Asteya – Non-Stealing
Yamas – Wise Characteristics #3
Asteyaarises out of the understanding that all misappropriation is an expression of a feeling of lack. And this feeling of lack usually comes from a belief that our happiness is contingent on external circumstances and material possessions. Within Western industrialized countries satisfaction can be contingent upon so many improbable conditions and terms that it is not uncommon to spend all of one's time hoping for some better life, and imagining that others (who possess what we do not) have that better life. In constantly looking outside of ourselves for satisfaction, we are less able to appreciate the abundance that already exists. The practice of asteya asks us to be careful not to take anything that has not been freely given....In taking someone's time that may not have been freely given, we are, in effect, stealing. The paradox of practicing asteya is that when we relate to others from the vantage point of abundance rather than neediness, we find that others are more generous with us and that life's real treasures begin to flow our way....Not stealing demands that we cultivate a certain level of self sufficiency so that we do not demand more of others, our family, or our community than we need. It means that we don't take any more than we need, because that would be taking from others. A helpful way of practicing asteya when you find yourself dwelling on the "not-enoughs" of your life is to ask: "How is this attitude preventing me from enjoying the things I already have?" Another way of fostering this sense of abundance is to take a moment before going to sleep to dwell on at least one gift in your life. This can be as simple as the gift of having a loving partner or loyal pet, the grace of having good health, or the pleasure of having a garden.
Donna Farhi, Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit
“When abstention from stealing is firmly established, precious jewels come. –Yoga Sutra
The third yama is asteya, or non-stealing. Asteya serves as a wakeup call, prompting us to remember all the ways, big and small, that we steal – the borrowed books still on our shelves, the corners we cut on our taxes, the hours we spend at work not being productive. As we begin to consciously practice asteya, we also see just where and how we need to change. Suddenly we are no longer comfortable with the rationalizations and compromises we had been making.
At a deeper level, asteya is our first encounter with the power of nonattachment. When we look honestly at the ways in which we have been stealing, we come to understand that in each instance, there is an attachment to a specific result that overrides our deeper values. We want the last orange in the refrigerator more than we want to be a good partner. We had a tough week at work, so we will under-tip the waitress at the diner. Beneath the attachment, we find fear: fear that we will not get what we need; fear that if we leave things up to the universe, we will not be taken care of. This sutra declares the opposite to betrue: “When abstention from stealing is firmly established, precious jewels come.”: In other words, the surest way to get what we want is to let go of wanting. What is required, then is a radical, absolute, living trust in the workings of the universe. This trust is the spiritual opposite of the act of stealing, and accompanied by right action, it removes the block to our natural abundance.
Rolf Gates, Meditations from the Mat, Day 31
“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:45
In this New Testament statement on the nature of enlightenment, we see again the fundamental truth and power behind asteya, or non-stealing. Asteya presents us with an opportunity ot put our faith in action. Are we willing to give up all we have for the pearl that is our spiritual growth? For most of us the answer is, “Not yet.” Asteya serves as a mirror, revealing ourselves to ourselves. As we shine the spotlight of our awareness on non-stealing, we begin to see the manifold ways in which we act out faithlessness instead of faith.
I’ve just returned from teaching at a weeklong yoga retreat on a remote beach in Mexico. It was the most powerful experience of that sort I have ever had. I was either practicing yoga, teaching yoga, meditating, chanting, or fasting for seven straight days. The closing ceremony was deeply moving, as the sixty-five participants shared their personal stories of healing and transformation. The next morning I borrowed a pair of scissors from the hotel staff and began to remove the inspirational quotes we had posted on the walls of the yoga studio. As I used the scissors, I realized t hat they would be helpful on the next retreat, which was only three weeks away and at the same facility. So I wisely stored the scissors in my bag with the quotes.
As I went to check out, the manager of t he hotel asked me about the scissors. We were in the jungle, a few miles from town, and scissors apparently do not grow on trees down there. So I had the good fortune of opening up my suitcase in front of this loving woman to retrieve here scissors. This in the midst of my writing on asteya. Be careful what you pray for.
My attempted theft of this woman’s scissors gave me pause to think. It certainly brought home to me the difference between doing a lot of spiritual practice and truly standing in my spirituality. An Alcoholics Anonymous text says, “Either God is or he is not.” Each theft, each time we “forget” to return something we’ve borrowed, each moment we give in to the impulse to covet or to be jealous, we are saying, “My God is not.” To practice asteya, we must abandon ourselves to the care of the universe. We must be willing to give up all we have for the one true thing. We must say in each moment, with each thought, work, and deed, “My God is.”
Rolf Gates, Meditations from the Mat, Day 32