Applying Aparigraha (non-greed) in everyday life

In Western world our success is very often defined by the amount of our possessions. Accumulating goods is socially accepted and even encouraged. We need the new car, the new outfit, the new gadget, in order to feel fulfilled.

Let's take a look at our dietary habits. How often do we eat more than we need, just because there is a lot of delicious food on our table? We become greedy and we want more than what our body can healthily assimilate. After any given meal, the stomach should contain approximately 50% solid food, 25% liquids, 25% air.

If this equilibrium is disturbed, our body enters emergency mode and is making huge efforts to digest the extra food. The foods that cannot be digested, are cracked down to smaller molecules through fermentation. This procedure is producing toxic gases to the intenstines. The amount of gas non released is resulting to spastic colitis or other intenstine conditions.

Of course we are used to oversized portions served in every restaurant, so we think it's normal to eat till our stomach feels it might explode. Greediness attracts greediness and it's applicable in every aspect of our lives. We feel that we need something more to fill the emptiness that we experience in the inside. It's like a drug, we need more and more and it's never enough.

Have you reflected that we need to be nurtured in a different way? Instead of drugging our senses, we can stay calmly within ourselves. We can explore our inner state and if we don't feel contentment, we have to ask 'what prevents us from being happy?' 'are we hungry for what?'

Namaste