Namaste and Happy 250.

I don’t know if its because Michael and I don’t watch TV, or if its because we have been traveling abroad, or if its because we don’t get on social media very often, or if I just don’t pay attention to these type of things, but I completely missed the fact that this year is the 250th anniversary of the signing of our constitution to insure that we can live as a democracy-which is derived from the ancient Greek word dēmokratia, it literally translates to “rule by the people”. Or maybe I forgot because I don’t really feel we are living in a democracy anymore.

Coincidentally, we just returned from our fabulous retreat in Greece, and after visiting the Acropolis and walking through the Parthenon-the actual birthplace of democracy, I think Cleisthenes, the Greek “father of democracy” from 507 BCE, would fall down on those marble steps and cry for what has become of his attempt to bring liberation and equality to mankind. The city of Athens has always been a hub for politically minded people. Since ancient times, citizens would congregate at the Agora-the civic center at the base of the Acropolis, where ancient democracy took shape. Once crowded with merchants, magistrates and philosophers such as Socrates, it served as the city’s political and commercial hub.

Today the Greeks, (and really most of the world), are appalled by our American politics and they don’t mince words. They are not shy to speak how they feel about our leadership and about the citizens who support it. All of our foreign friends refused our invitation to come visit us out of principle. They do not want to support our economy or visit our beautiful country because they are disgusted with our politics.

One evening in Athens, we sat with our Greek friends discussing our current affairs, and I couldn’t help but feel the ancestors of democracy milling about the taverna hoping we might tap into some of their wisdom and carry it home with us-for we have forgotten what we immigrated to America to do.

And even then, in our efforts to escape tyranny, we annihilated an entire indigenous population so that we could live as sovereign beings. We became tyrannts ourselves.  In the 250 years of living as a “democracy”, we are no longer ruled by the people. The power of the people is no longer in our hands. Our voting system is not reflective of our choices; our voices are lost in the bureaucratic noise.

For the last decade or more, I have felt my patriotism wane. I find it harder and harder to wave my flag. A big part of it is I am not resonating with our politics-I don’t think the people are being represented, but also as society is becoming more global via technology; travel is way more accessible, and therefore more integration of cultures, it is harder for me to align with the idea that this is “my” land. All the lines we have drawn on our planet that divide humanity into various degrees of importance and sovereignty seems crazy to me.

Just because I was fortunate enough to be born in America, which has allowed me to live as freely as I do, does not make me more valuable, important, or hierarchal than someone who has been stripped of their sovereignty and personal freedom. I have a hard time turning my back on another spirit being that I am connected to through the unified field of existence just because they live in Mexico, or Iran, or the Ukraine, or Africa or anywhere where humans are suffering and being discriminated against, or held as servants to their governing forces.

The borders of a country are arbitrary. But the natural world has no borders-everything is interdependent on everything else. Humans are also part of nature, and we are interdependent on everything in the natural world as well. We must cooperate and collaborate with one another across the globe. Not just within our boundaries of The United States of America. It simply isn’t natural for humanity to live in constant conflict and distress.

I am not saying we should discard the Constitution.  I understand that with 8 billion people on the planet, we need some sort of law and order for us all to live together in harmony…and the democratic process is a beautiful process…if it is allowed to work as it is intended to do. But it isn’t working. The elite don’t want to give up their power and dominion, and so we have war and strife in our world-still.

But a revolution is beginning. Things are starting to fall apart at the seams; truths are being revealed; old systems and structures are collapsing, and we the people are waking up from the deep hypnosis we have been under believing that everything is working as it should and all is good in the world. We are revisiting what we hold as our individual and collective core values. We long to live more authentically, we want to better understand our interconnection and spiritual prowess, and we want to attune to the natural rhythms of the universe. Our deep-seeded greedy behavior is leaving a bad taste in our mouths…finally. And we want change.

In the yogic teachings, we are given four core values to live by, so as to have a purposeful life. They are called The Four Great Dharmas (sometimes referred to as The Four Desires).

When we follow this dharmic path of living, we find a great peace, a sense of purpose, and an immense joy. And in turn we spread that happiness out into the world. I love the way my teacher Dr. David Frawley frames it:

“Pursuing our dharma means that we are not just doing what we want to do, but rather that we are pursuing a way of excellence in which we ever seek to grow, develop and transcend our previous limitations. Dharma means seeking the highest, not following what is convenient. Only when we achieve something new, extraordinary or beyond our previous capacities can we truly feel happy and fulfilled.”

These are the Four Great Dharmas:

DHARMA – Placing a value on your duty to live according to your soul’s purpose-utilizing your divine gifts for the good of the whole.

KAMA – Placing a value on finding joy and happiness within your dharmic path-not just for the sake of pleasure.

ARTHA – Establishing goals for prosperity and well-being that align with your dharma, not just focused on acquiring wealth or money.

MOKSHA –Pursuing liberation and higher spiritual knowledge.True freedom can only be found in Self-awareness. It is not the freedom to do, but the freedom to be. Freedom from desire brings the highest happiness.

Moksha is a key focus here. It literally means liberation or freedom. Freedom from the bondages that keep us stuck in the samsara wheel of our karmas. Perhaps as we celebrate our freedom and liberation this 4th of July, in efforts to support the evolution of our collective humanity, we can re-frame some of the the framer’s of our Constitution to include a focus on Moksha: a pursuit of self-awareness that liberates our souls from our desires for domination, money, and selfishness. And instead we are in the pursuit of global harmony, love and well being for all.

I leave you with one of the most classical peace mantras of all times:

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute to that happiness and freedom for all.

In the pursuit of liberty and love for all,

I bow to you all,

Katrina