Annie Carpenter shares her wisdom on APARIGRAHA the fifth of the five yamas, or disciplines, set out by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras.
"It is often translated as non-greed or non-acquisitiveness. Let's remember that the yamas are not mere moral commandments, but instead are a means for us to consider how we relate to the world around us, without adding to the suffering - our own or that in the world!
The practice of aparigraha is rooted in the myth that things can bring us happiness. Patanjali is not suggesting that we give up our homes and starve ourselves! Rather he is suggesting that if we can cultivate a freedom from wanting then we may begin to get a glimpse of the reason we are here. Can you imagine your life - even for brief moments - without the compulsion to have things: new, better, more? What might you do with that time and energy instead? Here, we are guided to try that on, and move towards a true and lasting source of happiness: wisdom (prajna)."