Hope for a Spiritually-Informed Citizenship
A Letter from the Editor
Dear Tarka Readers,
Contemplative practice sits at a juncture between individual practice and collective belonging. Set in a modern context of capitalist ideology, yoga and meditation practice can run the risk of becoming tools for self-idolization wherein the quest for self-improvement seemingly justifies an endless stream of purchases and myopic self-concern. A popular critique of modern yoga begins with a portrait of a spandex clad, ultra thin, upper to middle class, caucasian woman. She likely begins yoga for fitness reasons or to reduce stress and has little to no knowledge - or perhaps even lacks interest - in the textual and/or historical traditions of yoga. This icon of bastardized, commercialized yoga is at odds with a tradition that seeks liberation - or is it?
Buddhist teachings recognize six classes of beings, each allocated to various realms of existence including hell beings, hungary ghosts, animals, humans, demi gods, and gods. While existence in each realm is the result of prior karma, it is also taught that all beings have lived countless lives in each realm and that within the human realm we can identify traces or tendencies of each of these realms. Thus, we see beings who exist in a kind of hell-realm on earth, like a war zone or a home wracked with the consequences of addiction. Further, we can identify those that appear to exist like demi-gods, powerful and still hungry for more or those who appear to live like gods, so comfortable with life that they lack the motivation or clairity to do anything other than seek enjoyment.
In these teachings, the ideal realm for spiritual progress is the human realm. It is beset with just enough comfort and suffering, a balanced mix, to allow for clairity, motivation, and hope. It is easy to critique the myriad of ways that modern yoga has gone wrong, yet it also sits at a juncture of motivation, hope, and potential clarity. Recognizing this, we might wonder, what might propel the energy of modern yoga away from self-indulgence, towards effective concern for the greater good?
For many of the meditative traditions including the Goddess traditions in Hinduism, Sikh faith, Saiva Tantra, Christian spirituality and others, a teaching akin to the Buddhist interdependence connects the efforts of the individual with a universal whole. Famously, the late Zen teacher Thich Nhat Han coined the term “interbeing” as part of his contemporary translation and interpretation of the Heart Sutra. In one excerpt he gives the example of a flower, wherein the sky, sun, water, and earth are all necessary for the flower to exist. Looking around, and upon examination, we can see that no thing and no part of ourselves exists in isolation. We cannot even say who “we” are without reference to another!
In this way, recognizing our connection to the whole, and a willingness to act for the benefit of others, is intimately connected to our own individual well-being. And, perhaps, a foundation of individual practice and self care will sustain, empower, and clarify the activist efforts.
The Tarka Issue 6, On Spiritual Citizenship, explores the intersection of activism and spiritual practice through a number of different perspectives. This issue was created over the course of an entire year and includes articles and excerpts from the six day conference hosted by Embodied Philosophy on Spiritual Citizenship, along with a later panel discussion and several live teaching events on the topic. Spiritual citizenship is a key aspect of Embodied Philosophy’s mission, connecting ancient teachings, contemporary practices, and the current issues of our time. In total, we are working towards the development of practical techniques and the advancement of a foundational, theoretical shift in the practice and study of contemplative traditions. We invite you to explore the issue, to activate your own practice and community, and to join the ongoing conversation on how to best ignite and sustain spiritual citizenship.
~ Stephanie Corigliano