A yogi commits to political activism.
Sometimes we feel moved by experience: a song, a poem that lifts the heart, words that stir the soul, or the speech of a political leader might send one on an arduous journey for a cause. I was recently moved to participate in the Great American Walk for Freedom, a 280-mile, three-week trek across Wisconsin into Minnesota, culminating at the Rally for the Republic – Congressman Ron Paul’s anti-establishment Twin Cities gathering coinciding with the establishment’s Republican National Convention.
If you had told me 18 months ago that I would find myself cheering ecstatically for a Republican presidential candidate from Texas, I would have referred you, out of great concern for your well-being, to one of the many competent mental health professionals that populate my Rolodex.
The idea of releasing attachment to specific views is a Buddhist teaching I find inspiring. Buddha and his disciples, such as Thich Nhat Hanh, frequently point out that dharma is not to be taken as gospel, but rather proven in the crucible of practice. So, I have found it valuable to step out of the parameters of prior views to explore the world of politics for the first time.
Avowedly nonpolitical, I had steadfastly held the belief that we can only create peace by being peace. During the 18 months prior to my plunge into political activism, I organized peace walks with the intention to generate inner peace and aid a transformational process in the world at large by working from the individual to the societal. Peace and personal responsibility for the world can be found in every step.
It was perhaps the notion of peace as an individual process of personal responsibility that led me to the “The Ron Paul R3VOLution.” The spontaneous, grassroots campaign to elect Ron Paul as president was largely brought about by individuals standing up to take on the establishment together. And putting some LOVE in the R3VOLution was appealing as well!
The R3VOLution
The call goes out: “Ron Paul!” The response: “REVOLUTION.” The rafters of the Target Center in Minneapolis reverberate with 12,000 resolute voices.
Ron Paul uses the ‘R’ word numerous times in his speech. “A revolutionary spirit has erupted and it will not be suppressed. The Revolution to save the Republic has been ignited. It was a revolution in waiting. The (presidential) campaign became the catalyst that excited millions who, in their own quiet way, were already working diligently to save our Constitution, preserve our liberties, and reject outright the notion of an American world empire.”
American satyagraha?
Words tend to carry connotations with them and there is no word more loaded than “revolution.” The mind leaps to scenes of bloodshed, summary executions and a new boss replacing the old. A revolution is of course a turning of the political tide. Gandhi was masterful in bringing about a relatively nonviolent revolution against British rule. Can we see an American satyagraha (nonviolent resistance)? Ron Paul seemed to point in this direction:
“The question of civil disobedience is of great importance. I personally don’t want to participate in any acts of violence or set the stage where violence will easily break out. But we’re nearing the point where all of us who are struggling to bring about change will have to make a decision regarding civil disobedience. A gradual transition through elections and persuasion should be our goal..Already many Americans practice civil disobedience. Some are outwardly at risk and have suffered for it.I can conceive of the day when the decision regarding civil disobedience will be of paramount importance. It will always be an individual choice, but history has shown that peaceful resistance to government injustice is a powerful weapon. Gandhi and Martin Luther King showed that this process can bring about a lot of positive changes.”
Warrior Spirit
At Ron Paul’s request, rocker and Los Angeles resident Aimee Allen performed a rendition of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Universal Soldier.” Congressman Paul commented later that this is the essence of decision-making. The Universal Solider allows the bureaucrats and tyrants to exist and I must confess that I was the Universal Soldier as well..Others resisted but I marched off [to the Vietnam War]. We must replace the Universal Soldier with the Universal Champion of Liberty.
In a yogic context, one needs to explore whether the impulse to fight is inherently negative. Is there a good fight? We express the warrior spirit in virabhadrasana (warrior pose). The Warrior is resolute, engaged, active and able to absorb or deflect an adversary’s blow. The Warriors stand their ground with purpose and integrity.
Perhaps yogis and yoginis and disciplined meditators will form the core of an American version of satyagraha that can lead to the kind of peaceful, non-violent R3VOLution to restore constitutional government and replace the arbitrary rule of men with the rule of law.
Individual Liberty
“The journey of a thousand li,” says a Chinese proverb, “begins with a single step.”
I stepped out of Green Bay, Wisconsin, with a dozen freedomistas on a mission to give out 10,000 copies of the Constitution of the United States and speak to as many people as possible about the principles of American freedom. The classic red barns and grain silos of Wisconsin lined the countryside as our crew passed through small towns and tiny villages. Mayors, village presidents, town board members, commanders of veteran’s organizations and high school principals attended our town hall meeting presentations on the Constitution and were quite supportive and open to our message of freedom.
We all took time off from work and walked at our own expense in an act of personal responsibility for the condition of our government and its impact on our nation and the world. Feet blistered, knees and tendons gave out and at times tempers flared. But like moving embodiments of the Warrior, we held firm to our purpose and arrived in Minneapolis to a hero’s welcome from the crowd of supporters waiting outside the Target Center for the Rally for the Republic.
Ron Paul echoed our motivations in his speech at the Rally: “Some worry that our numbers are small compared to the majority that remains complacent. But revolutions are never driven by a solid majority. Instead they are led by a small number of dedicated individuals working in unity for a cause. We benefit because our cause is freedom. It brings people from all walks of life together. This means there are no victims. We work together to achieve the right to run our own lives as we see fit and assume
responsibility for ourselves.”
Politics is Hell
I’ll be honest. I hate political work. It’s hard, it doesn’t pay and it challenges my inner balance and personal peace. I’d rather dedicate myself completely to yoga. But then again, perhaps the challenges are there to help me apply my yoga to the larger world. I am reminded of this quote from The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda, “Only as a warrior can one withstand the path of knowledge. A warrior cannot complain or regret anything. His life is an endless challenge, and challenges cannot possibly be good or bad. Challenges are simply challenges… a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse.”
OK. Point taken. I’ll take personal responsibility for integrating yoga and the real world politics of today as it presents itself to me.
As I write this, Ron Paul is appearing in a groundbreaking press conference with Independent candidate for president Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party, Bob Barr of the Libertarian Party and Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party to declare that “The truth is that our two-party system offers no real choice. The real goal of the [presidential] campaign is to distract people from considering the real issues.” The R3VOLution, already a very big tent, has just expanded! Viva!
Steven Vincent teaches private and studio yoga and meditation classes in the San Fernando Valley and is a well known peace and freedom activist. Yoga-LosAngeles.com;steve@pranayoga-la.com
By Steven Vincent
