Asteya. Principle of non-stealing (Yama)
When you do not steal and do not take things or services that do not belong to you, it creates harmony with other people. Sage Patanjali in Patanjali Yoga Sutras explains, “By keeping the vow of non-stealing, a yogi gets all wealth.” Or “When non-stealing is established, yogi can get whatever he wants.”
Asteya means abandoning the intention, desire, or possession of stealing anything: material, items, services, achievements, relationships, or whatever does not belong to you through force or cheating, actions, words, or thoughts.
From an energy point of view, stealing always has consequences. Stealing causes guilt. When people try to get something free without paying or giving back, it has negative consequences.
We always have what we deserve in life. By going after external objects, it wastes our inner potential. There is nothing that belongs to us in the material world, we can use it only for a certain amount of time. Even the physical body is temporary.
All kinds of debts also negatively affect our lives.
Hatha Yoga Pradipika on Asteya: “Prohibition of stealing is easy to understand, the requirement not to take what does not belong to you is not only related to social or moral reasons but also about possible mental or karmic consequences. Stealing causes guilt. In yoga we try to get rid of accumulated images and impressions of the past, so there is no need to acquire new ones. If you need something and it’s really important for us, then in one way or another we will get it (it will appear).
Benefits of Asteya
1) You get all you need for your self-development in right time.
2) Mind becomes calm.
3) You have much more energy for self-development.
4) You become more confident.
5) Create a healthy and harmonious relationship between you and others.
6) Mind has more clarity.
7) Increases willpower, acceptance, courage, confidence.
How to practice Asteya
1) Don’t steal.
2) Don’t take items that do not belong to you.
3) Don’t use services that you do not pay for.
4) Better not to have any debts, but if you do, return them.
5) Don’t allow yourself to get any property by cheating or fraud.
6) Don’t allow stealing even in your thoughts.
7) Don’t want things that you don’t have.
8) Understand that the more you do good things for others, the more good things you get back.
9) Make donations for projects, people who help others grow, those who help improve society, those who inspire you, and those who do something good for others in this world.
10) Be happy for the achievements of others.
11) Practice detachment to items, things, and also non-materialistic objects: fame, success, achievements. When you’re not attached to anything, you’re free and do not consider being the owner of something.
The more you steal from others, the more bad energy you get.
The more you give to others, the more good and positive energy you get.
