What is Asteya?

This post is intended to answer the questions, “What is Asteya?” and “How can I utilize the principles of Asteya in my every day life?”

Yoga is an eight limbed path that could help you cultivate more awareness about your personal happiness. As we have talked about in previous posts, Yama, which are ethical disciplines, is the first limb of yoga.  Today we will look at the third yama, asteya. We have previously written about the first and second yamas, ahimsa, and satya.

Asteya (a=not, steya= stealing) means non-stealing. We were taught from our teacher, Rory Trollen, that asteya is a pure acceptance of your life for who you are and what you have.

Many people desire to have and enjoy what other people have. This craving or want drives some to live negatively and pursue negative deeds. Asteya gently guides us to be content with what we have.

Asteya also leads us to not abuse anything or anyone. When you commit to meeting with someone, hold your end of the bargain and meet them at that specific time. Do not over schedule when you cannot meet your word. Let asteya guide us to not misuse others. Let it help us have more trustworthy relationships.

Our teacher told us to practice not stealing others peoples energy and to reduce all jealousy for anything or anyone. Accept what is. Never want or need anybody else’s possessions or loved ones.

Pure yogis believe that one should reduce his or her needs to a physical minimum believing that if one gathers things he does not really need, he is a thief. They believe that while most men crave for wealth, power, fame or enjoyment, the yogi has one craving and that is to love God.

You do not need to be a devout yogi to follow these disciplines. Reducing wants and needs could be beneficial for many different reasons. Asteya can gently guide you to wanting less. It may help you from a financial stand point or help you be a better friend. We want to use these disciplines to help us be easier, nicer people. If we are all at each other’s necks then the vision of bliss and peace cannot be fulfilled.

What is Asteya to you?

Two and half years ago, I wrote my first article for HighExistence. My fast life was turned upside down and I found myself far removed from home. Looking back, I can see this period changed my life. Drastically. And I am very happy I made the choices I did. From that moment on, I learned how to take care of myself and the others around me.

Since coming back home, I always longed to return and explore the wondrous world of the far east even deeper. There is something magical there that attracts me. When I revisit those places in my memory my pupils widen uncontrollably. Perhaps it’s because of the smiles or the rich variety of tradition. Perhaps these are just my own projected associations of the past, of a care-free time and a beautiful learning experience.

But it feels magical nonetheless. Being there I slowly started to expect the unexpected, to trust my own judgment and to look out for the little signs that will guide me on my path. I collected ideas that are still shaping my future and I found friends who will last several lifetimes.

There is one moment, however, that linked all of these experiences together. In that moment, I saw a glimpse of fate through the cracks of my chaotic reality. The invisible thread that seems to connect us all together.

I was in Nepal again. Exactly two years later. I entered the same monastery which used to be my home for a month. The same month long introduction to Tibetan Buddhism course that changed my life was going on. My heart was pulsing excitedly.

Suddenly, out of the cloud of nothingness, someone approached me. This stranger asked me if, perhaps, we had met before. After a careful study of his face I replied that this could very well be the case. He was young, bald and grinning as if he knew something I did not. I introduced myself which caused the person in front of me jumped up with excitement.

This unknown face called out my name. ‘Martijn! Martijn from HighExistence! Your post is what made me go here!’ 

I can still feel the goosebumps from that moment.

Time slowed down. I realized that I was meeting someone in the exact same place I wrote about two years earlier and we were both here now because he read what I wrote.

Inspiration is nothing more than to show it can be done so others can experience the thought, ‘I can too.’ Inspiration is to leave a trail of breadcrumbs so others can see a road where there was none before. Inspiration is invisible until you walk back down the road yourself and see that it has become populated.

This is what I love about this community. Every post we make. Every compliment we give. Every piece of advice we share. Everything we leave behind for others to find is another breadcrumb. We don’t know who is looking. We don’t know who will follow our steps, if any. But, when we look back, we know it has the tremendous potential of inspiring others.

Via Martijn Schirp and High Existence

“I believe that happiness is not taught, it is recognized.” – Dr. Robert Holden

We all have the innate ability to experience joy – it is our divine nature. For some, happiness is buried deeper than others. Some of us were born with our happiness buried in light sand – easy to find and keep. Some are born with better tools to dig through any material to achieve happiness. Yet for many, happiness is buried deep in dense and heavy clay that is tough to get through…but not impossible.

Happiness can be buried deep by pain, insecurity, loneliness, self-loathing, ego, a difficult childhood, stress, or learned behaviors and thought patterns.

Starting today, you can unearth your joy and live with happiness now, despite your circumstances.

What makes people happy is unique to each person. The key is to create a life that brings you as much joy as possible and to remove barriers that have been built around your God-given ability to live with joy.

Happiness is innate, genetic, and learned. Numerous studies have shown that we are each born with a unique range of happiness, with genetics influencing up to 50% of our ability to feel happy.

Didn’t we know this intuitively? Some of us have an easy time finding joy…while some of us have to work harder and dig deeper for our joy.

Be assured that your genetic make-up does not define your happiness destiny. The amazing thing is that the happiness genes appear to be changeable, meaning with life factors such as a supportive family, nurturing and loving relationships, purpose, exercise, etc. can help a person overcome their genetic pre-dispositions to unhappiness.

Here’s to creating a life that supports your happiness and fosters peace and joy!

Via Erin Cox and Entheos.com

“Death is not the opposite of life. Life has no opposite. The opposite of death is birth. Life is eternal. Death is a stripping away of all that is not you. The secret of life is to ‘die before you die’ and find that there is no death. Awareness is the power that is concealed within the present moment.… The ultimate purpose of human existence, which is to say, your purpose, is to bring that power into this world.”

~Ekhart Tolle

“Greatness Courts Failure.”

~Tin Cup