Very much needed and so clearly put, challenging us to think “yoga” to think deeply and practically about our conversations and actions in the face of Hamas’ attack on Israeli citizens. No false equivalences here. Let us not turn away if we call what we do “yoga.” One of the clearest provocations to draw on what we call Rajanaka to help us interrogate what we do with and to each other. Thank you so very much.
When war ruptures nearly every semblance of civilization dissembles and competing narratives emerge. It is at this point we must learn again to embrace a necessary absurdity: what does it mean to be rational actors in an irrational, non-rational situation? But it is possible to tell the truth even when rationality is no longer pertinent. Without the truth there can be no morality much less clarity. Such a claim to the moral depends on the truth in both fact and admission.
Atrocity makes us consider intention even as war devolves into fog, disorganized and anarchic. Does it matter whether such acts were calculated, even premeditated? Accidental, unintended, inadvertent? Can we assess the difference this would make? The brutality itself may be the same but not the barbarism.
Sometimes the lies told are so conspicuous as to be undisguised. But in war there is miasma and it is often the case we can’t immediately sort out the facts. In many cases we may never know.
But this means we’ll need to resort to people’s word, to gauge character and consider values. People may tell us who they are and show us who they want to be. That must inform our confidence in their accounts.
Such matters have provenance, there is history to consider, and even clearly articulated descriptions and avowals. When people have told you who they want to be this is as important as who they are because that is much of what war confounds and disorients.
In the immediate aftermath of yesterday’s dreadful hospital bombing we were entreated to two very different narratives of culpability. We may not yet have all the facts before us but the question of who could you believe is not, as I see it, in question.
One side has made the detestable, shameless decision to put its own people in harm’s way to protect their explicitly stated violent intentions; the other makes demonstrable efforts in policy and in fact to avoid innocent death. We may not know how this hospital was destroyed but we can know who is worthy of our belief in their word, even in the grim fog of war.
In a world where the binary of perfect peace and complete nihilism are tantalizing illusions, it’s good to be conscious of where I can/must stand. Thank you again for your words.
Thanks, Douglas, you always seems to find the thoughts and words that are so helpful, especially in the tough moments. This is another brilliant example. I really appreciate, like others, how you brought it to Yoga and the Bhagavadgītā. It never ceases to amaze me how, even after studying the Gita with you for over 200 hours, you always have more, like with the break down of Yudisthira's name. Many thanks!
Deeply disturbing. Grateful for the conversation. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts about the current atrocities, the danger of silence and turning away, the stakes we face, the awareness and sthira needed, accountability. to what do we yoke
Thanks for this one, Dougie-ji. I appreciate your two very clear points about a) taking the stand against and nihilism and b) ensuring we don't sink into nihilism ourselves. "B" really got to me. As unconscionable as Hamas' actions are and continue to be, I fear that Israel is already entering those waters as well. Cutting off food, water, and energy - that also violates our conventions. In terms of scale it's not equivalent, but it is a step in the wrong direction, and now with the planned ground siege, what comes next? What's the yoga of reigning in our worst impulses? Of not taking that step into the asura side of things when we see (or don't) it start to happen, in ourselves or others?
Con vrt... Engage in the turning and churning. Enough with the nivritti and "both sides are the same" falsehoods. Thank you for speaking truth, sadly now a courageous act.
This is the moment of Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita, literally. Krisna's command to Arjuna to stand up to fight the battle has no ambiguity while we know that the Mahabhrata war has no happy ending. We do not give in to nihilism. We do not fall into hate. We stand for humanity because the life is a gift. Thank you Douglas for bringing Mahabhrata to us.
Very much needed and so clearly put, challenging us to think “yoga” to think deeply and practically about our conversations and actions in the face of Hamas’ attack on Israeli citizens. No false equivalences here. Let us not turn away if we call what we do “yoga.” One of the clearest provocations to draw on what we call Rajanaka to help us interrogate what we do with and to each other. Thank you so very much.
When war ruptures nearly every semblance of civilization dissembles and competing narratives emerge. It is at this point we must learn again to embrace a necessary absurdity: what does it mean to be rational actors in an irrational, non-rational situation? But it is possible to tell the truth even when rationality is no longer pertinent. Without the truth there can be no morality much less clarity. Such a claim to the moral depends on the truth in both fact and admission.
Atrocity makes us consider intention even as war devolves into fog, disorganized and anarchic. Does it matter whether such acts were calculated, even premeditated? Accidental, unintended, inadvertent? Can we assess the difference this would make? The brutality itself may be the same but not the barbarism.
Sometimes the lies told are so conspicuous as to be undisguised. But in war there is miasma and it is often the case we can’t immediately sort out the facts. In many cases we may never know.
But this means we’ll need to resort to people’s word, to gauge character and consider values. People may tell us who they are and show us who they want to be. That must inform our confidence in their accounts.
Such matters have provenance, there is history to consider, and even clearly articulated descriptions and avowals. When people have told you who they want to be this is as important as who they are because that is much of what war confounds and disorients.
In the immediate aftermath of yesterday’s dreadful hospital bombing we were entreated to two very different narratives of culpability. We may not yet have all the facts before us but the question of who could you believe is not, as I see it, in question.
One side has made the detestable, shameless decision to put its own people in harm’s way to protect their explicitly stated violent intentions; the other makes demonstrable efforts in policy and in fact to avoid innocent death. We may not know how this hospital was destroyed but we can know who is worthy of our belief in their word, even in the grim fog of war.
In a world where the binary of perfect peace and complete nihilism are tantalizing illusions, it’s good to be conscious of where I can/must stand. Thank you again for your words.
Well put Mariah. Thanks.
Thanks, Douglas, you always seems to find the thoughts and words that are so helpful, especially in the tough moments. This is another brilliant example. I really appreciate, like others, how you brought it to Yoga and the Bhagavadgītā. It never ceases to amaze me how, even after studying the Gita with you for over 200 hours, you always have more, like with the break down of Yudisthira's name. Many thanks!
Deeply disturbing. Grateful for the conversation. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts about the current atrocities, the danger of silence and turning away, the stakes we face, the awareness and sthira needed, accountability. to what do we yoke
Thank you for your words, your voice. I’m grateful for you, Douglas. Much needed perspective in this horrific time.
Thanks for this one, Dougie-ji. I appreciate your two very clear points about a) taking the stand against and nihilism and b) ensuring we don't sink into nihilism ourselves. "B" really got to me. As unconscionable as Hamas' actions are and continue to be, I fear that Israel is already entering those waters as well. Cutting off food, water, and energy - that also violates our conventions. In terms of scale it's not equivalent, but it is a step in the wrong direction, and now with the planned ground siege, what comes next? What's the yoga of reigning in our worst impulses? Of not taking that step into the asura side of things when we see (or don't) it start to happen, in ourselves or others?
Con vrt... Engage in the turning and churning. Enough with the nivritti and "both sides are the same" falsehoods. Thank you for speaking truth, sadly now a courageous act.
Thank you! Yes indeed - let's not become that which we detest.
This is the moment of Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita, literally. Krisna's command to Arjuna to stand up to fight the battle has no ambiguity while we know that the Mahabhrata war has no happy ending. We do not give in to nihilism. We do not fall into hate. We stand for humanity because the life is a gift. Thank you Douglas for bringing Mahabhrata to us.
Thank you for this wisdom 🙏🩵