The Meaning of Asteya
Asteya literally means non-stealing. You can also find this meaning in the 10 commandments. The 8th commandment is "Thou Shalt Not Steal." Obviously we know not to steal. Let us explore, however, the deeper meaning of what it means not to steal. As you know, I write a lot. I experience tremendous joy when I write. But note that I quote some of my favorite authors quite a bit. For example, I happen to love Richard Freeman.
In regards to the more subtle meaning of Asteya Richard writes, "...such as not plagiarizing ideas without giving credit for them. It means not accumulating for yourself the things that do not really belong to you, not being a phony, not holding onto the things that ultimately are not yours. It even applies to the things that come into the sphere of our influence, for example, physical property---a house we might own---which ultimately must be seen as impermanence like all else..."
No comments:
Post a Comment