The yama of the month is asteya (nonstealing). On the surface, it might seem that we don't need to do much work with asteya, but asteya goes much deeper than just taking material objects that aren't ours. You can read more about it on the right side of this blog during the month of April, as well as some additional thoughts on asteya right here from Rolf Gate' and Katrina Kenison's book Meditations from the Mat:
"Asteya serves as a wake-up 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 have been making."
"...the surest way to get what you 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 blocks to our natural abundance."
"Asteya serves as a mirror, revealing ourselves to ourselves. As we shine the spotlight of our awareness on nonstealing, we begin to see the manifold ways in which we act out faithlessness instead of faith."
Namaste'
Yogadiva
2 comments:
Yikes! I am in trouble. I cheat myself out of sleep by working long hours. I cheat my dog out of a walk when I am exhausted from a long day. I cheat my body of healthy food when pressed for time. And the list goes on...I need to work on this one.
you are completely right, most people think of stealing material things. i know i am at fault for asteya for sure. now i will try to be more mindful of it.
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