On tending to your inner garden
Patañjali’s system of knowledge teaches us that our words and actions, and the thoughts that preceded them, and the waves of perception that preceded those, are all born from the most subtle of seeds. These seeds, called sanskārs, get planted in the gardens of our minds through many things such as our family lineage, our education, our experiences, and societal conditioning. What we know of seeds is, given the right conditions, they will eventually sprout. And, like a seed that reaches through the layers of soil before it enters the daylight, a sanskār will embed itself through my layers until it becomes a visible flower.
Borrowing from another philosophical tradition, the Taittiriya Upanishad says that us humans are more than just the stuff you can see. We are: a physical body; an energetic body; a mental body; a wisdom body; and, at our core, a body of pure joy and abiding love. So how can something as subtle as a seed pierce through all of these layers?
An example: My love of music may have started as the subtlest of seeds, but has since produced thoughts that revolve around melody and timing; a nervous system that prioritizes the sense of hearing over the others; the energetic persuasion towards those that also love music; and a physical body that responds to a good beat with movement and goosebumps. This ‘music’ seed of mine is pretty innocuous, maybe even positive.
But how many seeds go unexamined? And how many have produced harmful tendencies, beliefs and perceptions?
Too many.
So when I thought of white supremacy like this, a deeply buried sanskār that’s taken root over 3 decades in my garden, producing various blooms that I’ve left unexamined, I knew exactly what to do. I can choose to unearth the seeds that produce a vision of division; that set myself as separate from those who aren’t me. I can rid myself of the seed that’s rendered my vision as ‘colour blind’. I can dig out the plants that make me avoidant of conflict and attracted to ‘being good.’ And I can foster the seeds of accountability and of kindness and of humility in action.
My practice, my work, is to be mindful of the seeds I sow, and to be ruthless with the ones I haven’t propagated. It’s been almost three years of tending to my garden and I share this with you NOT because a green thumb comes naturally to me, but because, by its nature, this work is incessant. Any plot of land will become overgrown with weeds if we leave it unattended. I’ve learned some useful tips along the way and so I share these with you:
Be Vigilant- remember: your wisdom self permeates all things: your perceptions, thoughts, AND senses — use these tools at your disposal. They’ll be essential if you are to continue unearthing these seeds.
Meditate- so that the skill of witnessing thoughts becomes one that is based on non-interference, and non-judgement. You will need this detachment to avoid the resistance that arises when you think you’ve gone far enough.
Be Steadfast- this isn’t a thirty-day challenge or a 200 hour certification. This is the way you’ll exist for the rest of your conscious days. Know that there are systems among us that are constantly sowing seeds, and that these systems would rather you NOT be aware of their incessant sowing and irrigation. We’ll name one here, the system of white supremacy and its many offshoots (among the many other ‘isms’ that have propagated too many harmful blooms.)
Have Faith- when we become skillful at the work, our positive sanskārs will neutralize the negative. (Think of marigolds that prevent bugs from eating our tomato plants; and legumes that restore nitrogen levels into our soil. We can plant the good seeds.)
Most important to remember, these seeds are not selective. Like a skilled industrial farmer, they are scattered everywhere. So I ask you, what seed has gone unexamined? And I remind you of these tips as you go forward with shovel in hand.
This is the work. My philosophy necessitates activism.
Happy gardening!
Some resources to get things started (and I will continue to post more here):
I have used Layla’s workbook and taken some online workshops with her.
They do AMAZING work. My interaction with this foundation is through an online course offered for yoga teachers and facilitators on approaching their work with inclusivity and anti-oppression in mind.
@soulgayoga
Classes & workshops geared for the BIPOC community. Follow them, get on their mailing list. Their workshops are relevant, effective and welcoming.