Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Aparigraha: Should we not give or receive gifts?
3:09 AM | Posted by
Anaamika |
One of the teachings of yoga is aparigraha, which means non-possessiveness, non-greediness, and non-indulgence. It means to be satisfied with what we have in life, and to not chase after fame, fortune, or worldly possessions. Some schools interpret this as including non-acceptance of gifts. The logic is that by accepting gifts, the yogi creates an obligation to someone, and a yogi should never be obligated to anyone. On first thought, it seems to make sense, but let us think about it a little deeper.
People give gifts for many reasons. Obvious gifts that one should not accept are those that are offered with a clear motive: bribes and kickbacks, for example. But what about those which were offered in sincere appreciation of something that you already did or were going to do anyway? Would it not be against the principle of ahimsa (non-violence) to refuse the good will of a grateful person?
When we talk about non-acceptance of gifts, we should also think from the standpoint of the giver. Some people make donations to charitable organizations with the understanding that their name or photo will be published. They have their names engraved on buildings, benches, plaques, brochures and such, some even have busts or statues made of themselves so that everyone would know how great a person they are or were. While their donation may have been made with good intentions, does this type of giving with a motive go against aparigraha, which teaches us not to indulge in self-gratification? Let us know your thoughts.
People give gifts for many reasons. Obvious gifts that one should not accept are those that are offered with a clear motive: bribes and kickbacks, for example. But what about those which were offered in sincere appreciation of something that you already did or were going to do anyway? Would it not be against the principle of ahimsa (non-violence) to refuse the good will of a grateful person?
When we talk about non-acceptance of gifts, we should also think from the standpoint of the giver. Some people make donations to charitable organizations with the understanding that their name or photo will be published. They have their names engraved on buildings, benches, plaques, brochures and such, some even have busts or statues made of themselves so that everyone would know how great a person they are or were. While their donation may have been made with good intentions, does this type of giving with a motive go against aparigraha, which teaches us not to indulge in self-gratification? Let us know your thoughts.
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1 comments:
Let me first say that I love this site! I saved it in my "Favorites" and will be back often.
As far as giving and receiving, there is nothing wrong with it as long as the intentions are good. Even donations given for self-serving reasons can do good in the end. Some people would not consider donating unless they were recognized.
When we see plaques of donors, honorary mentions of them in publications, etc., we just need to see it for what it is. That these people donated for personal recognition and not out of the goodness of their hearts.
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