Spiritual Bypassing: 100% F’ing Guilty
Before I continue I want to say that I am in no way posting this for likes or for a round of applause. As Rachel Cargle says “there is no room for glorifying basic humanity.” I am posting from a place of personal growth and learning. If you in any way feel targeted, triggered, or offended I ask you to look inside and simply ask why.
I’m so inspired by the work of Rachel Cargle who says “I don’t want your love and light if it doesn’t come with solidarity and action.” Her work called my attention to the term Spiritual Bypassing, so I thought I would share it here to open the lines communication and create discussion among the yoga community.
Spiritual Bypassing is a term coined by the clinical psychologist John Welwood. He defines this term, “using a spiritual practice to avoid addressing psychological wounds and unresolved personal issues.” On a larger scale, Spiritual Bypassing means that we lean into these spiritual teachings to avoid unresolved cultural issues, like racism, for example.
We learn about kindness, non-violence, non-harming, peace, and love and take that to mean that we need to sit off to the side to avoid hurting EVERYONE. There are battles raging all around us, everywhere we turn, but if we sit down, look inward, and send loving thoughts to everyone we can spread peace, and isn’t this what all of these spiritual practices are all about?
In theory, this is a lovely thought. I myself have fallen into this way of thinking, and for that I sincerely apologize. But, there are battles in which loving people actually means to stand up. To love is to be able to stand in front of a person causing harm and tell them that they are not in the right. It is not love to allow these people to continue inflicting harm, especially if it is something they aren’t even aware they are doing. It is not love to ignore the people who are fighting for the right to simply exist. It is not love to silence the voices of people that are screaming for us to hear them.
If you are looking for a well-known spiritual leader to express this sentiment, here is a quote straight from Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama:
“Human Rights
Providing for equality under law, the declaration states that everyone is entitled to equal rights and freedoms without discrimination of any kind. Peace and freedom cannot be ensured as long as fundamental human rights are violated. Similarly, there cannot be peace and stability as long as there is oppression and suppression. It is unfair to seek one’s own interests at the cost of other people’s rights. Truth cannot shine if we fail to accept truth or consider it illegal to tell the truth. Where will the idea of truth and reality be if we push the truth and facts under the carpet and allow illegal actions to triumph?
Human Rights in Tibet
If we accept that others have an equal right to peace and happiness as ourselves, do we not have responsibility to help those in need? The aspiration for democracy and respect for fundamental human rights is as important to the people of Africa and Asia as it is to those in Europe or the Americas. But of course it is often those people who are deprived of their human rights who are least able to speak up for themselves. The responsibility rests with those of us who do enjoy such freedoms.”
I’m just going to re-iterate that last line “The responsibility rests with those of us who do enjoy such freedoms.”
So if we look at racism, remember that black voices have already been fighting and screaming for SO LONG. This is an issue that we white people need to get behind. Resting on black voices for change and sending them our love from afar HAS NOT WORKED, because we live in a system that values and benefits the white voices more. That is the problem. Human rights are being violated. We need to demand change. We need to stand alongside the people who have been actively fighting this battle. It is not acting in love to not care. It is not acting in love to not speak out for fear of offending white people. It is not acting in love to allow people to be treated based on their skin color. It is not acting in love to expect people who are being mistreated based on their skin color to be the only ones saying that is not right.
We will all make mistakes on this path, and that is part of being human. We have the beautiful choice now to learn, to grow, to do better for each other. Yes, I will continue to spread love and kindness. But I will also stand in solidarity with and fight alongside the groups of people who are continuously telling us all that they are not treated with love and kindness, and I will call out acts of injustice. I will put that love into action. May we all put that love into action.