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Anahata, Ahimsa, and Aparigraha
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Anahata, Ahimsa, and Aparigraha ...walk into a bar... No! Seriously, folks. These are three concepts-- two are principles, one is an actual thing with symbolism attached-- that have been on my mind lately. By the way, this is another damned yoga entry, so if you don't like it, deal. First, Ahimsa and Aparigraha. Ahimsa, according to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, is one of the Yamas-- things to live by and try to cultivate in your life and your dealings with others. Ahimsa is the principle of non-violence. Now, this doesn't just mean that you shouldn't beat the hell out of the guy in the cubicle two down from you who's whinging on about his lost stapler, and how his red Swingline didn't jam as often as the plain black Boston does now. No, Ahimsa goes further than that, saying that you should do no harm to any other person-- including yourself. In fact, it actually extends to all beings, whether they are people or non-people. It's the reason why many "serious" yogis are vegetarians. Personally, I'm not... but I'm dealing with Ahimsa in my own way. The second principle there is Aparigraha, the yogic principle of non-grasping. Now, I've heard this described in many, many ways. I was reading the Yoga Mala of Pattahbi Jois yesterday, and he described it in terms of food-- you eat what you need, no more, no less. As with all of the yamas, there's an extrapolation that happens here. It can be interpreted to mean that you take only what you need in any situation, so it's... non-greed, I guess. That's a good way to think about it. Those two things can really come together when you think about our romantic lives. And that place where they come together is Anahata. For those of you who know about Chakras, Anahata is the all-important fourth Chakra, located at the heart center of your body, in the center of your chest. All of the other Chakras feed into it, and it feeds all of the other Chakras. Basically, the energy that spins out of Anahata is the energy of unconditional love. Not just our love for the romantic players in our lives, but also for all people. It's the part of us that tells us that we're all connected, one to another, no matter the differences between us. The thing is, when we begin to see these three things in tandem (and with all of the other principles and chakras that I'm not talking about, because I'd love for at least one person to be reading at the end of this post), some things begin to become clear. Aparigraha tells us that we should love without cselfishness. That the mere fact of our love for others feeds us. That to desire to have that love returned is a distraction from the inner life that we're trying to cultivate. We should love freely, no matter what the consequences, because the presence of love is what sustains us, not the things that come out of that love. Ahimsa tells us that we should use that love in ways that build people up, not tear them down. That when we find relationships, when we seek people out to build connections with, that those relationships should be healthy and should make us feel good about ourselves. And when those relationships end, we should view the endings not as reasons to tear ourselves down, but as ways to celebrate the beauty that was there, if only for a moment. So... yeah. I'm feeling better. Not 100%, but every day, every breath brings me closer to myself. And if you made it this far, you get a cookie. |
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Uuuuuuu....you lost me somewhere around "yoga post" but I came back when you said you were feeling better and something about a cookie. Have tongue, will use it. Repeatedly.
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Can you like bend in funny directions? (yoga question)Have tongue, will use it. Repeatedly.
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