Free from anger and selfish desire, unified in mind, those who follow the path of yoga and realize the Self are established forever in that supreme state... Freed from selfish desire, fear, and anger, they live in freedom always.” -Bhagavad Gita V.26-28
We live in a time of great conflict and overwhelming challenges. Political leaders around the world are instigating violence or quietly launching deadly attacks against innocent people. An excess of food is produced, yet food deserts, famine, and drought pervade. Last year marked the hottest year in 174 years of recorded history.
We are experiencing the symptoms of Kali Yuga, an age of darkness and disintegration. To summarize the Shrimad Bhagavatam which describes this age: we are in an age of scarcity where wealth is judged as a sign of virtue and we are focused mainly on filling our bellies. People are harassed by excessive taxes, famine, and drought. Rulers treat their citizen mercilessly until they flee into the forests and the mountains to escape. It is a time where we are tormented by quarrels, extreme weather, disease, and anxiety.
Until fairly recently in my life, I checked on the news daily and many days it would bring me to tears. Thinking about the political state of my country was enough to disrupt my sleep. Regardless of political affiliation, income, or county, I don't think there is any denying that there is much suffering in the world we live in.
Usually the residual feeling within me was anger – at the political party I did not identify with, the leaders waging war, an existential rage at all that was wrong in the world.
Severing From Suffering
Despite the challenges we face in daily life, the Kali Yuga is an excellent time for spiritual development – the intensity of darkness in our world is an opportunity for accelerated growth. Over the years of asking why I find life so challenging, the answer has confronted me over and over again: my suffering has very little to do with the what is going on outside of me and everything to do with what is happening in my own mind.
The epic tale of the Bhaghavad Gita contains an illustrious description of the path to become free of suffering. It opens on the brink of a great battle. The warrior Arjuna is faced with an army of his own relations who are driven by their envy and greed to fight. Arjuna falls into despair at the thought of killing them and turns to his advisor for guidance. Lord Krishna advises him as a great master of yoga:
“You speak sincerely, but your sorrow has no cause. The wise grieve neither for the living nor for the dead.” -Bhaghavad Gita, II.11
Krishna goes on to describe that the eternal Soul cannot be touched by life or death. Regardless of the belief system you follow, there is no way to argue out of the reality that we only control so much in this life. The seasons change, beings are born and eventually those beings die. But while we are living in it, it is undoubtedly hard to watch those we love suffer and die around us.
When faced with the suffering of those we love and even the suffering of distant strangers, what does it do for us to remain angry and seek pain of our own? The question that has been facing me is: am I using these emotions to create action or to stay stuck in a state of suffering?
Do I truly want to spend this life divided from mankind because of our differences?
There is a reason we say that we are “blinded by rage”. Intense emotions are so powerful that they can literally cut us off from objective reality. Anger can easily transform from being motivational to leading us away from our purpose here.
Accepting Our Dharma
The battlefield of this story is a reflection of each soul's journey within. We are faced in every moment with the loud input of our senses, the wandering of the mind, the temptation to seek pleasure and pain. Through detachment, we can learn to become fixed in eternal truth, one step closer to true inner peace.
This is not a call to stillness, to ignore what is going on in our world, or to hide from the emotions that come up. Indeed, Arjuna is a warrior. It is his life's purpose, or dharma, to fight this battle. As Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna, action is another path leading to wisdom:
“They live in freedom who have gone beyond the dualities of life. Competing with no one, they are alike in success and failure and content with whatever comes to them. They are free, without selfish attachments; their minds all work in the spirit of service, and their karma is dissolved.” -Bhaghavad Gita, IV.22-23
Rather than sinking in despair, anger, and fear, can you look around the world and ask with detachment: why am I here? How does your absolutely unique self tie into the great web of consciousness? What do you bring into the world to make it a better place? There is a reason you are here that no one else can fulfill.
What I am asking from myself (and now you) is to recognize that all we are experiencing in this body is fleeting. Even this age of conflict is a necessary part of the greater cycle.
The Practice of Yoga
All this being said, it is not so easy to walk the path towards peace in our chaotic world. Thankfully, we have the wisdom of those who lived before us for guidance. The Sanskrit word yoga means to yoke, to join, to unite. There are many different ways to look at this and I don't think any one is better than the other – each individual takes a different path to achieve this goal.
To practice yoga is to join the body and mind to work together, to quiet the mind to realize its unity with the soul, to feel universal brotherhood with every living being, to acknowledge one's place in nature, and to recognize we are not separate from God.
So when we practice Yoga, it may look like a person sitting in meditation or holding postures. It might also look like helping the community and going to work with a focus on selfless service. Some people may wish to pray, sing, or dance. It could be through pursuit of knowledge. Maybe it is a moment where the heart truly forgives a violent act committed against us.
A Simple Practice for Union
When the world feels overwhelming, I find practicing yoga in a way that reminds me I am part of something larger than myself helps me move through the emotions I am feeling. This is a short practice that can be done at any time to focus the mind towards inner peace:
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Come into a meditative position: cross-legged, kneeling, in a chair, or lying down.
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Close the eyes and join the hands in front of the heart to take Anjali Mudra. Take note of the emotions you are feeling and then shift your focus to the breath.
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Open the space between the palms to take Padma Mudra. The heel of the hand, thumbs, and little fingers will remain touching. The hands will look like a blooming lotus flower.
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As you inhale, raise your hands up to the brow level to connect with Ajna Chakra, the third eye. Exhale to lower the hands back to the level of the heart. Repeat for a total of 3, 7, or 11 repetitions. Finish with the mudra at the heart center and take a moment to meditate on the beauty of the lotus flower blooming above murky waters.
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Return the hands to Anjali Mudra. Chant “Lokah Samastaha Sukhino Bhavantu” three times followed by Oṃ Shanti Shanti Shantihi”. This is a prayer for peace. First we are asking “may all beings everywhere be happy and free” then calling for peace within our body, mind, and spirit.
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Release the mudra and come to rest in Balasana, Child's Pose, with the palms and forehead on the ground (if possible). Stay here as long as you would like, invoking a feeling of surrender to Mother Earth.