Table of contents
In previous posts, I discussed the Yamas (see: On the Practice of Ahimsa and About Satya), here I discuss the fifth Yama – Aparigraha.
Aparigraha is the opposite of Parigraha, which means hoarding or collecting. Not consuming more than we need, and not chasing and collecting possessions, leads to a simpler, quieter, and happier life. Following Aparigraha gives us more mental peace. In Light on Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar writes:
“By the observance of Aparigraha, the yogi makes his life as simple as possible and trains his mind not to feel the loss or the lack of anything… The Sadhaka has developed the capacity to remain satisfied in whatever happens to him. Thus, he obtains the peace which takes him beyond the realms of illusion and misery with which our world is saturated”. p. 35-36
To truly understand and establish ourselves in aparigraha, we must first recognize the shortcomings of parigraha—the habit of grasping and pursuing bhoga, or sensory enjoyments.
Pleasure requires objects. We work hard to obtain them, we invest energy in keeping them, yet their ability to satisfy us steadily diminishes. As a result, we seek more and more objects, and attachment to them grows.
These objects can also be emotional; for example, we may hold on to relationships or to other emotional satisfactions. We may accumulate more and more power and control.
Or, as Vyasa puts it: “Aparigraha means to desist from taking or coveting things, seeing that getting and keeping them involve trouble, that they are subject to decay, that association with them causes mischief, and that they beget malice”.
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Aparigraha and the previous four Yamas
Attachment leads to a violation of ahimsa and asteya, and ultimately undermines all the yamas.
In asteya, we may accept what is freely given to us; in aparigraha, we refrain even from this, because the aim is to avoid accumulating possessions.
Thus, parigraha violates asteya. Similarly, addiction to pleasures leads to a violation of brahmacharya.
In this way, practicing aparigraha is, in essence, practicing all the yamas.
Controlling Greed
To establish aparigraha, we must learn to govern our greed. Greed is inherent in human nature and can never be fully appeased—once indulged, it only grows. We find ourselves wanting endlessly, exhausting our energy in pursuit of objects that promise pleasure. Trying to satisfy greed is like pouring oil on a fire—it only intensifies the flames.
Greed may even arise for what is unattainable. In the Ramayana, Sita longs for a golden deer, compelling Rama to seek one, despite its impossibility. This desire is what sets the entire epic in motion.
It is often difficult to differentiate between greed and need. For example, a smartphone was considered once a luxury, but today it is considred as a need.
Greed is based on fear; we are afraid that we won’t have enough in the future, so we hoard more and more things to feel secure. We become stingy because of the fear of scarcity. The two extremes are, on one hand, a Sadhu who gives up all material possessions and survives by begging for food; and a compulsive hoarder who fills his home with more and more stuff, on the other. As homeowners who live in society, we should seek a balanced middle-way between these two extremes.
Addiction is an extreme case of greed. Addicts lose their entire freedom because of the need of object. This shows how much Parigrha can deprive us of our freedom.
Excessive consumption deprives others of what they need. So, greed is harming for the ecology and causes injury (Himsa). This is true of material objects; the breath, however, is an exception: we take only the breath we need, and we cannot store it. We should learn to conume object just as we consume breath, or we risk becoming slaves to our desires and our tendency for hoarding.
How does one measure enough? Again, this measurement is a state of mind. The craving mind never has enough. It doesn’t really matter what we crave. Whether it’s food, clothing, money, or shopping – it’s never enough. That’s just the nature of craving. Its nature is always looking for more or something else. The quality of dāna, of generosity, permeates this craving mind. It can come to this place of openness and giving, the heart at ease, because it has enough.
There are many ways we can get to this place. We can work on generosity and learn to appreciate what it offers. We can consciously go against the craving mind by creating more generosity in our lives. We live by reaching out to give, relying on it, appreciating it, and savoring it. In practice, we cultivate and strengthen generosity so that we don’t get pulled back into the craving mind or the mind of greed and comparison. It’s so satisfying to have enough and to find joy and pleasure.
The craving mind does not only work in craving more material possessions, it also works in spiritual practice. When we meditate, do we feel like we have enough concentration or enough peace? The craving mind seeks more concentration, more calm, more peace, more of whatever; the main thing is more. When there is a lack of peace, we feel like we need more.
Is Aparigraha Easier than the other Yamas?
Although aparigraha may appear to demand less than the other yamas; however, the siddhi associated with it—knowledge of one’s past and future births—reveals its depth and significance.
How can this siddhi be understood?
When the mind turns inward and is no longer preoccupied with chasing external objects, we can come to know our essential nature. We begin to understand our deep-seated tendencies—our samskaras. These impressions shape the course of our past, present, and future: they are the hidden seeds that sprout into actions and generate the karma that propels us onward.
How to practice Aparigraha
We can weaken greed by contemplating the limitations and inherent dissatisfactions of objects. The more we reflect in this way, the more the craving diminishes.
Yoga practice provides a solid foundation for aparigraha. Through yoga, we cultivate calmness, purity, and contentment—qualities directly opposed to dependence on sensory pleasure and external objects. We discover natural joy and natural peace, like natural sleep, which arises on its own rather than being induced by substances or sleeping aids. Once we learn to find joy in simple things, like the scenes of nature, we become freer from the need for material objects.
Yoga practice reshapes our very biochemistry, moving us toward quietude, serenity, spiritual delight, and upliftment.
References
- B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga, George Allen & Unwin, 1976
- Prashant Iyengar, Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali, Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Institute, 2014
- Swami Hariharanada Aranya, Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali, State University of New York, 1983
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