On Satya and the Unspeakable

Is the unspeakable slowly growing in your mouth?
(Rainier Maria Rilke, Sonnets to Orpheus)

Sometimes, I find myself chewing the unspeakable, like the 3rd piece of gum finally losing its flavor, I catch myself still relentlessly masticating blandness. It is no surprise that we long to speak our truth and fill our mouths with bursts of flavor. We all know the pre-conditions though, and there are various shades and tastes of grey to speaking our truth or the unspeakable depending on what can rightfully be spoken, or how it is said, or the timing, or the audience, or the culture or  the philosophy...at the core of these, we must find our way to ingest or let go of the unspeakable. Remember sweet Satya, the 2nd yama.

In Yoga Mala, Guruji writes that Satya is truthfulness and the "truth must always be pleasant to others, as unpleasant truth should not be uttered..."

Swami Satchidananda adhere's to absolute honesty. In his notes on the Yoga Sutras of Patanajali, he says  "with the establishment of honesty, the state of fearlessness comes in." However, he also says that "if by being honest we will cause trouble, difficulty or harm to anyone, we should keep quiet." The unspeakable remains but we can choose to let it go. Throw it away or swallow.

My modern-day teachers do not always adhere to the requirement of pleasant-ness, nor silence, but rather to speak the unspeakable but with awareness of intention (think ahimsa first), consciousness and mindfulness, not in a fit of rage. The unspeakable must be consumed and digested, no matter what flavor, or when shared, it is given with care and not spat out in tasteless blobs of hatred.

Nischala Joy Devi, in her book, The Secret Power of Yoga, advises us to pause ("Take a moment to breathe deeply") and distinguish our opinions from real truth. She quotes two chunks of wisdom as we deal with our unspeakables, should we want to dish them out...

Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? - Sufi Saying
"If in doubt whether to observe Ahimsa or Satya, always go with Ahimsa" - Swami Vivekananda

There are ways and we must find our way to turn that which is unspeakable into smooth, flowing truffle honeyed truth, for ourselves and for those who care to hear what we have to say.

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Oh and since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is showing, here's a bit of trivia on the Unspeakable (from Wikipedia) --
An Unspeakable is a wizard or witch who works in the Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries. Little is known about their workplace, and even less is known about their jobs. Employees of the Department of Mysteries are forbidden from discussing their jobs or disclosing any information about their department, hence the name "Unspeakable."

My favorite little yogini

 She suddenly went to my little yoga nook and started practicing without a mat! :)

Blue Moon and the Water Tank

Lotus and Poinsettia

The breeze brings the season to me. And the decor too. My yoga nook is not exempted... From my lotus grew a Poinsettia. 'Tis the season indeed.

Om Sweet Om

Right before I leave my class, when the students have gone and after putting away blocks and mats and sprays, I always take a final glance at the Shala we call home.