Asteya

No individual actually owns anything of this world. His body, even his mind, is not owned by him.

Parama’tma’ can snatch it away from him any moment He wishes. Men own nothing and so that they may not quarrel over worldly objects of enjoyment and waste their valuable time and potentiality, they have entrusted particular items to particular persons.

When Parama Purusa created this universe, He did not say that one is given 5 acres and another is given 50 acres.

Men themselves made this arrangement to avoid conflict between them.

In future also, the system will keep on changing according to requirements.

Men will keep on making new systems to suit their needs. Whatever may be the system, men will have to adjust their lives with it.

Sometimes people go against a system because of self‑interest or selfish motivations.

This creation is ever changing and there will always be a change. A change in the system by the collective body in collective interest is inevitable.

But if men do it under the motivation of self‑interest, they develop Jada Buddhi (crude mind) as they worship the crude (Jada).

Those who are in close touch with rural life know that constant conflict over land makes it the Dhyana and jinana of the villagers.

Under the influence of this Vrtti they want more and more and although not required for their need and use, they steal, even commit dacoit to obtain it. The influence of this Vrtti gradually makes them more and more crude. This is the rule.

When a change in the system is made for the collective interest of the society, there is no self‑interest of the individual but when the change is motivated by the greed of the individual, it will be the worship of the crude.

Naturally that individual will degenerate, he will not be able to practice any self‑control. Yama and the Upayantra of Asteya become defective. What does Asteya Upayantra mean:

Man utilizes whatever he has in his possession but they are not his objects of meditation. When he wants to acquire things belonging to others, then he will have to make them his object of ideation. That is why observance of Asteya in individual life is highly essential.

But in the social set‑up, if you want to introduce any change, it is not bad because that is not made the goal of life. It relates not to individuals, but the society as a whole. Asteya is essential.

It prevents mind from being crudified. Mind gets a smooth scope for progress. Without the practice of Satya, one cannot establish oneself in Asteya.

Unless one cherishes ideas of the welfare of others, one cannot perfectly practice Asteya. Satya and Asteya are closely related to each other. A thief cannot observe Asteyam. Is it possible for him to follow Asteyam? A thief steals and is arrested by the police. The police ask him, “Did you steal?” If he is a truthful person, he will confess his guilt that will put him to a great trouble. Hence without Satya, the observance of Asteya is not possible.

Those who wish to observe Asteya, those who desire to establish themselves in Asteya, will have to be necessarily Satya’shrayii. A thief can not be Satyava’dii because being truthful will lead him into difficulties. Persons who indulge in stealing are always cowards. The influence of Satya is just the opposite. Satya imparts Ojah. The especial power that nerve‑cells get from mental effulgence derived from the increase in mental strength due to observance of Satya is called Ojah or Ojas in Sanskrit, just as a spiritual speech is described as Ojasvii Bha’s’an’a. That is why one who gets Ojah, can never be Mithya’va’dii (liar) while a thief will have to depend on Mithya’ (lies). To establish oneself in Asteya, to be Satya’shrayii is obligatory. Satyava’dii is not afraid of anyone, it would be contradicting its nature if he becomes a coward.

(1)Satyen a’sti bhayam’ kimcit Satyameva jayate na’nrtam

(2) Satyena pantha vitato devaya’nah Yena kramantyrs’ayo Hya’ptaka’ma yatra tat Satyasya paramam’ nidha’nam.

From Satyena’sti bhayam kvacit arises the Iccha’ Shakti (will‑ power). This Iccha’ Shakti establishes a very close link with the conscious, subconscious and unconscious mind. If Iccha’ Shakti gets awakened in all these, a man can do the greatest of deeds. One may possess all the psychic and physical potentialities, one may be educated, but without enough Iccha’ Shakti, all these would be wasted. He will not be able to do any outstanding work. There are many highly qualified and educated persons, but they waste their life like ghosts. The secret of this is Iccha’ Shakti. The main thing is Satya, i.e. Iccha’ Shakti is Satya’shrayii. If it is not Satya’shrayii, Iccha’ Shakti will not be able to work much. It will not go far and will not be lasting.

Suppose, one gets a Bha’vana’ (idea) in the subconscious mind, as Bha’vana’ (memories of thoughts) have their existence in the subconscious only. This Bha’vana’ will be disseminated according to the directions of Iccha’ Shakti in the nerves and body; i.e. the will to translate it into material world has arisen. Whether a good idea or bad, it will have to be disseminated by Iccha’ Shakti only and then alone will its practication come about. Asteya is a Bha’va, and stealing is also a Bha’va, although Satyavirodhii; so it will also enter the subconscious. If the man is bad and his Iccha’ Shakti is strong, he would want to translate it into action or materialize it immediately. But if a good man’s Iccha’ Shakti is not strong, he will not be able to materialize it irrespective of the Bha’vana’ being good or bad. These types of persons I call goody‑goody boys. They will not be able to do anything in the world. They become a burden on earth.

If a Satyavirodhii (anti‑Satya) Bha’va arises within the mind, (I am not talking of Asteyavirodhii at this moment but only about Satyavirodhii), whether a good man or a bad man, if his Iccha’ Shakti is a little awake and if a Satyavirodhii Bha’va arises due to Sam’ska’ra of the past life, he will be able to translate it into action immediately. He materializes it quickly, but if he is a good man he would start repenting as soon as the Satyavirodhii Bha’va is finished. He would say, “Why did I do this! Why did this happen?” In this case what happens is that he is able to translate or materialize the Bha’va almost immediately and so he performs a bad action and repents later on. He is not a bad man.

You should have affection for everyone as they are only machines. Even a good man can do bad if for a moment a Satyavirodhii Bha’va arises in him. The technique to overcome this is to treat every action, every Bha’vana’ as the Sa’dhana’ of Satya, i.e. the resolution that “I will not deviate from the path of Satya.” Such a resolution will suppress any Satyavirodhii Bha’va that may arise, even if the Iccha Shakti is not strong. Suppose there is a bad person in the sense that Satya has no influence on him but his Iccha’ Shakti is strong, he will perform monstrous actions. He would be able to do it because his Iccha’ Shakti being strong, he would be able to transmit his thoughts from the subconscious to the conscious very quickly. Such persons, whenever their mind gets into a negative stage, commit suicide. Those who are Satya’shrayii will never commit suicide. This is also an important thing.

The above is true with Asteya also. Suppose an Asteya‑ virodhii Bha’va’na’ (idea against Asteya) of stealing arises in one’s mind. What happens then is that the Iccha’ Shakti transfers this Bha’vana’ into the conscious mind and his hands commit theft on its order. If Iccha’ Shakti is stronger the actions will be materialized even more quickly. In some cases Iccha’ Shakti may be there or may not be there but the conscious mind does not materialize the Bha’vana’ into action. The difficulty in conversion or materialization is due to fear or another Vrtti.

What happens due to Bhaya (fear) Vrtti? Physical shyness stops the conversion. What will people say? Public insult, public opinion or fear of punishment, that people will beat him, affect the conscious mind and nerves. The blood from the face flows down to the chest due to fear and that is why the face becomes pale. Shyness makes the blood rush towards the face and the face becomes red. These influence the nerves, and nerves assail the conscious mind and the Bha’vana’, even on being transmitted by Iccha’ Shakti into conscious mind, does not materialize. Many persons on seeing something in a shop get tempted to steal it, but they are not able to do it. In that case their subconscious mind commits theft. Here mentally stealing a thing would mean that he is not Satya’shrayii or established in Satya. He would be one person inside and a different person externally. He will have a dual personality in that case. Externally he would appear to be a Sa’dhu but internally he would be a thief. This duality would result in greater curvatures in the waves of the subconscious and its ectoplasmic strength will become less. The strength of the subconscious will also gradually become less. He gets into a state of neither man nor animal‑‑ a type of person whom you would find to be a criminal. With advance in age they become more like that. Stealing or Asteyavirodhii Bha’va is of two types: physical and mental. To save yourself from Asteyvirodhii Bha’va physically, you will have to make your mind Satya’shrayii and your mind will have to develop Bha’va against Asteyavirodhii tendencies. That alone will do. Then only your purpose will be served and not otherwise.

Caorya (stealing) is of 2 types:

1. Physical
2. Mental

In both there are 2 types again, i.e. direct and indirect.

In the physical sphere these two would be: 1) to steal a thing actually, i.e. direct physical stealing, 2) the indirect physical would be not to give something which is due to him. The same two types can be performed mentally also.

One may make a mental plan in mind about cheating someone. This is not stealing but cheating, i.e. not giving one his dues. The root of all these remains in the subconscious mind.

Iccha’ Shakti is even more important, its controlling point lies in the subconscious portion of mind which is also adversely affected.

The reverse is the case with those who are Satya’shrayii ‑ those who practice Satya and have also accepted Asteya as one of the Upayantras (Asteya being one of the five Upayantras of Yama).

Their subconscious is imbibed with Rjuta’ (straight forwardness) which affects their thought as well.

Rjuta’ in thought increases the will power, whether one aspires for the same or not; their will‑power goes on increasing day and night in geometrical progression.

Suppose, you have to bring about a change in the social collective body.

An act considered to be Asteyavirodhii in reference to the collective body is not the same as one performed in individual life. The whole social structure and its organization dynamically changes like any other worldly object. As in the past so in the future there must be a change.

To accomplish the same, your act performed for the collective good and appearing as Asteyavirodhii is not at all like an Asteyavirodhii act performed in individual life, since in the former one you were not motivated by personal lust, attachment or greed. Your subconscious and Iccha’ Shakti shall also be not affected. Rather, the ideal of collective social welfare shall strengthen the subconscious and Iccha’ Shakti shall grow stronger and stronger.