Asteya is often translated as “not taking what is not explicitly given to you” (yes, I am aware there is a double negative in the definition that makes it slightly confusing). As with all the Yamas and Niyamas, there are so many levels to this, ranging from the most obvious to the not so obvious. For example, it can mean not printing personal documents using the printer and paper from work. On a more subtle level, Asteya can also mean giving credit where it is deserved. When I have tried to work Asteya in the past, I noticed I would try to find loopholes. I would justify not asking permission to take something with “Well for sure she/he would give it to me anyway.” But over the years, my practice has been fine tuned enough to know that even that is a violation of Asteya to some degree. Please take that last statement with a grain of salt – I believe practices such as these are relative and in order to progress we need to start where we are. What I mean is to start with baby steps – you can begin by simply being aware of the times you take something without asking, then move on to asking for permission, then make it more subtle as time goes on.Like all things, there is a fine line and unfortunately, Asteya can have a negative impact without us even realizing. In order to fully embody the practice of Asteya, a certain trust needs to be present. A trust that allows us to not act from a place of fear of scarcity. When this groundedness is not there, it can result in us acting out in fearful ways in the name of Asteya. A great example of this is copyrighting styles of Yoga in the fear that it will be shared without seeing a portion of the profits.
As Yoga Journal puts it: “Asteya refers to the stealing that grows from believing we cannot create what we need. We steal because we misperceive the universe as lacking abundance or we think that there is not enough for everyone and that we will not receive in proportion to our giving. Because of this, Asteya also consists of rooting out the subconscious beliefs of lack and scarcity that cause greed and hoarding.”
On the Yoga mat this fear of “not enough” results in us (as students) holding back in poses because we fear there might not be enough energy to give. By believing this we may be cheating ourselves of the full experience of each pose. In Buddhist practice, a way to counteract any feelings of scarcity or even greed is to practice generosity. Sometimes, we don’t act out our thoughts of generosity because a split second after that thought is created, the fear of scarcity creeps in. If Asteya is a practice that seems daunting, and approaching it head on doesn’t seem accessible, try working it a different way and be generous.
If you still aren’t sure, consider Deepak Chopra when he says:
“Withhold no good impulse. You may fear that you will run to excess and squander too much, but those feelings are born of fear. In God’s reality, the more you give of yourself–in feeling, generosity, self-expression, goodness, creativity, and love–the more you will be given.”
