Should I Turn and Look the Other Way?

I have been speaking to fellow yogis who I trust and admire who say that they just can’t watch or listen to the news anymore. It is all too depressing. With the new administration in power, social justice, gender rights and climate protections are corroding right before our eyes. The executive orders to dig for coal, drill for oil, kick underclass people out of Chicago and New York, attack people because of their sexuality, and free criminals who raided the capital on Jan 6, ’21, are an outrage and a tragedy. No doubt it is painful to watch. But is it right to turn and look the other way? Or not look at all? I am wondering, in keeping with the tenets of yoga, how do we respond in the face of  such indefensible decrees?  And what is right action? In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the cornerstone of practice involves non-harming, acting with integrity and living true. But does the vow to engage in a wholesome life stop at the end of your yoga mat or at the end of your driveway?

The practice of “right livelihood” is not simply about  staying healthy, eating organic foods, taking stretch classes and meditating on the comfort of your cushion. If we ignore what is going on around us, we default to avidya—not knowing, not seeing and not caring. But I take that back. I feel that most people do care and hold great empathy in their hearts. The yogi friends I know, are open minded, non-judgmental, and love the natural world now so vulnerable to ruin. So how is it that so many feel paralyzed, unable to bear witness to the injustice at hand?  “It all makes me so angry” my friend said this week, summing up the sentiment of many. But wait. Anger can be power. Anger is loaded with energy. If we can channel “right anger” into action then we can stand up for what is fair and what is true. And it starts with paying attention, taking time for reflection, and sharing with others. For centuries people have gathered in the town plaza, in the marketplace, or over coffee to give voice to their predicament, their hopes and fears. More than ever we need to be calling out the forces of greed, deceit, and intolerance now mounting around us. Can we find the language to articulate our grave concerns, not through violence or hate but from a clear mind and true heart?

None of this is easy, especially for those who would rather avoid conflict altogether. But hold to truth, speak out against what is unjust, and practice in support of all sentient beings.