Austerity vs. Abundance?

This Sunday I gave a little talk at church about yoga as a spiritual practice. One of the values of the yoga system is called tapas - which is a Sanskrit word that can be massaged to be translated as "austerity" in English. After church, a restauranteur friend of mine said that she felt a little embarassed because just two nights before we had a seven course meal at her restaurant. She said, "I like the idea of a feast!" And I agreed.

I think that austerity has merits - we should be good stewards of our natural resources, for instance, and not take more than we give. AND we should feel gratitude for our abundance. Abundance is also good. And gratitude is the most powerful value of all, I feel. It is not listed as one of the niyamas in yoga - the second limb that teaches us values to cultivate in ourselves. The nearest is santosa, or contentment.

I believe that we live in an abundant universe and that gratitude is the key to enjoying it. By feeling content and grateful for what we have, the universe will provide more. There are many flavors and textures and colors and beautiful sights, smells, and sounds to behold in this world. What a shame it would be to cut ourselves off from beauty. I would rather feel grateful for it - and feast!