

Patanjali tells us that Santosha, contentment, leads to happiness without equal. Elaborating on this sutra, Vyasa says, "All sensual pleasures in the world and the great happiness in heaven combined do not equal even one-sixteenth of the joy that arises from the elimination of craving.”

As Vyasa’s statement makes clear, practicing contentment means eliminating all craving. Craving is the mature state of desire. There are as many desires as grains of sand on the earth and stars in the sky. These infinite desires are always accompanied by an entourage of fear, doubt, worry, and anxiety. Transcending desires altogether is extremely challenging. As long as we are ignorant of our true nature, and our desires and actions are propelled by deep seated mental tendencies, we are impelled to keep chasing our desires. 

But there is a way out, contentment. The practice of contentment begins with a conscious decision enjoy the journey and don’t fixate on the destination. It requires deep conviction that when we perform our actions, the forces governing the law of cause and effect will ensure they bring results. When our actions do not appear to bring results, we remind ourselves that unknown factors are far more powerful than known factors. Thus we remain unperturbed by both the desirable and undesirable consequences of our actions.

In other words, the practice of contentment means recognising that there is a higher reality, having faith in it, allowing our deep seated tendencies to run their course, and performing our actions as an instrument of divine will. The more we are established in this practice, the freer we are from the entourage accompanying our desires, fear, doubt, worry, and anxiety creating true happiness.