Yoga of the Heart

One of the commentaries on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (by a scholar named Aranya) says about Nonhoarding (Sanskrit name Aparigrapha): "There is trouble in acquiring enjoyables, trouble in preserving them, unhappiness when they’re gone." I use this quote because I want to begin this chapter about Nonhoarding by confronting the pervasive and misleading attitudes concerning possessions that permeate many discussions on this topic. The outlook according to Yoga is that possessions themselves are not a problem; the difficulty comes in our attitude toward them; in other words, our feeling of ownership.

In most religious communities, the ability to give up all your material possessions is looked upon as having great merit, because you are told that by doing this you can come closer to God. Eastern traditions respect any person who wears orange robes and carries a begging bowl, because that person is assumed to be on a spiritual search; therefore, that person deserves and receives support from society. Many people abuse this attitude; once in India in the early 1970s I met an American youth who had donned an orange robe simply because, as he put it, "Everyone takes care of you if you wear this. Life here is much easier."

In contrast, in the subtle tradition of Kashmir Shaivism, no special robes are needed to demonstrate the ethic of Nonhoarding. The student works to give up all feelings of ownership for material things, not necessarily the things themselves. (Later in this chapter, I will discuss the problem of ownership of more subtle things, such as relationships and power.) Material things are respected as God’s gifts, and so aspirants never denigrate them, but maintain the greatest appreciation for all things, considering them to be on loan from God to aid their path to spirituality. If you were practicing this attitude, you would be neither a spendthrift nor a miser; you would take care of your money and possessions without spending a lot of time thinking about protecting them, increasing them, or afraid you will lose them. In the practice of Nonhoarding, you try to remain the same regardless of your possessions.

This attitude is illustrated clearly by the actions of Lakshmanjoo’s grandmaster, Rama, and his master, Mahatabkak — both of whom practiced Nonhoarding and were, according to Lakshmanjoo, men who had attained God consciousness.

Lakshmanjoo: The word a-parigraha means abandonment. Parigraha means collection.
Alice: Should a student practice Nonhoarding by giving things away, or would it be better to concentrate on a different attitude toward the things that he already has?
Lakshmanjoo: Thought must not be there, of those things.
Alice: If he needs to use those things, should he keep them? For instance, if the house is full of toys for the children, should he keep the toys? If he has dishes to eat on, should he keep the dishes?
Lakshmanjoo: Not all the dishes. We have come to the same point again. My grandmaster [Rama] had no parigraha. He was practicing aparigraha. He had only one faran [robe], that is all. If things were presented to him, he put them all in almira [closet]. He didn't touch them, he didn't give them away, he ignored them totally, as if they were not existing at all.
Alice: Then even giving them away would have shown some connection to the desire of the recipient. And this upset him.
Lakshmanjoo: Yes. His food was also coming from outside. He didn’t cook, he had no kitchen.
Alice: So he ate whatever was given him.
Lakshmanjoo: Whatever was carried from one householder. Each morning about sunrise he would take what he wanted, that’s all. No, he didn't worry about the next meal. My master [Mahatabkak] was altogether different; he enjoyed luxuries.

So according to Lakshmanjoo’s experience, even a great master can enjoy luxuries. The difference lies in the person’s emotional response to these luxuries. We can enjoy everything the world offers if we have the constant realization in the background that "This is not mine. It has been loaned to me for my enjoyment." This type of statement comes from the true ego of the spiritual body. It would not occur to the false ego of the physical body to say this, because it thinks it owns material things and does not realize where those things actually come from.

Alice: Doesn’t someone who practices Nonhoarding become quite happy?
Lakshmanjoo: He becomes quite happy and he has no worry at all.
Alice: There is no unhappiness in giving up these things because they were never yours, is that true?
Lakshmanjoo: He does not own them, he’s only enjoying them while he’s here.

HOW TO BEGIN PRACTICING NONHOARDING

1. Examine your attitude toward material things. Living and practicing the ethic of Nonhoarding is easy to do with material things. I suggest that you begin this practice by keeping a few beautiful things around you that you enjoy, but do not stuff boxes and closets with what you do not use or need. This does not necessarily mean you have to have a great deal of wealth at your disposal. I try to make my living quarters as pleasant and attractive as possible because I am happier in that type of atmosphere.

When I lived in the jungle with Rama, our living quarters consisted of a grass hut that was coated on the floor and walls with liquified cow dung. A nice little lady came in twice a week to put a fresh coat on the floor and walls. As it dried, she embellished the whole room with designs and pictures which created an intricate carved pattern. The result was not only beautiful to look at but also very fresh and clean-smelling, like new-mown hay. My one piece of furniture was a charpai, or cot, and I put flowers in water glasses around the room. I was happy there.

Everything depends on where you are and what you have to work with. The main point of Nonhoarding is not to stockpile things you do not use or need. It takes energy to take care of extra belongings — energy that can be put to better use in a more productive way in your life. If you have not used something for a year or more, why not give it to someone who can use it and simplify your living arrangements? Make your living quarters light and free.

2. Watch your inner conversation. The mental practice of Nonhoarding is a bit more complicated. The key is to give up constant inner conversation about the past. Let the hoarded experiences of the past go gently; do not try to hold on to them. This is a type of hoarding that slows you down and becomes a burden. Do not carry it with you. Try to live in the moment, free and light, unfettered by what has come before. Enjoy spontaneity in your daily life and learn to feel comfortable with new experience. Enjoy the unexpected. Observe thought patterns in the same way that you clean your closets. If a thought, an idea, or an attitude has not served you for the last year, get rid of it; let it go.

FEAR OF LOSS

Most of us spend a great deal of time worrying about acquiring things, and we worry even more about preserving and protecting them. A great deal of stress is generated by all this anxiety about possessions. Can you see the connection with fear of loss, which we have been talking about throughout this book? It is easy to see that with the practice of Nonhoarding, the fear of loss is annihilated; if you do not own anything, you cannot lose it. Careful, constant observation will show you that all things are provided for you through your spiritual body.

A Lesson in Ownership
The attitude that we can never own anything — not even our own body — was illustrated to me very clearly by a story Lakshmanjoo told me when we were discussing nonstealing. Several years ago, Lakshmanjoo was walking in the lane near his home when he encountered a Muslim neighbor. Knowing that the Islamic holiday of Ede was in progress, Lakshmanjoo asked the man, "How much meat have you purchased for your feast today?"
The man answered, "I have not purchased any meat. I want meat of human being today."
Lakshmanjoo said, "There is a great Muslim saint living on the other side of the lake; go there and ask for food."
"No," said the neighbor, "he is too old. I want fresh young flesh of saint like you."
Whereupon Lakshmanjoo held out his arm and said, "Then take from my body." At that, the man saluted Lakshmanjoo and walked on.
The idea that nothing belongs to us — not even our own body — is difficult to grasp, yet as you continue practicing these ethics, you can eventually begin to realize that consciousness has an existence far beyond the body’s limitations.

Loss, to most of us, is equated with being vulnerable, humiliated, and impotent. Yet those who are established in Nonhoarding, though they may appear to have nothing, actually have something much more valuable and powerful than ordinary material possessions. In religious communities, for example, the residents generally wear plain clothing and live a simple lifestyle, showing that their attention is given to spiritual rather than physical concerns. The implication is that the real underlying power does not need any outward show.

Aspects of our everyday culture display this attitude as well. Consider the popular minimalist saying "Less is more," referring to the notion that simplicity is more dynamic than clutter. A similar trend in cooking during the 1980s persuaded us that a plate overflowing with gaudy calories is less appealing to both body and mind than a few nourishing items artfully arranged. And how many teenagers proudly drive around in a car that looks old and tired on the outside but has a high-powered engine under the hood? In none of these examples is there an idea of deprivation or loss, but rather the opposite: that benefit comes from something other than outward appearances.

The Flawed Diamond
I remember Rama telling me about a visit he made to a prince in Poona, a city in South India. The family of the prince was suffering from failing harvests and a dwindling fortune. The prince was driving with Rama across a bridge when he pulled a huge diamond out of his coat pocket. It was the size of his hand, and a beautiful image of the goddess Durga riding on her tiger was carved into the center of it.
The prince said, "This has been in our family for generations, and I keep it with me every day to pray to it." Rama took the diamond out of the prince’s hand and said, "But this is no good. There’s a crack in it." And he threw it right over his head into the river.
The prince was terribly distraught at the loss of the jewel, and even tried to climb out of the car to retrieve it — but it was lost. Rama comforted him, and, after some time, the family fortunes improved. Because the diamond was cracked, and therefore imperfect, the prayers offered to it also became imperfect. Prayer deserves the very best offering. I always remember this story in connection with Nonhoarding. Rama didn't care at all that it was a huge diamond. He only cared if the offering to God was correct.

In myths and stories around the world, you will read about people who appear in the court of the king in rags, seemingly destitute. But they are greatly respected for their wisdom and power, which has come from the experience of their spiritual search, and this great power surpasses all the material goods that the king and court hold dear.

Because of this legendary belief, in most Asian countries, the king’s court is always open to the holy man carrying a begging bowl. The implication is that the spiritual power of that person is more powerful than the kingdom itself; in fact, the holy man represents the source of all power, and all rulers bow to that presence. The simple humility of the holy man, who seems to own nothing, is given the respect of owning everything. Gandhi, who wore simple homespun clothes and rope sandals, lived this principle.

Lakshmanjoo told me about a Kashmiri saint who was famous for owning nothing. He had just one loincloth and one cotton shawl. When he saw someone wearing a shawl made of pashmina (the most valuable and expensive cloth made from the softest wool of the pashmina goat, which lives high in the Himalayas), he would ask that person to give him the pashmina and he would throw away his cotton shawl. A few days later he would see someone with a piece of burlap, and he would ask someone to buy that for him and he would throw away the pashmina shawl. To him, everything was the same; it was all a gift from God.

The Bhagavad Gita expresses the idea of assigning the same value to all things this way: "The Yogi to whom a clod of earth, a stone, and a piece of gold make no difference is spoken of as a God-realized soul."

OTHER ASPECTS OF OWNERSHIP

The problem of ownership can also be perceived more subtle "possessions," such as relationships. Lakshmanjoo told me that if you were really attached to someone who died, you would want to die with them. This would mean that you might give up your life without ever knowing the full range of power that lies within your grasp. You would be making a total sacrifice of your future potential. This would be self-destructive, violating the principle of Nonviolence.

Similarly, I have seen many couples hoarding their relationship, spending a lot of time being fearful of what would happen if they were separated instead of using that time to enjoy the happiness of the moment. A possessive attitude, based in false ego means that you will always be worried about losing what you cannot own. Similar to the ancient king in the old stories told by Joseph Campbell in his wonderful books in the field of comparative mythology, you are chained to your tree with a club in your hand, constantly on guard lest someone come to usurp your position, never able to rest or sleep. This attitude expects the physical body to be responsible for all its cares; it does not allow the spiritual body to enter the picture. The king, on guard against any newcomer, would not be able to recognize the spiritual body when it appears.

The false ego of the physical body fears death, yet the death of the physical body, as the Gita says, is an inevitable event. Why not put your efforts into knowing the part of you that never dies? The spiritual body knows no death, and by your knowing the spiritual body, you can also know that.

RESULTS OF PRACTICING NONHOARDING

According to Patanjali’s Yogic text on these ethical principles, the result of practicing Nonhoarding is knowledge of three lives: the life just past, the present life, and the one to come. This may seem like a strange concept, but imagine how you might live if you had the different perspective on life that this result would give you. You would realize that this life is not all there is; that you had a much longer time period in which to move toward your goals. This knowledge also would reduce your fear of death.

You might also discover valuable information that would affect the life you are living now. For instance, if you perceived from this phenomenon that you had been a musician in your previous life, it might help you understand your love for music in this one, and you might even learn how to call on past experience to help you develop your skills.

Alice: It would seem that a person who works on becoming established in aparigraha would develop the qualities of generosity and fearlessness. Are there other qualities that would indicate some progress towards aparigraha?
Lakshmanjoo: Yes, progress. His spiritual advancement grows very swiftly, without any failure. And his memory is clear for three lives.
Alice: So he can see the future, he can see the present.
Lakshmanjoo: And he can see the past.
Alice: And this is very valuable?
Lakshmanjoo: Yes. His memory for three lives becomes clear, because it is not blocked by possessions.
Alice: So he’s not clinging to one thing and being blinded to the other.
Lakshmanjoo: Yes. He can say whatever is in my past life, what I have to do in this life, and what I will do in next life, after death. He sees. He becomes clairvoyant. This is the fruit of that aparigraha.

This discussion assumes that you are familiar with the idea of reincarnation. In Yoga, as in much of the Eastern world, the belief is that there is more than one life. The spiritual body, which never dies, attaches itself to a succession of physical bodies while the individual works to realize the Universal Body, which I have described as the union of the physical and spiritual bodies.

I do not encourage my students to brood about what might or might not have occurred in previous lives, or to spend a lot of time speculating on future ones, because until this insight is reached naturally as a result of mastering the ethic of Nonhoarding, it is more useful to concentrate on becoming aware of your present life. I only mention this result because it is described by all the great teachers, and because I think you should know what is possible as a result of practicing these ethics, even if it sounds far-fetched. One of the things that distinguishes Yoga from religion is that in Yoga, you are not expected to believe anything unless and until you experience it yourself.

Lakshmanjoo talked to me once about the importance of nonhoarding with regard to the powers that are attained as a result of practicing all ten of the ethics. He said that just as one should practice all ethics simultaneously, in the same way the results of practicing the ethics also will occur simultaneously.

Alice: We hear so often of people who abuse and misuse these powers. Can you talk about the responsibility that goes along with this power of attainment?
Lakshmanjoo: You should neither be excited nor be depressed. If that power is just fading away, don't care. If power is growing too much, don’t be excited. Then it remains the same. But power fades away by utilizing it.
Alice: In other words, it is not yours to use. It has its own plan for what it will do.
Lakshmanjoo: Yes.

This discussion about power with my great teacher puzzled me at first, because, as an American, I believed that if I was practicing and learning how to be powerful, one of the greatest joys would be to use it and feel it. Our culture greatly values power of all kinds. Business deals often depend on the person who wields the greatest power in the marketplace, and the seduction of political power probably drives most political campaigns. Some of the most successful films have to do with the attainment of power and its use for good or evil; a prime example is the Godfather series.

This view of power is entirely opposite to the ethical principle of Nonhoarding, because all power in fact comes from the spiritual body. The attempted manipulation of power by the false ego of the physical body always ends in grief, because the false ego has only a limited perspective.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
The fairy tale of the sorcerer’s apprentice illustrates the misplaced use of power. The apprentice desired more than anything to have the power his master exhibited, but he saw only the outward manifestation of that power, not where it came from or how to use it wisely. One night, after the sorcerer had gone to sleep, the apprentice stole his master’s wand and repeated a spell. As everyone knows, chaos ensued until the master woke and was able to put things to rights. The apprentice had succeeded in briefly wielding power, but he did not know how to control it.

I have seen this happen many times in interactions between parents and children. For example, once a thirteen-year-old girl was listening to the radio and dreamily announced to her mother, "I want to be a singer when I grow up." Her mother immediately replied with what she considered a "practical" response: "Oh, you don’t have that kind of voice." The girl never mentioned it again and in the future was less inclined to confide her hopes and dreams to her mother. The mother’s false ego had leaped to a completely unnecessary judgment, a use of power that violated the ethical principle of Nonviolence and blocked the freedom of the child’s fantasy, which could be a picture of her future growth.

Our best interests are served by stepping aside and inviting the spiritual body to use the power that comes from ethical practice without interference from the physical body. In the example above, if the mother had waited for input from her spiritual body before responding, she probably would have replied with encouragement rather than with disparagement and kept the channels of relationship open and free with her child.

My attitude about power started to change when I began to practice meditation, because in that state where my breath stopped and my mind became silent, I came to know that something else was running the show besides my physical body. I felt no panic. I was quite comfortable, and I was aware of great support and power coming to me from within.

I no longer thought that my physical body had to keep me alive, and I no longer thought that my physical body owned my life. I gave up that idea and, in so doing, the channel between my physical and spiritual bodies opened and power flowed into me easily. Once I experienced this sense of power coming from my spiritual body, I realized I could choose to move between my physical and spiritual consciousness at will. It was a new flexibility of thought and it brought me great happiness. All separateness was gone; I had joined my outer self with my inner self.