2.39 When one is confirmed in non-possessiveness, the knowledge of the why and how of existence is attained.

You would think the title of this blog post would be greed, but there is a difference between this and the concept of non-possessiveness. In Yoga, it is not a bad thing to have a lot of "stuff". In fact, having stuff is part of the greater Dharma and is a stage toward spiritual evolution. If we do not have the experience of having things, we will crave them.

Everyone has their limit when it comes to possession. We see examples of the mega-rich like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet donating a large portion of their wealth to charity. Clearly they have reached the stage in their existence that materialism no longer has it's value. On the other side of the coin, we see people who have very little give the little of what they have to others because they know the pains of poverty.

We cannot reach a state of non-possessiveness unless we are clearly established in detachment. Detachment is simply the acknowledgement that we can enjoy what we have, knowing that it can go at anytime. This includes people, places and things.

I remember about a year ago, there was a fire in the Oak Creek Canyon near where lived in Arizona. There has been a long drought in the area, for about a decade now. The local concordances have also banned logging in the forest, which has lead to a large amount of fuel on the ground. Basically, the area was a giant tinder box. After the fire, people lamented at how different the canyon looked with all the trees burned away. It was not the same as it had looked for decades. However, the trees that had covered the canyon walls, when burned away, revealed beautiful rock formation that were not visible before the fire.

Things will always change, it is inevitable. If we cling on with dear life to what we have, this includes memories, we will suffer when they are gone. Creation, preservation and destruction, all working in an intricate dance around us. We are just observers. Enjoy the ride.