Last week I was talking about Aparigraha, or nonhoarding. I pointed out how, in most yogic texts, there is always this promise of the great things that will happen to you if you wholeheartedly practice the Yamas.
For example, for Ahimsa, or nonviolence, the Yoga Sutras say, "All others will cease to feel hostility in the presence of one who is firmly established in ahimsa." Y.S. 2.35. Or, for Satya, truthfulness, "All words and actions bear full fruit when the yogi is firmly established in truthfulness." Y.S. 2.36. For Asteya, non-stealing, "Great riches present themselves freely when you are firmly established in asteya." Y.S. 2.37. For Brahmacarya, or celibacy, "One firmly established in celibacy gains potency." Y.S. 2.38. And finally, for Aparigraha, "By the observation of aprigraha, the yogi makes his life as simple as possible and trains his mind not to feel the loss or lack of anything. Then everything he really needs will come to him at the proper time." Y.S. 2.39
Whenever I read about the Yamas, I generally agree that it is a good idea to work on them. (We already discussed the celibacy issue;). But then you get to the great promises that these practices give and I always wonder if they are realistic. If I truly practice non-hoarding, will everything I really need come to me at the proper time? How can this be true when they are so many needy and struggling people in the world?
Maybe an important part of the question is how much do I really need as opposed to how much do I want? And, perhaps more importantly, what do I need to do in exchange? I don't think the yogic texts mean that I can sit around waiting to win the lottery. We each have work to do. We have to have some form of fair exchange.
I was reading Brain Pickings, a weekly blog I subscribe to, and I came upon this article on Amanda Palmer. In her fascinating TED talk, Ms. Palmer talks about her stint as a street performer and the skills she developed there in asking for things to have her needs met. She talks about asking, giving, receiving, trust and the fairness of the exchanges she is involved in. You should listen to the talk. It is very interesting. Amanda also wrote a book about her experiences called "The Art of Asking, How I learned to stop worrying and let other people help." It struck me that perhaps this is what the yogic texts meant when they talked about things showing up in our lives unbidden. Although, Amanda does ask for what she needs, the things she needs do show up.
Something else I also enjoyed: You can also listen to Amanda reading a poem by the Polish Poet Nobel Laureate Wislawa Szymborska titled "Possibilities". From the Brain Pickings site: "Amanda’s music, like Brain Pickings, is free and supported by donations - a heartening celebration of the creative possibilities that open up when we actively stand behind the things we prefer; when we choose the absurdity of supporting artists over the absurdity of not supporting artists."
I hope you enjoy the TED Talk. Let me know what you think. Comment below.