Here’s a conundrum: what do yogic texts teach us about disasters like yesterday’s shooting in Uvalde, Texas? After all, we believe that yoga and meditation are there to help us in the rest of our lives. Like many Americans, I was gutted by the news of yet another school massacre, and so I took to the tomes to see what my part in this might be.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a passionate lover of the Bhagavad Gita, and so I started there. Written before the birth of Jesus, there obviously isn’t anything specifically related to gun violence in the United States. However, the text does make clear that human nature can be nefarious. Those corrupted by impure thoughts can and do horrific things. We can’t stop that. We can, however, change ourselves and our actions in the pursuit of transformation.
One of my favorite commentaries on the Gita is Ram Dass’ Paths to God. On page 243, the author states: “If I deny the “sorcerers” – that is, if I deny the physical plane with its individual differences of good and evil – then I am caught. I am caught in denial, out of fear of this plane….” While Ram Dass focuses on the good and evil within ourselves, he makes an important point about personal responsibility. It’s not enough to work on ourselves; if we see evil in the world, it’s up to us to combat it, just as Arjuna found himself warring against the evil Kaurava family. Our karma has awakened us to the problem, and our response needs to include the actions that will transform the situation into something better.
What does that mean for each of us personally? It’s important to keep one focus on our personal sadhana, or daily practice. For me, this means journaling, praying, and reaching out to people I love. It also means weekly asana teaching and personal practice, and it means continuing to familiarize myself with the great yogic texts. As I tend to be intellectual, this practice is a good blend of my mind, my body, and my spirit. You may have a similar or different sadhana; it doesn’t matter, as long as your practices help keep you in a place of union with a power greater than yourself, however you imagine Him/Her/Them/It/Good Orderly Direction to be.
Once this is a part of my life, however, I have to step out into the world. On Goodreads, I found three powerful quotes from the Gita. The first states: “You become what you believe you will become. ” This tells me that part of my work is to believe that my talents are useful for the task at hand. The second tells me to “Arise, slay thy enemies, enjoy a prosperous kingdom,” which advises me to take action, however small. The final quote states: “work for work’s sake, not for yourself.” In other words, I must act in service to the work, rather than to inflate my own ego.
How does this translate into action for me? Yesterday, I wrote letters to my representatives in Washington and Sacramento, asking them to write legislation for sensible gun reform. I also started a petition that I posted to my social media sites. I’ll continue to do this, and I will vote to elect candidates that support these views. I will also work on not demonizing those who disagree with me; this is not a question of my wisdom. Rather, it’s how I, as a private citizen, can make my voice and my desires heard. Others are of course free to do the same; my path is to follow my own heart on this, regardless.
I hope that today’s blog has given you, the reader, some ideas of how to move forward after this tragedy. Whether your path is to pray for the victims and survivors or to move in a more active direction, please know that the yogic paths supports — nay, mandates — that you move forward into the world in whatever ways make sense for you. Continue your personal practices, and when action ideas occur to you, consider them intelligently and then act in concordance with what you know of the laws of spirit. Feel free to share this blog, and please respond in the comments below so that we can continue this conversation. I hope that we can grieve together and then find the courage to change the things we can.
Yoga Cielo Stellato 