THE PROMISE AND THE PREMISE
The key ingredient in a recipe for peace and equanimity is spiritual practice. And in crazy times like ours, we need prayer, meditation, mindfulness, and other practices more than ever.
They are not luxury items like a vacation; they are more akin to necessities. Think of it: When times are tough, do our bodies, minds and souls need healing, rejuvenation and nourishment? Do we need periods of silence to neutralize the incessant noise? (outside and inside our heads). Infusions of light to counter the dark energies afoot? A stabilizing anchor when the winds of rancor and rage are swirling.
Of course we do.
Yet when I talk or write about this subject, I was surprised to hear objections from people who normally placed a high value on spiritual practice. Some said they were too riled up by what is going on in the world to center themselves with their usual rituals. Others said they were too busy trying to make a dent in our many social problems. “ I don’t want to waste my time on my inner life when there’s so much at stake out there,” one activist told me. She was afraid she’d lose her edge if her anger and angst were replaced by calm, and she didn’t want to take her mind off the task at hand.
To the first set of reasons, I said: Waiting until you’re calm and clear before your sit to meditate is like showering only when you’re clean. Thinking you’re too agitated to pray or do Yoga exercises is like believing you’re too sick to see a doctor or too tired to take a nap. We need self-protection in turbulent times even more than we usually do.
To the second set of reasons, and to the dedicated souls who are working hard to change the world, I say this: Spiritual methodologies are a boon to engaged citizenship and a blessing to our collective well-being. They’re not tranquilizers that turn practitioners into complacent blobs. They don’t make you a grinning blissball who runs around spouting platitudes about God’s will. In fact, deep spirituality can be a foundation for smart, robust action. Think of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and the revered saints in every culture who were also powerful rulers, warriors, and social reformers.
An overly agitated mind is prone to mistakes, illness and accidents. If we lack a calm center, rage can turn us into blind ship captains trying to navigate in a violent storm. Ask a business leader or a police officer how he or she wants to be when swift decisions or immediate actions are demanded: frenzied and unsteady or cool and collected? Soldiers retreat to safe places to regroup and restore their strength. Athletes do the same: we used to call it halftime.
Spiritual practice serves a similar function in active life. It not only provides relief, it produces desirable qualities such as composure, compassion, alertness and resilience. Over time, it can create an inner fortress- a safe haven, a vantage point for heightened awareness, and a staging ground for skillful engagement.
In short, the spiritual is practical. Investing the time to fortify our connection to our Divine Source and unfold vital inner qualities is among the most pragmatic of all human endeavors.
This basic premise has been validated in millions of lives over eons of time, as well as by a growing body of scientific research. To release a new drug on the market, it only needs to be 3% effective whereas the study of prayer has proven efficacy of 29%. Spiritual practice in crazy times is not just a rest stop, but a refueling station; not a mere escape valve, but a launching pad. I just competed a prayer power class so if you need some assistance; by all means reach out.
It’s an inside Job
Where are you searching for me, my friend?
Look! Here am I right within you.
Not in temple, nor in mosque, nor in Kaaba,
But here right with you am I. -Kabir
