Hari-kirtana is an author, mentor, and yoga teacher who shares his knowledge and experience of how the yoga wisdom tradition can guide us toward meaningful and transformative spiritual experiences.
Election Day and the Yoga of Discernment
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Greetings Reader - Some people think that a yogi should rise above the dualities of politics to a place of non-judgement and, subsequently, non-participation, through the cultivation of detachment. I think this is one of the most common misconceptions people have about the role detachment is meant to play in our yoga practice. The premises are right but the conclusion is wrong. Yoga does encourage detachment from conceptions of friends and enemies—the essence of politics—as well as equanimity in all circumstances and equal vision toward all beings. These are positive steps on the path of spiritual progress. But detachment does not mean disengagement. As the Bhagavad-gita clarifies, true detachment means renouncing our attachment to the outcomes of our actions, not abstaining from action itself: “One who performs their duty without attachment to the fruits of their actions is both a renunciate and a yogī, not one who lights no sacred fire nor performs any act of sacrifice." – Bg 6.1 Non-judgement has its place, but traditional yoga wisdom texts rarely cite it as a sign of wisdom. Instead, yoga philosophy encourages sound judgment and provides objective reference points to guide us in its application. For example, "Discernment by which one can distinguish between constructive engagement and disengagement, what should be done and what should not to be done, what is to be feared and what is not to be feared, what is binding and what is liberating, is discernment in the mode of luminance." – Bg 18.30 In a political context, we can add discernment by which one can distinguish between social conditions that are conducive for the spiritual upliftment of society and conditions that are detrimental. Our environment has a profound impact on our consciousness. Therefore, supporting candidates who champion policies that approximate, if not directly align with, spiritual values is a pragmatic way for an engaged yogi to participate in creating a social environment that’s favorable to the elevation of consciousness. Of all the spiritual values and ethical directives that can guide a conscientious yogi in this election, the one that motivates me the most is freedom to express one’s faith—privately and publicly—in whatever form of Divinity (iṣṭa-devatā) one feels drawn to. In other words, yoga philosophy, especially devotional yoga philosophy, doesn’t just support the separation of church and state; it requires it: In the United States, the freedom to choose one’s spiritual path is enshrined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The phrase “separation between church and state” refers to a broad interpretation of the principle of government neutrality on religious matters that’s been upheld in numerous Supreme Court rulings that ensure both freedom of religion and freedom from religion. However, a concerted effort is underway, led by a formidable group of very wealthy and powerful people, to dismantle these protections under the banner of White Christian Nationalism, a political movement dedicated to transforming America’s representative democracy into a “Christian” theocracy. The danger that this noxious mix of ethnic, religious, and national tribalism poses should not be underestimated and the toxicity of the candidate White Christian Nationalists are counting on to implement their extremist agenda should not be discounted. The Bhagavad-gita characterizes both the temperament of the candidate and the illusory trifecta of racial, religious, and national superiority he represents in two succinct verses: "Duplicity, arrogance, conceit, anger, cruelty, and ignorance – these are the characteristics of one who is endowed with a demonic nature." – Bg 16.4
"Discernment by which one considers irreligious principles to be religious principles and religious principles to be irreligious principles, that is encased by a shroud of illusion, and that sees things as the opposite of what they really are, is discernment in the mode of darkness." – Bg 18.32
Yoga is an inclusive, equal-opportunity practice: anyone and everyone can participate in the transcendental science of self-realization. Moreover, yoga, especially bhakti-yoga, has a broad social agenda aimed at the cultural re-spiritualization of human society for the sake of uniting people from all walks of life in peace, friendship, and prosperity. Therefore, extreme sectarian ideologies that seek to impose narrow, pseudo-religious agendas on an unwilling majority are antithetical to the ethics, values, and social agenda of yoga and should be actively opposed. I hope every member of the yoga community here in the United States will join me in doing so on Election Day. Wishing you all good fortune, - Hari-k P.S. - If you want to know more about the White Christian Nationalist agenda, this summary of Project 2025 can show you what they intend to do, how they intend to do it, and what it will mean for you if they succeed. |
Hari-kirtana das
Hari-kirtana is an author, mentor, and yoga teacher who shares his knowledge and experience of how the yoga wisdom tradition can guide us toward meaningful and transformative spiritual experiences.
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