What the Bhagavad Gita has to teach us about our relationships
What the Bhagavad Gita has to teach us about our relationships
Ashtanga Yoga Blog
I recently attended a seminar on unconscious bias led by Project Implicit. Following the seminar, I was reflecting on how difficult it is not to let our biases influence how we treat others, and how hard it is to even admit that we might be less than objective.
How we interact with the world and how we treat others is an integral part of our yoga practice. I was reminded of this Sloka from the Gita, which although written more than 2000 years ago, continues to provide us with guidance today.
BG 6.9
suhṛin-mitrāryudāsīna-madhyastha-dveṣhya-bandhuṣhu
sādhuṣhvapi cha pāpeṣhu sama-buddhir viśhiṣhyate
The yogis look upon all—well-wishers, friends, foes, the pious, and the sinners—with an impartial intellect. The yogi who is of equal intellect toward friend, companion, and foe, neutral among enemies and relatives, and unbiased between the righteous and sinful, is considered to be distinguished among humans.
Both the Gita and the Yoga Sutras (1.33) offer us advice on how we should treat others.
In the Yoga Sutras we’re told that if we can cultivate an attitude of friendliness, and compassion to others, our mind will remain undisturbed.
In Chapter 6 of the Gita, Krishna describes the practice of meditation and the qualities and behaviours an aspiring yogi needs for success.
In this Sloka a yogi is described as someone who can treat others in an equal unbiased way.
Yoga teaches us that all living beings are divine souls and part of the Universal Consciousness sometimes known as Purusha or Brahman. Through our yoga practice, we learn to overcome the misidentification of ourselves with our thoughts and to cultivate the understanding that we are divine Consciousness.
As we move through this journey of understanding we realize that all living beings are part of the Universal Consciousness, therefore we see God in everyone and treat all living beings with equal respect and kindness.
If we were all able to reach this state of yoga we would live in a world free from discrimination and inequalities with everyone having equal opportunity to thrive. But of course…. this is not the case.
We all have unconscious biases and they affect how we treat others without us even realizing it. Often we feel we are being objective even when we are not, and interestingly, people frequently rate their own ability to be objective much higher than it actually is. Unconscious bias is more prevalent when we make decisions quickly or in situations that are ambiguous or unclear.
So what can we do to ensure treat people, as Krishna suggests, in an equal and unbiased way?
According to the next Sloka (6.10), the answer is meditation.
yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ
ekākī yata-chittātmā nirāśhīr aparigrahaḥ
Those who seek the state of Yog should reside in seclusion, constantly engaged in meditation with a controlled mind and body, getting rid of desires and possessions for enjoyment.
As householder yogi’s living in a modern world it’s unlikely we can dedicate an endless amount of time to our meditation practice. However, setting aside a short amount of time, on a regular basis, for meditation and reflection means we can avoid making hasty decisions that may be subject to unconscious bias. By meditating and reflecting we slow down our thoughts and in this newly created space, we can begin to understand where our biases exist.
Acknowledging that we have these biases is the first step to ensuring they do not influence the decisions we make, or how we treat other people. It’s a constantly evolving process that requires the steadfast and impartial intellect Krishna describes as the qualities of an aspiring yogi.