Battles with Our Selves and Others

Are You At War?

Art by B.G. Sharma

Dear Reader,

I’ve been re-reading the Bhagavad Gita recently and once again have fallen in love with this beautiful text. Many peaceable yogic folks are put off by the fact it is set on a battlefield. Personally, I feel that this scene is highly appropriate. If there is one thing we humans need to learn most urgently, it is how to best deal with the battles that rage both within us and around us.

If we simply pretend that conflict isn’t happening, or isn’t anything to do with us, or isn’t resolvable, then we become unwittingly complicit. This idea is succinctly portrayed in the statement seen on many a Black Lives Matter banner: “Silence is Violence”.

If we don’t acknowledge, understand and speak up against injustice and harm, we perpetuate it. Yet in order to do this, we are required to step into the fray, to become actively nonviolent. It takes an enormous amount of self-mastery to step into conflict with an open heart and mind. The Bhagavad Gita helps us cultivate the qualities that enable us to do just this. M.K. Gandhi revered this text as his spiritual, ethical and practical guide in life, referring to it as his Spiritual Mother. He was introduced to the Bhagavad Gita in the UK by members of the Theosophical society.

”I confess to you that, when doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and when I see not one ray of light on the horizon, I run to the Bhagavad Gita and find a verse to comfort me, and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow.”

M. K. Gandhi, Gita the Mother, edited by Jag Parvesh Chander

The story centres around two characters. Arjuna the warrior, represents us - a human trying to do their best in a difficult situation, but feeling depressed, overwhelmed and anxious about how to proceed. He is counselled by his calm and kindly chariot driver: Krishna. This text is said to be a summary of the whole of the Vedas, a vast body of work. As such, it is granted that the reader may view Krishna as a mythological figure who represents the atman, our own wise soul that is one with the Universal Soul brahman. Or he may be viewed as the actual incarnation of God, who lived on the earth five thousand years ago, beginning life as a cowherd and then later becoming a prince of the Yadu dynasty, in Northern India.¹

In some sense whether we acknowledge it or not, we are all engaged in some kind of conflict. The world is not as we would like it: injustice, unfairness, corruption and greed are rife in many areas of life, particularly in our politicians and the uber-rich. We are engaged in war at a global scale, and there are conflicts on a smaller scale within communities, workplaces, institutions and families. What is more, there is a battle going on inside each and every one of us, it simmers under the surface and goes on quietly, inside our minds. We might only become aware of it when we suddenly get very angry, hurt, afraid or defensive, or we might be plagued by harsh and judgmental thoughts, attacking both ourselves and others inside our minds.

The Bhagavad Gita gives an insights into how to quieten this inner battle. As we become proficient in dealing with inner conflict, we learn to both acknowledge and diffuse the outer conflicts around us.

Let your mind elevate you, not degrade you. Your mind can be your friend as well as your enemy.

If you subdue your mind, it is your friend; but if you fail to do so, it behaves as your enemy.

One with subdued and tranquil mind lives in the company of the Supreme Self, whether in happiness or distress, heat or cold, honour or dishonour.

One who is satisfied through knowledge and realisation, who senses are subdued, is established in yoga and sees earth, stone and gold as the same.

Chapter Six,
Bhagavad Gita: Talks Between the Soul and God; Ranchor Prime.

The central teaching of the Bhagavad Gita is the concept, of nishkamakarma. This Sanskrit word means “acting, without desire for the fruits of one’s action.” When we are not mentally or emotionally dependent on things turning out a certain way, we are able to listen to both sides of a conflict with equal respect, patience and curiosity. This kind of attitude enables a level of nonviolence in our thoughts, words and actions. This is exactly the approach that Gandhi used to work diligently towards Indian Independence. This way of meeting life enables us to see through our differences, the labels of where we come from, or what beliefs we have. Through the lens of nishkamakarma we have more capacity for seeing the truth (satya), bearing in mind there are many facets to the truth, see my article here on Multiple Social Truths for more about this.

If we consider how politics, news or the culture wars are presented to us, we might notice that we are often provided with an easy either-or choice. We should be wary of the idea that such a simplistic bipolar reality exists. When we are encouraged to take one side or another in a debate, it is useful to become curious as to why? And to ask: who does it serve? Life is much more complex than this or that; right or wrong; good or bad. There is so much nuance and history behind conflicts, these details often get lost in the telling of the story. For many years, we have been led to believe that such “his-stories” are truth.

In recent times, largely due to the internet, which offers each one of us the capacity to tell our story, we have discovered alternate histories. These are the stories that lie underneath the stories of the powerful. Another way to expand our knowledge about these differing “her-stories” is to talk to a wide variety of people to hear their stories. If you live in an area where there is a lack of cultural diversity, reading books by writers from very different backgrounds and cultures can provide a more rich and more expansive outlook.

The more we explore, the more we find that there is an underlying thread in humanity. We learn that although we are diverse, we are not so different, that no nation, creed, colour or class is our enemy. We realise in our hearts, that no person deserves to be living under the threat of war or persecution.

Sadly, it is often the case, that fear, greed and disbelief in the inherent goodness of human nature often get in the way of our uncovering our true nature.

Most of us suffer from the mistaken belief that it is in grabbing that we receive, it is in venting that we find fulfilment. Unfortunately, happiness escapes us the more we clutch at it by manipulating those around us and accumulating more material possessions. Security is not found in a stockpile of weapons but in mutual trust and respect among individuals, races, and nations; peace is not found in asserting our rights over others but in assuring the lasting welfare of our extended circle of family and friends.

The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living, Vol. 1, Books 1-6
Eknath Easwaran

As our circle of friends expands, so we become more supported and resilient from the ground up. Mutual support and aid are likely to become more important as the institutions we used to rely on continue to decline. Assuring the “lasting welfare” of our communities means standing up for principles such as good healthcare, education and welfare for all. It means showing support for the many workers who are doing impossibly long shifts, whilst being underpaid and dealing with grave concerns for the safety and welfare of those under their care.

When we are less engaged in the inner battle, our mind becomes more calm, clear and expansive. As a consequence, we are more able to bring our attention to how we can work to improve our lives and the lives of others. When our mind calms down we become more connected to the wisdom of the heart, we start to consider and uphold positive values that bring a sense of meaning into our lives.

“When the people are strong in their inner direction, and firm in their attitudes, evil in government and society can find no place to grow.”

The I Ching
Hexagram 18 - Work on What Has Been Spoiled.
Commentary by Carol K. Anthony

Classes are running, as usual, this week. The following week I am having a break. You can book your class below, including the free Monday meditation… it is a lovely way to start the week. See below for details of my partner Alistair’s monthly, in-person sound baths.

With love and good wishes,

Julia xx

Monthly Soundbaths - In Person!

Soundbaths at Life By Margot, 84 Park Road, Crouch End, London N8 8JQ
3rd Friday of Every Month - next: 17th Feb
A sound bath is an immersive sound experience. Once you are lying down and comfortable, Alistair will take you on a meditative journey using gongs, singing bowls, chimes and percussion. Sound baths are great if you find it difficult to relax and let go. The sound gives your mind something to focus on and become absorbed in. The myriad vibrations can help your body release tension and your energetic system to shift imbalances and dissonant patterns.
Click here for more info and to book

1. Bhagavad Gita: Talks Between the Soul and God, Ranchor Prime