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287-Asteya – don’t steal my primary series poster

In this episode of My Daily Thread, we continue our exploration of the Yoga Sūtras, searching for practical wisdom we can apply every day.

We’ve already covered ahiṃsā (non-harming) and satya (truthfulness). Now, we turn to the third yama: asteya — non-stealing, “not taking that which is not freely given.”

Yoga Sūtra II.37 says:

asteya-pratiṣṭhāyāṃ sarva-ratnopasthānam
Translation: “When one is firmly established in non-stealing, all jewels present themselves.” — Edwin Bryant: “All jewels manifest.”

Sanskrit breakdown:

• asteya — non-stealing (a = not, steya = stealing)
• pratiṣṭhāyām — when firmly established, rooted
• sarva — all
• ratna — jewel, treasure
• upasthānam — appear, present themselves

Commentary with Jeff Lichty:
On the surface, asteya is obvious: don’t shoplift, don’t rob a bank, don’t sneak a candy bar (yes, I did that as a kid). But the deeper layers are more subtle — and more powerful.

Non-stealing isn’t just about possessions; it’s about energy and integrity. When you live without taking what’s not freely offered, things naturally flow toward you.

Examples:

• Time theft: showing up late, interrupting, or monopolizing conversations.
• Idea theft: taking credit for someone else’s work.
• Energy drain: being an “emotional vampire,” taking more than you give in relationships.
• Intellectual property theft: In one of my teacher trainings, a student brought in an old manual from a previous course. It contained a plagiarized copy of my Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga PDF — headers and footers cut off, no credit, no permission. The teacher training company had inserted it into their own manual as if it were theirs. This is asteya in action at a blatant, unethical level.

Practicing asteya on these deeper levels clears space for abundance — the “jewels” of peace, trust, and connection — to manifest in your life.