My yoga teacher recently said that the aim in a yoga practice is to have integrity to a particular ethic. He went on to say that if we are unable to do this, it doesn’t mean we are a bad person, it just means we will fall.
As in yoga, so in life.
Our religious, educational and social institutions have traditionally sought to control us by passing judgment on our infringements of the moral code. But for those who desire true freedom and self-determination, external codes of morality and ethics are merely a starting point.
Morality is not objective. It is purely subjective and can only exist within the beliefs and understanding of its culture. That’s why our moral codes are unevenly, and often unjustly, enforced on some segments of society. For instance, sexual morality has traditionally always been far more harshly applied to women than men, a fact which merely confirms the limitations of codes that are externally imposed.
Morals and ethics are most effective when they are used purely in the early stages of learning. As adults we are likely to have had sufficient experience to show to us that moral codes are generally helpful in the pursuit of peaceful and happy lives. But the complexity of life quickly demonstrates that they are nothing more than a guide.
Peace, harmony and love are achieved when we choose thoughts, words and actions that are peaceful and loving. This simple truth is infallible and exists regardless of external codes, and the pitfalls of double standards and harsh moral judgments and that cause shame and guilt, which only contribute to personal and social dysfunction, are avoided. It becomes clear that any temporary inability to retain fidelity to the love ethic is not a moral failing, just an obstacle on the path to peace and love.
