Charya
Agamas have four padhas (parts):
- Charya padha, lifestyle.
- Kriya padha, rituals and processes.
- Yoga padha, union.
- Jnana padha, (also called Vidya padha) Enlightenment.
Charya means lifestyle. This padha is hence centered around lifestyle and personal hygiene – how to keep the place clean, how to keep the inner space clean, how to practice daily lifestyle habits like waking up, brushing the teeth, washing and taking bath – everything. As Paramahamsa Nithyananda summarises, “From the time you wake up till you go to bed, purifying your whole muscle-memory is what Sadashiva is teaching through Charya”.
Etymology
Charya is translated as Vedic Lifestyle.
Scriptural References
Powerful lifestyle is Charya. Powerful cognitions is Vidya, Powers are Kriya. - Paramahamsa Nithyananda Paramashivam
Doing what is right and making that as a pleasant in your life is Charya... the lifestyle of Sadashiva. - Paramahamsa Nithyananda Paramashivam
Why Charya
The importance of ritual, immaterial of your moods, will make your mood swings and confusions irrelevant and redundant.
Without bothering about your mood, physically doing the rituals is the best way. Don’t think you will have a flowery, romantic, oooooh la la loo loo - mood, then you will start your puja - No! That’s never going to happen. Start your puja… the la la loo loo mood will become permanent.
Many fellows say, “Oh, when I get a loving, devoted mood, I will start puja” - that is a cheat! That is absolutely cheating. You know you are never going to get that mood. Or you blackmail God, “You give me that mood, then I will do the puja!”
Blessed are those, who follow the Charya – “Mornings, I am going to be doing puja as long as this body is breathing. If this body stops breathing, in that Jyoti Kailaasa, that’s all!” Coming to this conclusion is what I call ‘Charyapada’.
Charya - An Initial Push
It is not that Hinduism does not have rules. It very clearly says, rules is only when you are not able to handle yourself. For example, you are not able to wake up in the morning and do yoga. Then a rule comes - you have to do cold water bath in the morning and do yoga. But once you start enjoying yoga, the rule is not there anymore for you, then you are given the context maintain your breath this long, blood pressure this much, and this should be your the way of your bowels functioning, this is all is health, you continue. Then nothing comes; after that no rules. You are given the context and you can manage that with your breathing, with your exercise, when you want, what you want to do. The Vidhi Nishedha, is given only when you are not able to handle yourself. The moment you are able to handle yourself, you are given Jnana (Knowledge) and given freedom. Charya, lifestyle is only in the initial, then you are given Vidya, Jnana, and given freedom.
References
http://nithyananda.org/video/turn-inspiration-immediate-action-chemistry-guru-disciple-relationship#gsc.tab=0 http://nithyananda.org/video/charyapada-right-context-approach-hindu-rituals#gsc.tab=0 http://www.nithyananda.org/node?page=55#gsc.tab=0 http://www.nithyananda.org/node?page=21#gsc.tab=0