Yamas – Asteya (Non-stealing / Generosity)

Introduction

Context

• Sutra 2.37 and the third yama

Translations

• To one established in non-stealing, all wealth comes. (Sri Swami Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali)
• Abiding in generosity and honesty, material and spiritual prosperity is bestowed. (Nischala Joy Devi)

Heart of the Teaching

• To not steal or misappropriate that which belongs to another, whether possessions, ideas, shared confidences, or credit for accomplishments
• To not take more than is needed
• A feeling of lack causes a craving to possess or enjoy what others have; thus, asteya also invites us to examine lack beliefs
• “Not taking anything that is not the result of one’s own honest work is asteya.” (Srivatsa Ramaswami, Yoga for the Three Stages of Life 2000, pg 88)

Making it Relevant

Students can be invited to consider how they might “steal” time — from others and from themselves.

More Talking Points

• Asteya invites us to consider how envy or jealousy is related to fear, and how envy and jealousy can lead to taking what isn’t freely ours.
• Asteya invites our willingness to exchange a possessive attitude with an acceptance of things coming and going.
• We can consider the idea that we already have enough.

See Also

• Theme: Generosity

JEALOUSY

One of the many outward expressions of fear is jealousy.  When we’re jealous, we feel resentful of others who have what we want.  Jealousy is a more intense expression of envy, wishing we could possess the qualities, experiences, or items that another has.  Jealousy and envy often lead us to take what isn’t freely ours.  A student may see a teacher complimenting another student and want that for himself, so he may try to show off in front of the teacher or consume his time after class with discussion to gain attention. While this may seem innocuous, these are subtle forms of stealing. Jealousy steals energy from others, and saps our own.  If we are jealous of someone who can do an advanced pose, it affects our behavior around them. We may project our resentment on them and make them feel uncomfortable, “stealing” their ability to feel at ease in class. If we dismiss an acknowledgment of their competence, we are taking what is rightfully theirs and may have been honestly achieved through much hard work and practice.  We waste our own energy through obsessing over what another has, when we could be focusing on what we are capable of.  – Constance L Habash 

“WATCH THE HELPERS”

After the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001, the devastation continued as many sought to blame and punish the perpetrators of this heinous crime… Feelings of helplessness stoked the rage as it burst out… For most parents the original disaster was difficult enough to explain to their children. They were now grasping for whatever goodness they could gather to protect the innocence of their children and to calm the colossal fear. Humbly they sought the sage advice of one of the icons of kindheartedness in the world of children. Mr. Rogers, a longtime TV host and minister, encouraged and empowered countless children to live with kindness and love. His advice whispers the secret of generosity from time immemorial: “Tell the children to watch the helpers. Their generosity of heart and time is an inspiration to use all. It can help soothe our pain as it encourages our hearts to open.” – Nischala Joy Devi 

THERE IS ALREADY ENOUGH

For many of us, heading to class looks more like leaving 10 minutes later than we wanted, zipping through traffic, maybe a choice word when things don’t go smoothly, only to arrive late. If this describes you on a regular basis—if rushing and tardiness have become a habit—you may be checking many things off your list and not deeply experiencing any of them. The underlying feeling may be one of lack and scarcity. If I’m operating on the premise that there isn’t enough time, I’m more likely to cram a day or practice as full as possible. Yet full attention is what makes something rich, not necessarily the activity itself. It could be said that we are addicted to doing. More is better. The lesson of asteya is that there is already enough. – Michelle Marlahan