Asteya: Non-Stealing

Practice:

Take nothing from anyone that would subtract from your existence, whether it is a penny, a million dollars or undeserved credit. 

Yoga Sutra (2:37):  Asteya pratisthayam sarva ratnopasthanam

“Those who are established in Asteya, the principle of not stealing and not coveting another’s property, will receive a lot without expecting it.”

Practices:

1.            Never take more than you need or than is your fair share or hoard.

2.            Give without expectation of receiving in the amount that you can willingly and joyfully.                               Continue to expand the your comfortable limits of generosity.

3.            Trust in the Divinity of life.

4.            Find joy and gladness in the abundance of others without coveting or taking what does not belong to you in the form of jealousy or envy.

 

5.            Rather than clinging to the temporal and longing for things to be a certain way, robbing yourself of joy, trust in the divinity of your life exactly as it is and find the pearl of your existence.

6.            Root yourself in Eternal and unchanging (Love- Absolute Presence).

 

The Suffering Called Theft 

 

The third yama is “Asteya” and is translated as non-stealing. While commonly understood as not taking what is not yours, it can also mean not taking more than you need. The latter is the more interesting definition. When we take more of the world’s resources, we are in a way stealing them from someone else. When we take more that we need we contribute to the suffering of others, thus we are ignoring Ahimsa, the greatest of all teachings of yoga. We fail to practice Asteya when we take credit that is not ours or take more food than we can eat. 

Being present is a practice of Asteya

In a sense, we steal the present from ourselves whenever we make the choice to become angry or fearful, thus living in the past or the future.

In order to steal, one has to be mired in “Avidya,” or ignorance about the nature of reality, a term introduced by Patanjali in Chapter 2 of the Yoga Sutras. Being stuck in the state of avidya is the opposite of the state of yoga in which one is in a state of connection with all that is. In order to steal, one has to devalue and dehumanize the person who will suffer from the theft. If you live a life in which you are able to devalue and dehumanize others so that you can steal from them, you will suffer. 

Move beyond Avidya (ignorance) thru Asteya

This suffering occurs because one is stuck in avidya. The entire discipline of yoga is about freeing oneself from the fog of avidya in the movement towards self-realization. In the practice of asteya, one does not contribute to the suffering of others and self.

Asteya: Non-Stealing

Non-stealing (Asteya) extends beyond physical objects to the psychological sphere—i.e. taking undeserved credit for example.

Practice: Use objects the right way. Strive for proper time management. Cultivate sense of completeness, self-sufficiency, and let go of cravings.  If we value material goods too much, there is a temptation to hoard (a type of stealing from self and others) or to covet what does not belong to us.  Let go of that false value.

If we attain what we want through honest means, we have no fear. If we attain what we want through dishonest means, we live with fear.

 

 

 

Move beyond comfortable boundaries:

 

Practicing Ahimsa (non-violence) and Satya (truthfulness) Ask yourself where am I afraid and hoarding or stealing in some way on my yoga mat and in my life.  Ask this question with a lot of presence (love) and compassion for yourself and others.  Forgive yourself and do not condemn or judge.  Let equanimity,  peace, love and joy be your companions as you journey toward more enlightened choices rooted in presence.  Recognize that fear keeps you chained to avidya (ignorance) and blocks the light from every aspect of your being.  Notice that each pose, situation, person you resist or cling to, offers you the opportunity of transformation, growth and love. Acknowledge that it takes a lot of discipline and courage to push comfortable boundaries where we cling to the familiar and be easy on yourself as you release yourself from clinging and attachment to the known and embrace the uncomfortable comfortable edge of the unknown where freedom, transformation and transcendence await. 

 

This exercise should be joyous, enlightening and enlivening. Move with lightness, love and laughter.