Lessons to be learned
As yoga practitioners, we might also
reflect on the idea of responsibility
and karma (the law of moral causation –
or how your behaviours affect your
future). The ancient Indian language
of Sanskrit in which many of the
scriptures and teachings of yoga were
originally written does not have a word
that directly translates as “guilt”. From
this we can surmise that the idea of
blame and guilt is not really a paradigm
that reflects the yogic way of thinking.
While in modern Australian culture
the much-anticipated and lauded
apology given to Indigenous Australia –
and particularly the Stolen Generations- from then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
in 2008 was important, yogic philosophy
might ask not so much for a “sorry” but
would be more inclined to ask questions
about what lessons have been learned
and how we might avoid future
suffering. This is not to say that
apologising is not important – just
that the nature of apology is in itself
quite at odds with the idea of karma.
The teachings of karma state that what
we do to another we do to ourselves,
and that ultimately it is we ourselves
who will have to heal the damage
done by our harmful actions.^65
may/june 2015yogajournal.com.auPhoto: Janellelugge/shutterstock.comBlessings to the
land meditation
Find a comfortable sitting
position for meditation.
repeat the following words,
pausing with time to reflect
after each statement”Peace be before me
Peace be behind me
Peace be within me
Peace be in the sky
Peace be in the earth
Peace be in the water
Peace be in the trees
Peace be with my brothers
Peace be with my sisters
Peace be with the animals
Peace be with the fish
Peace be before me
Peace be behind me
Peace be within meyj43_62-66_Aborigional spiritual teachings and yoga.indd 65 31/03/2015 10:50 am