Almost all of us who practice meditation or yoga believe that there is too much violence and too little tolerance in the world. Some of us are politically active in a traditional sense; some of us seek in our practice respite from a hostile world; some believe that each of us, culturing peace and insight within ourselves, becomes part of a worldwide transformation in consciousness with profound political consequences.
The messages from our spiritual teachers are ambiguous or outright contradictory. Within the Buddhist canon, we have a foundational teaching that violence must not be tolerated in ourselves, in our surroundings, or anywhere in the world. But there is also the teaching that our passions to change the world are fundamentally deluded, and that we seek a realization that the world is already perfect in its mystery.
We might usefully reflect on these contradictions, consciously choose the way in which we stand for peace.
Following an eight-year Philadelphia tradition, next Sunday, May 22 is annual Interfaith Walk for Peace. The march includes Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and Jews.
In conjunction with this event, many yoga teachers and meditation leaders in the region are taking the opportunity to reflect on the relationship between the inner peace that we all seek from our practice and the peaceable resolution of political conflicts in the world at large.
You are invited to participate in your own way, to incorporate this theme into your teaching, and to share your ideas and experiences on this open web page.
THIS PAGE IS OPEN FOR YOUR COMMENTS
