Aparigraha: The Essence of Presence

This month we’re exploring aparigraha (non-possessiveness or non-attachment), the last and perhaps the most elusive of yoga’s ethical teachings. Paradox is what arises when I sit with this teaching. When I looked up the etymology of paradox I found this description: a self-contradictory yet true statement, like “the only constant is change”.  Aparigraha is being able to live and let go and experience change as the flow of life. When I first heard the term non-attachment I was bewildered about why it was described as an expression of true love. Throughout my early life, I internalized an idea of love as a deep form of connection and I conflated connection with attachment. To better understand the meaning of aparigraha it’s helpful to break it down into the meaning of its three parts:

Graha: to seize or grab
Pari: on all sides
A: a prefix that negates or means “not” or “non"

Combined, it translates as not grasping for external things and not holding onto internal concepts. These attachments can be material possessions, spiritual achievements, opinions, beliefs, roles, identities or relationships. I recently came across a definition of parigraha as “putting a fence around”. This definition clarified how the practice of aparigraha allows us to be fully receptive to what life offers. Our attachment can fence us in, and keep us bound to old ways of being. Aparigraha is described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 2.39 this way:

Aparigraha sthairye janma kathaṃtā sambodhah
When non-attachment is established,
a thorough illumination of the why and wherefore of one's birth comes

This practice of letting go opens the door to fully receive life with open-hearted curiosity. This way of being gives us a deeper understanding of the purpose of life and our place in it. We live our dharma and like a fractal, we set those around us free to do the same. Aparigraha teaches us to embody love as a way of being – a quality of presence – that has no bounds.

The first step in the practice of Aparigraha is awareness of the ways we may be attached to internalized limiting beliefs or possessed by external sources of wellbeing. We’re living through times where greed is motivating those in power and fear is being used to manipulate our populace. Tragically these are not new behaviors but clearly show how separation consciousness influences our lack of humanity. The practice of Aparigraha teaches us to live love as an act of power and solidarity. Cultivating this way of being dissolves separation, disempowers fear and is a source of activism that can’t be underestimated. The invitation is to let this time be an inspiration for real change individually and collectively. Dayaalu offers a wide range of classes and programs each and every day that invite us to pay attention so that together we can move towards greater freedom. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Love,
Sue