Best of Awake in the World: Asteya (Being Satisfied)

In this week’s Best Of episode, Michael explores the ethic of not stealing, (asteya). The Zen master Dōgen offers a beautiful translation: “The self and the things of the world are just as they are. The gate of freedom is open.” At its heart, this teaching is about being content with what we have. Another way to say it is this: not taking anything that isn’t freely given. Recorded in 2011. From the 4th video in Michael’s online course, "Embodying Ethics & Vows in Modern Life," a nine-week program weaving Buddhist and yogic ethics into the fabric of daily life. For the next few weeks, we'll be posting more excerpts and "Best of" episodes focused on The Five Ethics: • Ahimsa (Non-Violence) • Asteya (Non-Stealing) • Satya (Honesty) • Brahmacharya (Wise Use of Energy) • Aparigraha (Non-Greed) Join us to learn how these ethical principles can ground you in modern life. If you’re interested in taking the full course, visit:

You can listen to Best of Awake in the World: Asteya (Being Satisfied) online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Best of Awake in the World: Asteya (Being Satisfied) is an episode from Awake in the World Podcast by Awake in the World Podcast.

This episode is 00:40:54 long.

This episode was published on Feb 1, 2026.

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