While I don't think of God as a paternalistic concept, the sentiment of that story still resonates with me. I have long felt that any work we do on ourselves ultimately impacts the world because as WE change, the world changes. As we dive deeply into practices that help to mold us into more spacious and compassionate people, that compassion is hopefully spilling out into our lives and touching everyone we meet.
I understand too that we are all works-in-progress and that many of us are focused more on improving our Selves and may not have a conscious intention of being of service to our community. And perhaps that's justified somewhat, because we are healing, or we are "filling our own cup" so that eventually we DO have something to give. But I have noticed that in some spiritual and yoga communities that while a lot of the work that goes on within the walls of the centers and in the hearts of the participants is deep and profound, what happens as an extension of that work seems disconnected. It's like all the love and compassion that is being generated is being held in - experienced only by the Self - rather than radically being gifted through service to all in our communities and world.
I want to be sure to not discount some really great work that I have seen. For example I have some friends in Detroit who run a studio that is active in the peace movement and environmental sustainability and they provide many avenues for their students to get involved in that work. I also have a friend in Houston who is creating a nonprofit organization through her studio that will be helping people with cancer. And I know of a yoga organization in Portland that teaches yoga to kids living on the street as way to help them cope with the conditions they face everyday. There are some examples of this work beginning to happen in the U.S.--but it is only beginning to scratch the surface of the need for service work that exists.
I would love to see a mass movement led by yogis across the world that shifts our focus from just working on ourselves to seeking avenues with which we can work to heal our world and all who travel on it with us. Some actions that are happening now that attempt to do this are events such as the Global Mala, and fundraising activities for nonprofits such as Yoga-a-thons. However even these activities are limited in what they can do, because while they provide issue-awareness, fundraising, and a way for people to connect to a cause, my experience is that they don't always spur long-term action in the community. Perhaps organizers of such events could inspire more long term action--such as having representatives from the local peace group present to sign people up for continued action and to inform people of tangible steps they can take to make change happen now. However, I feel that what currently happens is that these types of events only serve to function as superficial actions - making us feel like we're doing something but in reality we're really just putting on a show that makes us feel good but does nothing to advance the very cause we set out to help.
If we re-frame our actions, our focus could be on choosing an issue that we can work on long-term LOCALLY (think globally, act locally). If actions like yoga-a-thon can channel people into tangible social movements for justice - then great! But if not, let's stop doing them and instead create pathways for our yoga studios and communities to advance a LOCAL cause for long-term good. Just throwing our money at an issue is not going to create the kind of deep systemic change that we need. Most of the issues of our time that we are facing off against will find our "enemies" out- funding us anyway. The one thing we DO have that can turn the tides is the potential for mass people power to fuel a local action-oriented revolution and we must begin now to find ways to channel that resource!
You may not be a part of yoga or spiritual center that already has a culture of service to the community but that doesn't mean you can't be a part of creating it. I had a teacher once who at every class brought vegan treats to share at the end of class and who shared vegan recipes with her students. She also planned service trips and events at least once a month for her students and eventually created a culture of service through her efforts. If you teach your students there is more to yoga than what is on the mat, they will learn it just like they learn how to do down dog. Remember we are all responsible for creating a new world. Peaceful and just communities don't just show up--they are built one conversation and one relationship at a time.
If you are a student and there is not a community driven focus at your studio, then ask to meet with the owner to discuss the potential to have such events. Sometimes the only thing lacking is someone willing to take on such projects. Remember too, that these things can start off small and then grow over time into much larger events and projects. I recommend just sticking to one issue at first and seeing how deep you can go with it. People want to be able to get a sense that their work is contributing to lasting change and that can be hard to offer when the energy of the group is diluted and working on multiple projects and issues.
It can become overwhelming to choose just one issue to work on - especially with the apparent mess we are in, but that is all the more reason to choose. Don't let the act of choosing paralyze you into non-action. What you put your energy into does matter. If you are meditating and doing a spiritual practice and think that is all you have to do to make the world a better place you are only working with half of the equation. I am a big fan of the AA quote "It's easier to act your way into a new way of thinking then it is to think your way into a new way of acting". So no matter what our reason for action, action is in many cases the path that will take us where we need to be. And by giving of yourself in service to the world, you will find yourself in every interaction closer to the truths you have been seeking on the mat or the cushion.
I feel that the beauty of our work on the mat is that it creates the conditions for us to become powerful change agents capable of performing greater acts of compassion and love than what we could do without the knowledge and strength we have tapped into through practice. A favorite quote of mine from Albert Einstein speaks to this quite poetically: “The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them.”
Not only can we bring a larger perspective to the issues of our times but we have within our tool box a practice that renews us and allows us to recharge and come back to do social change work without depleting ourselves, which too often happens. When we are depleted and burnt out the work is uninspiring and the issues at hand become too daunting.
I have many friends engaged in service who all too often get down and believe that they are not doing enough. I can only hold space and bear witness to their feelings of being overwhelmed, while providing encouragement that every little bit helps. I have a friend who runs a goat rescue (on top of her own photography business and faculty position at a community college) who has often asked if what she is doing matters and my reply was that it does to the more than 800 goats that she has provided sanctuary for. Not only have the goats benefited, but countless others whose lives have been enriched because they have volunteered with the rescue and those who have allowed a new creature into their lives. On one occasion when I was at the rescue I bore witness to one of the goats dying, a new one who had only been there for ten days. The situation felt pretty helpless and futile and brought up some of the doubts my friend had been feeling. Even in this case I argue that her efforts for that goat were worth it, for in that ten days that the goat was in her care it received more love, attention, and care than in any time of its life and that is what counts. Anything we do that extends compassion, care, and grace into the world is what takes us closer to living in a world that reflects the greatest expression of our heart's potential. Love is fuel for humanity's spiritual evolution--thankfully it is renewable and potentially available in mass quantities.
I leave you this quote by John Robbins:
"The choices that we make today as to the way we treat each other, the way we raise our children, the kinds of families and communities we create, will determine how the future unfolds. If we treat each other one way, we can cultivate people driven by a death urge, who are despondent and mean. If we treat each other another way, if we encourage and uphold our essential goodness and capacity for loving connection, we can nurture a society of people who are healthy and whole and whose lives will bring healing, peace, and joy to those they touch.
I believe that the real news on this planet is love—why it exists, where it came from, and where it is going. I believe that ultimately it is the love in our lives that underlies and makes possible our greatest healing and longevity.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, we all have a choice to be either accomplices in the status quo or everyday revolutionaries. We have a choice whether to succumb to the cultural trance, eat fast food, and race by each other in the night, or to build lives of caring, substance, and healing. So much depends on that choice."
My friends, as 2010 is upon us, I encourage you to dig deep within yourself and commit this year to service. I have a feeling the world is going to need all you can give!
