Aparigraha: Non-hoarding. The last of Patanjali’s yamas, yoga’s ethical codes, aparigraha instructs us to consume and collect less and to let go of our attachments to material things.
Monks, ascetics, and a handful of modern yogis have known for hundreds of years that having more “stuff” is not what makes a person happy. True happiness, they taught, comes from within, from the quality of our personal relationships, and interactions with our local environment and community.
Finally, after decade upon decade of pursuing the theory of “bigger, better, more,” experts are now acknowledging what those folks have known all along. In the film, “The Economics of Happiness,” the filmmakers make the connection between the drive to consume more, the level of happiness of the globe’s human (and non-human) population, and the current global environmental crises.
Jennifer Kongs puts it best in her post Stop Spending Money: How Consumerism takes its toll on our happiness:
“it turns out getting to know your neighbor, heading to your local farmers market, and taking a stroll outside instead of a drive in a new car doesn’t just impact the environment and build stronger communities — both worthy goals in themselves. It will also make you smile.”
How can we put the principle of aparigraha into practice and still live out “The American Dream”?
Is eco-conscious, self-aware living incompatible with modern-day living?
There is a zen expression that I think is appropriate for this; "To want is to suffer" Become aware of the difference between wants and needs, this is a practice in itself. Just as we learn to take care of our bodies with asana we need to look at all facets of our life and bring them to a non suffering state or healthy state. How do we do this? pay honest attention to how the things we do makes us feel, we have an internal knower, listen to it!
Thanks, Jeff. I couldn't agree more. Differentiating between wants and needs is certainly a challenging practice in and of itself. For those practicing daily yoga, meditation, and/or awareness exercises, there is a tendency to pay closer attention to our occupation of space in this world. How can we encourage a growth in awareness among those not in the habit of paying attention to such things, those who do not know the "internal knower"?