Aparigraha is one of the five Yamas that Patanjali speaks of in the Yoga Sutras. Aparigraha relates to the quality of being non-possessive, non-greedy, non-attached to things, and not coveting stuff. Here are five things to know about Aparigraha:
1. Aparigraha is related to Ahmisa
Ahimsa or non-violence or doing no harm is regarded as the highest Yama. But one of the roots of violence is greed. We are either jealous of others having stuff that we do not have, or we are worried about losing what we have. As a result we do not hesitate in causing injury or harm to others in what we perceive as our right to possess or defend what we have. Ahimsa without Aparigraha is impossible to achieve. We must hence view Aparigraha as a very important element of the Yoga system.
2. Calming down the mind may be difficult without Aparigraha
The purpose of Yoga is to achieve a state of such equanimity that there is no disturbance in our consciousness. However if we are attached to things and possessive of what we have, we can never achieve peace of mind. How can we sit down and meditate if we are obsessed with stuff? Yoga is about going inside and exploring consciousness, stuff keeps us engaged with the outside. Only when we let go of our attachments to things can we truly free ourselves and dive deep into our consciousness.
3. Recognize that this cannot be forced
While it may sound simple Aparigraha cannot be forced. There is a push and a pull. The push is your gentle effort. The pull comes about from your progress in the other limbs of Yoga. So rather than making dramatic changes in your life, take small steps towards reducing possessions. A good starting point may be to understand that much of the clutter of stuff we have is due to super specialization. Our tennis shoes cannot be running shoes? We cannot use the same for a hike? Do we need a coffee maker, can’t we just heat water and make coffee? Do we need so many clothes? Can’t we wear the same stuff for different occasions? One way to progress is by having a self-imposed limit on the number of clothes you possess, or the number of footwear that you own, and so on.
4. There is freedom in simplicity
When we let go of things we unburden ourselves. It is as if a weight is taken off our shoulders. Suddenly we have room in our home, and the reduction of clutter opens up our mind too. Reduced expense gives you freedom to choose your work to be less stressful and more meaningful. You are no longer working to possess stuff, instead you work out of choice, in a manner that gives you freedom and choice. You can then use this freedom to deepen your journey into Yoga.
5. It can be done and opens the doors to spirituality
One of the best examples of the power of Aparigraha is in the story of Mildred Norman, who is better known as the saint Peace Pilgrim. Like most of us Mildred Norman struggled to put her spiritual insights into practice. One of this was her principle of “Living to give, instead of living to get.” This required her to give up most of her possessions, simplify her needs to such an extent that she could live on just $10 per week ($200 in today’s value) and give away the rest of the money she made. It took Mildred 15 years to get there but eventually she possessed just two pair of clothes and one pair of shoes, and lived in a simple and bare apartment, close to her work so she could walk there. About this period of her life she later said, “It took the living quite awhile to catch up with the believing, but it finally did. And when it did, a progress began which never ended. As I lived up to the highest light I had, higher and higher light came to me.”
Aparigraha is a simple yet powerful tool that can unburden and free us up. For many it opens the doors to spirituality. Are you prepared to take yourself in that direction?
Related: Living The Simple Life
Credits:This has been written by Raj Shah and edited by Ketna Shah.