Every new endeavor will fumble a bit in the beginning till it find it's sea legs. All the groups and spaces mentioned by Jonathan have been doing their thing for years or in some cases decades. I am sure they had their rocky moments in the beginning. It also took years for all these groups to find the kind of audience Evolver had their first night. Hell, it took Burning Man four years to get over 500 people to attend.

The combination of having a interactive web site of new culture supporting a the vision of creating a event of "nouveau Alexandria " is brilliant from a visionary and marketing point of view. The great thing about the Internet is also the worst thing about it, and that is the instant feedback. The question that comes to mind is how does a artist/creator have the time to iron out their act on the road before they open up on Broadway (so to speak)? And can this IM culture cut some slack and allow the natural flowering of expression to manifest?

From my experience doing Body Temple it was helpful to us to have some time to find our way. Within our first year we were featured in a two page spread in Newsweek. Afterwards I got a ton of personal feedback that we were great and that we sucked. BUT being this was the dark ages (2003) we did not have bloggers and social networks to have to content with. Gratefully, were able to grow our audience gradually as we grew creatively. I would hate to have to explain myself as Jonathan has to now.

Please people give these folks a break,give them a hand for doing this, give them your love and support and give them positive and constructive feedback. Would you spank your baby if they stumbled the first time they walked? They did a great job, and it will only get better...

 

 

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power,the world will know peace." Jimi Hendrix

I have to agree with everything said in this post; the good, and the not so good. All in all, it was the first time, and for that it was marvelous. As this goes on and matures, all the little kinks will flesh out. I saw some great photography being taken that night, but have yet to see any photos posted. I would love to see them, if any one has please share.

I also noticed some video being shot, and I'd love to see/ hear some of it. I was one of the folks who waited in the stairs for an hour or so at around 10, so we missed Sharon and Daniel's talk-- I'd also love to see the Lizard King!!

Nice job everyone!

The event went over pretty well for an initial run. The fact that Jivamukti went above & beyond to make up for some initial hiccups made it well worth it. The concept of a panel discussion is good, but the time limit was too constraining to get so deep. Daniel was an interesting "Devil's advocate" for Sharon, and his point is well taken, at least in my mind, that Eastern religions often treat manifest, outward reality with great indifference. Likewise, Western religions often treat inherent, inward reality with similar apathy. A half-hour is just too little time to discuss the nuances of finding a good balance between the two, however.

 

With relief, with humiliation, with terror, he understood that he too was a mere appearance, dreamt by another. - Jorge Luis Borges, The Circular Ruins

that whole day felt like clockwork. things were pretty wily at ground zero earlier on as well... sometimes i feel like the city is breathing. so many characters wandering around and interacting. it's a powerful flow, and it definitely feels like we're tapping into something big. i hope we can all actually come together and make the changes that we know need to happen. that's my only regret. that we didn't all gather and take some form of action that tells people what's going on. there was so much energy in those rooms and hallways. imagine if the whole crew had gone out into the streets ???!! it would be a circus parade of consciousness. we should do that.. peace everyone, bill

I was really surprised to hear the inflamed complaints/posts about the event.

I had a close friend's birthday party that night and so didn't show up until around 12:30 am. What I found was a large group of relaxed people all involved in different thing: sitting in the Quiet Room, dancing, listening to improvised poetry, getting their bodies painted, etc. It was a good atmosphere and gave me that comforting feeling of being around a group of people who all thought a little bit differently, whose interest in consciousness and community was just a bit broader than the average man on the street.

So my thought is: Instead of having an opening discussion that is supposed to "set the tone" for the evening, have the first portion of the evening simply be about exploring the space, discovering where one's interest leads, establishing some rhythms that are created uniquely by the participants. There can then be transitions into formalized events, such as the forum between Sharon and Daniel or the classroom.

This affords the participants an opportunity to relax in the space and check-in with where they are and how they feel about what they're experiencing, as I was able to do later in the evening. I wasn't there at the beginning so I'm speculating, but it may be that the intent to "kick off" the event was at odds with the flow of people acclimating themselves to the place, the feeling in the air and the various offerings. It seems clear from the posts that some folks arrived with rather particular and intense expectations. Maybe if they had ample opportunity to attune these to the actuality of the event it might have gone some way to ameliorating their disappointment and allowing them to appreciate the good things that were offered.

You don’t know me (I’m from the future).

I know you can at least imagine how different everything in the future is…

So, I’d been looking forward to attending Evolver, and even purchased a ticket online before the event. I live at the Jersey shore and was concerned about safely getting home on Sunday morning (I’m not at all a night owl) so I posted a request on RS for some assistance. Asad was kind enough to contact me and we made arrangements to meet at his house. First, I was to meet him between 2 and 2:30. Then at 4:00. On my way out the door he called to ask me to be there at 5:00. Due to roadwork construction in his neighborhood (and the resulting poor Mapquest directions), I arrived at 5:10. No one was home. I left his place at 5:20 with out a plan B, and returned home very disappointed. (Obviously not as disappointed as the couple who flew in from Florida)

I was left with the possible impression that RS is a loosely organized cadre of kids whose ideals are in ascendancy, whose intentions are honorable, but whose maturity and reliability are lacking. This impression was supported after reading the first disappointing responses to the Evolver event on this site the next afternoon.

I’ve read all the comments, Daniel’s weak response to some of those comments, and the above effort by Jonathan to spin the event into a success (while encouraging that further comments should be kept positive). The only advice to the RS staff concerning this event that I found to be honest (read: REAL) was “The customer is always right.” Given that receipts for the event were probably between 15 and 20K, the ”promoters” have a huge responsibility to the “customer” here, and excuses and spin will only make matters worse. Personally, I would accept the offer of a refund.

Although it might sound harsh to some, the comments I’ve read so far suggest the following scene: A group of forward thinking promoters suggest a hearty meal at minimal cost to a tribe of starving people. Too many respond, and with too ravenous a hunger to be adequately satisfied. One promoter turns to the crowd and says: “Well, the good news is… that so many of you are starving.”

I often find myself listening to other’s comments from my own state of disturbance, and reacting from that state before following the disturbance back into my deeper psyche for its origins. I can see that it was my fault for being ten minutes late, and for not having a plan B. My advise to all, even you who might be disturbed by what I’m saying, is to follow your own disturbance in order to see what you might be missing.

“Rilke, on his essays on love, describes marriage as enabling two people to see farther into the future than they otherwise might. Two people who come together can learn, in other words, to transcend the limits of their identities and come to the point of knowing a larger sense of destiny together than they might have experienced on their own. This is an example of the fruits of successfully overcoming the crisis of fragmentation. In it comes the realization that we are not our point of view, that the shared identity we have had is not what we thought, and that we can together see more than we might have on our own. The crisis, once navigated, enables people to move into a space where there is much more fluid creativity than ever before.” – Dialog and The Art of Thinking Together by William Isaacs

“… be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then you will gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” –Rilke

To mine for questions is to cultivate the suspension of answers and to open the way for successful dialog. I yet have many unanswered questions as to the possibilities of RS. Please respect my ability to come to my own conclusion, by an open and honest dialogic airing of all matters without retreating into the shadows of spin.

 

 

"If only I could remember the future"

I agree with a previous comment to take it to the streets. The people who attended the event obviously share certain values, and I think its a waste of time to attempt to refine or critique the event. It is what it is, and I think we need to open up the dialogue to a community that extends beyond yogis and burners. We are all seeking transformation of some kind, and we don't need to compare ideologies. Honestly, I would be turned off to this movement if it becomes a calculated corporate-styled machine targeting various subcultures. Subcultures gain no traction because they isolate themselves and adhere to strict ideologies. Sharon Gannon is obviously a good example of this limited frame of reference. I would encourage everyone to let go of your selfish expectations and focus on the bigger picture. It's not your responsibility to entertain me. Capitalize on the momentum and EVOLVE! : ) What's next???

The cynical, elitist, apolitical tone expressed by some members of the audience was VERY disturbing to me. Disenfranchised liberal intellectuals will accomplish NOTHING unless we take some responsibility. It's great to be critical of the government, but if you stop there, you are just making room for the next demagogue to hijack this country. Cynicism is not attractive or effective. Elitism is isolating.

Sure.... I would love to ; )

Blessings everyone,

Please read all of this post as it pertains to upholding my honor and name. I would firstly like to respond to the comments that Don Shake has made about me on this forum.

 

When I first saw the post that someone from New Jersey wanted to go this event and needed a place to stay, my first instant reaction was to offer them my home. Keeping in mind this was only a week prior to the event. I didn't quite fathom why in the first place Don wanted to stay with me because he only lives about 30 minutes from my home. However, my heart is always open to people that need a place to crash or just connect with me on any plane. All my life I have always been trusting of people without any hesitation and this has often led me to become hurt as a result.

 

Anyways, Don and I engaged in a couple of conversations via phone and email during the week time frame that we had. I call Don the day before the event to ensure him that he can still sleep at my house as long as he needs to. I explain to him that I will be extremely busy preparing for the event and he can even watch and give us his insights. I wanted my expression and intentions in sharing my art to be felt and it would have been really nice to have someone get a taste of it beforehand. Everything still is set in motion and we are vibing....

 

Now it is the day of the event and things start to get a little strange. Don and I speak early on in the day and at 2 PM where he inquires directions to my residence. I kindly give him as much detail as possible from the main highway. Just to be certain that he would not get lost I even stressed that he should use "Mapquest" as a suggestion to give him exact turn by turn directions. I cannot help if there is minor "construction" going on around my University area. Just the whole tone of Don's expression above shows angst and malice towards me.

 

I called him at 2 and ask him to please come at 4 PM because I still had a lot of work to prepare. He totally understands and is in no way upset. Around 3:30 I realize that there is no way I will be ready by 4 PM so I take caution and decide to please ask him to delay his journey only by another hour seeing how we didn't have to leave until 6 PM. Even at this point Don still understood and didn't mind at all showing up at 5 PM. To further ensure him that I was leaving "my friends house" I call him and let him know I am on my way. However, Don stops picking up his cell phone all of a sudden. At this point I am confused...

 

Okay... so I figure I will give him the benefit of the doubt and his phone has died; perhaps he will be waiting in my driveway.As I arrive at my house and walk up my stairs at 5:25 I notice a blue napkin that says "Asad you couldn't wait 10 minutes it's 5:10 and your not here. This is so typical."
Basically, assuming that I had left from my house to the train station, when I had clearly expressed I was going to "meet" him at my house at around 5.

 

This man entered my house without permission while I was not even home. His cell phone was apparently working because I had spoken with him several times. It seems he is purposely trying to damage my reputation and credibility for very obvious reasons.

Don this truly makes me sad that you would have the odesity to accuse me of being "typical kid" with no sense of honor, love, integrity. MOREOVER, it makes me feel really really hurt that you would have this hate in your heart and try to defame my character. Several of my friends came to this performance where we are supposed to "evolve: wake up and change" by dreaming what we could be if we manifest all our positive intentions and come up with active solutions.

 

I believe in the Burning Man spirit to help clean up and feel a sense of oneness in effort to see that it's not just about yourself, but the yearning and desire to put your sweat into something that has allowed you to express your most inner being through the median of poetry, visuals, sound, dialogue, drums, random expression. So I do truly hope you will open your heart and see my true intentions.

 

You see I feel everything is energy and your words affect everything. So when you try to defame my character as you have and also making judgements about Reality Sandwich, it sheds negative light on what we are trying to do here. There are serious issues going on and Reality Sandwich along with other organizations are providing a forum for communication and a better understanding of the psyche, spirit, technology and how to evolve as a species by taking heed of our actions and WORDS. In the end all we have left is our breathe. SO please just breathe and remember that there is something very positive going on out there. These events are more than just about taking "psychedelics" and remaining idle in thoughts.

This new age or call it whatever you want has this "label" to it and has often gotten a bad name because of those who wish to use it to self indulge in their ego. Whenever you have an ideal or some pure way of living, there are those who want to capitalize on it because of their greed. The term "new age" has a very negative connotation for this. You see healers, yogi's, authors, spiritual leaders that are driving expensive cars and drinking starbucks because they abuse their so called "power" However, when you look at the term "beatniks" it became a media stereotype to "label" those who were finding some truth by bringing awareness to spirituality and conscious evolution.

 

So I feel that Don and others quickly like to categorize and label a whole movement due to preconceived notions about someone or something they have never experienced or truly absorbed. Seeing both sides and being objective. I have been extremely involved in the community to help raise consciousness about this 3 plane evolution:

1) biology- what we consume-living holistically and consciously/genetics

2) psyche- consciousness-understanding of your subconscious/traumatic events. Spreading consciousness and psychic energies through intentions and breathe.

3) spirit- breathe and opening of the heart in all ancient traditions and cultures have the same terminology. Breathe and God are interchangable in all of these school of thoughts. Stanislav Grof says "breathe and God have been synonymous in all cultures: chi, qi, rue, gnoma, prana. Jonathan also talks about this in his "Electric Jesus" workshop. So having a greater understanding of the breathe and how it can naturally give you clarity. You don't need psychedelics, which can be the catalyst to bring you into the realization that you are more than this body, but this Spirit. It's how you re-integrate this knowledge and visions back into society, so that we may evolve.
Raising awarness about Kundalini and how it is also noted as the Holy spirit in catholicism, rising up your spine like a serpant that is symbolic of our dna double helix strand.

 

All of these 3 planes how are all interconnected and crucial to becoming aware of. I have a recording of the performance, which I will post up if you have doubt of my intentions and path. In fact I have been getting involved with Evolve 2012 music festival, Genuine Review-magazine/forum, Amazon Herb Company, Seed Gallery, and other institutions to actually have a better understanding of the plant knowledge and re-integrate this into the west so we can have a better understanding of holistic medicine. If anyone had a chance to watch my performance at the Evolver event they would see this was the main motif. J

 

Jonathan can also atest to my character. I have had wonderful conversations/interviews with him for the Genuine Review about where we are headed and how to trust in love and breathe. There are several others who I don't need to mention on this forum that know my intention and desire to heal this planet and our souls by living in clarity. Several souls at Reality Sandwich, COSM, Seed Gallery, and other sacred spaces and places know my intention.

 

So Don next time please don't try to defame my character in a place where there are several souls that I wish to connect with and that already know me. Overall this event taught me a lot about myself. It was my friends birthday and he helped passed out seeds with me at the end of our performance. My friend Donald's bag was stolen because someone had broken into my friends car during the event. Philippe, my other dear friend and performer had his car towed afterwards by the NYPD. This mixed with several other elements that I don't need to get into started to weigh down upon me. This whole night was an overwhelming sensation of different energies. I had a self realization later that all that mattered was that I had an amazing opportunity to connect with several like minded souls at this event who wanted to also engage in spreading consciousness, healing our planet/mind/body and soul through several different catalysts-yoga, breathwork, living holistically, take heed for our actions and words. I also realized to have fun while doing this because this is my path and planet and things are already in the works.

 

I remember Jonathan saying that this is nothing new with the events before RS and Evolver there is the COSM and Grandspace and new venues like the Seed Gallery. So there are several communities of people that are combining energies and working together to spread this global consciousness. As we continue to awaken the divine within through the breathe and love, we are starting to slowly see "We are the ones we are waiting for". Please read my bio and see my true spirit. I also have posted on the BOTH forum under ayahuascakhan. Read my post from the very first one so you can see my own evolution and intentions. Thank you for reading this extremely long post, it's sad that this was my first post on this forum to defend my reputation. However, I hope things have been cleared up and if you still have any doubts you can see the work I have been doing by looking at my bio here or at tribe. I want to just leave everyone with a rumi poem I recited at this event. Thank you so much for reading this longpost I put a lot of thought and emotion into this:

 

Those who don't feel this love pulling them like a river
Those who don’t drink dawn like a cup of spring water Or take in sunset like supper,
Those who don’t want to change
….. Let them sleep
This love is beyond the study of theology
That old trickery and hypocrisy
If you want to improve your mind that way
…..Sleeep on
I’ve given up on my brain. |
I’ve torn the cloth to shreds
And thrown it away
If you’re not completely naked,
Wrap your beautiful robe of words around you
.......And sleep
-Mawalana Muhammed Jalaladdin Rumi

Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” -Mawlana Muhammed Jalal ad-Din

After the Evolver event one week ago I wrote a very crude remark about Sharon Gannon and Jivamukti. After reflection, I feel it was wrong to be so critical of her and to use such vulgarities to express myself in a public forum. My apologies to Sharon and realitysandwich. Thanks for the eye-opener Daniel. Good luck with future events.

It was never my intention to produce such an incendiary environment.

My apologies to all whom I have offended. I violated my own practiced intentions (as I regret doing on too many occasions) and will be more careful in the future.

 

 

"If only I could remember the future"

this is a little off topic by now, but i just wanted to thank reality sandwich and everyone at jivamukti, and everyone else that made that night so great. keep up the great work guys!!

The Practice of Non-Violence

Dear Daniel, you have stated: “I believe that the principle of ahimsa cannot be applied to our present (world) situation. Violence against oppression is justified in certain cases, whether Jews against Nazis or Native Americans against the US Army. In fact, there are, I propose, negative karmic effects in not opposing domination, when the dominator force represents a predatory virus whose effects are universal across the world. Yoga philosophy may have to be amended in our contemporary context.”

May I respond: The teaching of yoga as found in Patanjali’s yoga sutra does not say that violence is wrong or right or good or bad or justified or not. Patanjali does not pass a value judgment on any action for its own sake. He speaks to those who seek enlightenment; to those who want to disentangle themselves from the cycle of birth and death. To them he says choose your actions wisely, according to the results they will bring, be sure that those results are in alignment with your aims. A yogi is someone who is not so much interested in being “right” as they are interested in being “free”. One can (and many do) justify violence from a perspective of being right: If someone has hurt you, you can feel justified in retaliating, lashing out. Or when someone drives a plane into the World Trade Center, you along with most Americans may feel completely justified in engaging in some type of revenge. When push comes to shove, habits are hard to break….and so the world goes round and round and round…. In Sanskrit this is referred to as the wheel of samsara, which literally means same (sam) suffering (sara) over and over again.

A yogi is someone who is committed to moksha, which is freedom from this cycle of karma. One begins on that journey to liberation by ceasing to react to outer symptoms and instead directing one’s actions toward discovering the causes of the obstacles to freedom.

The author, Gregory David Roberts, spent time in India, locked up in one of the worst prisons in the world, notorious for it’s filthy conditions and violent sadistic brutality inflicted upon it’s incarcerated prisoners. From his experiences GDR wrote a book titled, Shantaram, (which is a Sanskrit word meaning, man of peace.) The following excerpt is from chapter one.

"It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured. I realized, somehow, through the screaming in my mind, that even in that shackled, bloody helplessness, I was free: free to hate the men who were torturing me, or to forgive them. It doesn't sound like much, I know. But in the flinch and bite of the chain, when it's all you've got, that freedom is a universe of possibility. And the choice you make, between hating and forgiving, can become the story of your life."—GDR

Using Violence against violence:

In your comments you not only cite historical situations in which violence was used in order to right a wrong you also justify the violence: when you say:“….I would argue that the partisans of Spain, the fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto, the US Army against the Nazis, the Native Americans against the colonialists, etcetera, did not create negative karma, but moved closer to liberation through their actions…”

In response to that statement, I must ask, “what do you mean by liberation?” Has the world been liberated? Has the war been won? Are we all free? Is there peace on earth?

Apparently you don’t think that the war has been won and is over, because you are using as the foundation for your “violent means argument” the fact that the world is in dire straits.

It is common practice for generals, soldiers, presidents, murderers, slaughterhouse workers, vivisectionists, and meat eaters to justify violence by rationalizing that it will bring about something good in the end. Many who perpetuate violence against animals say yes it is evil but it is a necessary evil. Necessary for what? When is evil ever really necessary? Can we truly afford its consequences?

The fact is that violence only brings more violence.

A mere glance, looking back in history will prove this. Referring to an example you have already given, where violence was used against violence: the Native Americans fought against the invasion of the Europeans, but in the end the Europeans did not leave America, in fact they are still coming.

But when we look at the two major non-violent movements of our present era: India’s independence from Britain and the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, have to a large extent achieved their goals.

But if your goal is to perpetuate more violence, then by all means react to violence with more violence and you will see it will work every time.

But if you have another aim in mind; for instance peace or liberation, then your strategy must be more radical as it must address the root cause of the issue. You must ask yourself what actions would result in peace?

You must plant the best seeds to achieve your goals. If you want to eat apple pie, you don’t start by planting a pumpkin seed. You must create the kind of karmas, which are “good” for achieving your desired result. And if you are still living in a time-bound reality you must be patient, as there really is no such thing as instant karma; because seeds take time to grow.

“The non-violent approach does not immediately change the heart of the oppressor. It first does something to the hearts and souls of those committed to it. It gives them new self-respect; it calls up resources of strength and courage that they did not know they had. Finally it reaches the opponent and so stirs his conscious that reconciliation becomes a reality.”—MLK,jr

When in the throes of symptoms one easily feels like a victim and can think that the violence is being inflicted upon them. At that time it is difficult to reflect on possible causes, much less to calmly act from a causal place. Most of us react to symptoms, not to causes and in doing so perpetuate the very things we want to be rid of. We attack the common cold with medicines that get rid of the symptoms, but does the cold go away? We view diseases like cancer and heart disease in a similar way by fighting the symptoms of the disease but not addressing the causes of the disease. We say we want an end to terrorism, but who is willing to look in the mirror and see where they themselves may be contributing to terrorism. We say we want peace, but are we willing to live peacefully?

When you brought up, at the Evolver event, the question about what should one do if one is being attacked, I said if you can see the person coming at you as not coming at you but as coming from you, then you can use compassion to absorb him or her back into the emptiness (shunyata) of your own heart. This is the best scenario, but it may be the most difficult. If you turn the other cheek, you perceive yourself as a victim and you perceive the attacker as victimizing you and you set up a situation for that person to incur more karma, which would lead to more violence. So, if you can’t recognize your attacker for who he or she really is and use the weapon of love to forgive and absorb this person into emptiness, then it would be best to admit that you can’t see the situation clearly and do your best to exit. Otherwise your only other option would be to fight back, reacting to violence with more violence. If you choose violence as your option then you insure a future for yourself of more violence. In other words you don’t stop the violence at that moment by attacking or killing your opponent, you only plant more seeds for more violence to be set into motion.

In the example I gave from Gregory David Robert’s experience in prison, he could not physically run away from his oppressors, but he could have reacted with violence by thinking violent thoughts about his tormentors. Instead he realized that if he really wanted to change the course of his life and be free of violence he had to make the first move toward that freedom and he did. He did it by refusing to act violently; instead he used love to shower his tormentors with forgiveness. To meet violence with love usually takes a lot of practice (sadhana).

The Bhagavad Gita addresses this issue. I think I should say something about the Gita because, someone did use it at the Evolver event, to justify killing and my answer to them that night wasn’t received very well and you also bring it up again in our latest discussion.

So here, in brief: is the Gita---

In beginning of the story Arjuna, who is a ten-generation-professional soldier is very upset, his mind is unclear he is in a state of anxiety. He tells his friend, Krishna, that he doesn’t want to fight, he wants to quit his job. Krishna tells Arjuna that he can’t quit his job right now, he has to fight because his past karmas have set him up to fight and he doesn’t have any other options at this time. But, Krishna also tells him that if he is really serious about changing his destiny, the course of his life, then he can help him to do that through teaching him yoga. The Bhagavad Gita then unfolds as Krishna gives the various teaching on yoga, karma, shunyata, and love. Krishna tells him that in order to change his life’s path he must first bring himself to a state of equanimity of mind through the practices of yoga and from that place he will be able to perceive himself and others clearly and then he can take the necessary actions which would enable him to quit his job as a soldier. Krishna cautions him about making a life changing decision while in a state of anxiety, as he explains that no lasting positive change can come from actions that are born out of violence, anger or depression. But to alter one’s perception of reality takes time and this is what abyasa (steady practice) means. Consistant steady practice over time brings the desired result. Arjuna had been practicing violence consistently for a long time, now he wants to change and wants instant peace. It doesn’t happen that way. One must unravel one’s entanglements, using abyasa and viaragya (detachment).

Let’s backtrack for a moment: An understanding of basic yogic terms like karma,(action) shunyata (emptiness) and pratisthayam (to be established in a particular practice) may help when it comes to discussing ahimsa. (non-violence). So let’s start with karma, which simply means action. Good karma and bad karma are terms of relevance. What brings you closer to your desired goal, whatever that may be, is referred to as “good” karma and what takes you away from your desired goal could then be seen as “bad” karma.

During our talk at the Evolver event, you said that you didn’t like the way that Geshe Michael Roach commented that all the people who had come to hear his talk had good karma. You felt that with this statement he was being elitist, and you asked, “What about the security person, working downstairs, does that mean they don’t have good karma and that they have bad karma?” Karma is relative, as all actions are. The people at the Geshe M. talk had the “good” karma to be there, the security person had different karmas, which weren’t “good” for hearing a Buddhist lecture. The security person has karmas, which are “good” for something else. There is no judgment of right and wrong here…it is about what actions will best take you to where you want to go. Not everybody is interested in Buddhism for instance; this doesn’t mean they are bad people or that they are doing something wrong.

The Practice of non-violence

Central to the teachings of yoga is a belief that the nature of the universe and of the Self is ananda, which mean bliss or boundless joy. In other words it is a happy, harmonious space. Dr. Martin Luther King jr speaks of this essential space:

“Nonviolent resistance is based on the conviction that the universe is on the side of justice. Consequently, the believer in nonviolence has deep faith in the future. This faith is another reason why the nonviolent resister can accept suffering without retaliation. For he knows that in his struggle for justice he has cosmic partnership.”

How do we see ourselves? How we treat others determines how others treat us, how others treat us determines how we see ourselves, how we see ourselves determines who we are.

During the American Civil Rights movement in 1960s, Malcolm X opposed the non-violent yogic methods to which Dr. King was committed. When Malcolm X spoke to black people he spoke to them as if they were victims of violence. He wanted to encourage them to fight with vengeance for the wrongs that had been done to them. He felt that for blacks to use violence against whites was justified. In order to do this he did his best to make blacks feel like victims and to identify themselves as victims. He made them feel angry, instigating violence against their oppressors. Dr. King, on the other hand did not speak to black people as if they were victims, he spoke to them as if they were saints. He spoke to their higherselves. He spoke to them as if they were holy beings, who had already overcome anger and fear and had become so large in love that they could forgive their oppressors. He spoke to those who had a vision of the promised land and he spoke as someone who shared that vision of the promised land as a true possibility.

Ahimsa pratisthayam tat samnidhau vaira tyagah—Patanjali YogaSutra 11.35 (translation: When you stop harming others, others will cease to harm you)

Our actions are powerful, they create the reality we live in. So the question of whether or not we should use violence to combat violence should be answered by asking ourselves: What do we really want, how do we want the future to unfold? Our actions now will determine how that happens. It has always been up to us.

“Violence only brings one thing: more and more of the same. We can bomb the world to pieces but we can’t bomb it into peace.”--Michael Franti

Om Shanthi,

Thank you Daniel, With love, Sharon