Kalā cloaks Action
This fall we’re diving into Tantric Yoga philosophy as applied to modern life. Even if you’re not a “yoga person” you may find that this philosophy has something to offer… come along for the ride. We’ve talked about our innate powers - now we turn to the cloaks - kanchukas - that keep us from experiencing our power.
For me, the most difficult part of watching the Middle East has been witnessing devastating human suffering while feeling completely powerless to help. If a friend close by is struggling I can lighten her load by dropping off dinner or driving kids to soccer. If a family member is having a health crisis I can sit by the bedside and advocate for compassionate care. If my child is being bullied at school I can work with the teachers, families, and guidance counselor to resolve the situation.
But when it comes to the Middle East, I’m helpless. That helplessness spills over into everything else I’m supposed to be doing. I feel like I’m bundled under a heavy cloak that obscures my vision. It’s a kind of lethargy that borders on apathy until I shake myself awake and try to crawl out from under it.
Covering your Power
Dear ones, life has given us very difficult circumstances that illustrate our points. Now as we encounter limitations we enter the terrain of Maya. Specifically we’ve found her ability to cloak the Shaktis. In NST each of the 5 Shaktis has a corresponding cloak, a Kanchuka. These are the coverings that Chiti takes on in order contract herself into the form of universes, the world, and each one of us.
The kanchukas are necessary for us to have experiences of being separate within the whole. So we’re never going to get out from under these cloaks except in moments of Awakening or when we reach full Enlightenment. That means it’s important for us to understand them, and to wear them well.
Gold or Shadow?
I visualize each cloak as being double-sided. One side is the Gold side - the side where you wear it with integrity. When the Gold side is out you’re living in accordance with dharma (your purpose) and with śri (that which is life-affirming). The flip side is the shadow side. This side deepens the limitation and makes one more trapped. It moves away from dharma and sri towards dukha (suffering) and separation for yourself and others. While we do not have a choice about wearing the cloak - we can always choose which side is pointing out. I want to make clear that this is my own visualization, I’m taking a bit of liberty with the tradition here, so if another teacher teaches this differently I bow to their knowing.
Helpless
The first cloak is kalā. (pronounced kaLA). It makes one believe that they have limited power to act in the world. Chiti has unlimited power, but we don’t experience that within ourselves because of kalā. One feels helpless and limited…. like myself when it comes to the Middle East.
The shadow side of kalā shows up as the quest for power. Folks strive for power over others, power of nature, power over their own inner instincts. This hunger for power only happens because they don’t understand that they already have all the power they need inside. Wearing the shadow side out, folks search for power from the outside. We know the devastation it causes…. bullying, restrictions of rights and personal expression… at it’s worst… war and its horrors. Hard as it is to stomach, this too is an expression of Chiti’s unbounded śhakti, it’s just a shadow expression.
Another shadow side is always drowning in powerlessness. Seeing oneself as a victim all the time (even when you aren’t). Complaining about the world but never doing anything about it.
Gold Side Out
But there’s another way to cope with kalā. Wearing the gold side out is to move towards inner strength, strength of character. When we remember how powerful we are, we strive to make life-affirming decisions. We take appropriate actions that align with dharma. We find that we can speak up for those who’ve been disempowered. We can live in ways that support nature. When we move towards the gold we find more ways to act than are initially visible to us. Even things that may not seem like they make a difference can be ways to act.
For me, when I’m feeling powerless about the Middle East one of the actions I take is to practice tonglen meditation - breathing in suffering and pain, breathing out loving compassion. Obviously, there are many other things that can be done, but it the tiny moment when I feel the most powerless, this flips my cloak from shadow to gold. And that reminds me that I do have kriya śakti - the power of action.
Wear it Well
The thing with the kanchukas is that because we can’t escape them, we need to get skillful at wearing them. Skillfulness means knowing the shadow side intimately. Not running from it or acting like it doesn’t exist. Instead, looking into it, finding it within ourselves (over and over). And then getting good at flipping to the gold side whenever we can.
For kalā that means anytime you feel helpless or like a victim or like you aren’t allowed or can’t do something - wake up. Remember you have the power to act in every moment. So wake up and flip your cloak. Sometimes, the simple act of taking a conscious breath and softening is enough to get you started.