The Five Pillars of the
CHARTER FOR CHANGE
Charter For Change is a Jivamukti Yoga initiative that seeks affirmative change in societal consciousness, at the level of the individual and the collective, within the following five pillars. We wish to elevate inspiring and diverse voices within our community, and beyond, that speak to the Five Pillars.
We long for a world with greater compassion for all beings. We live in a world where millions of people still need to fight for their right to exist and most animals have no rights at all. We spend most of our life vastly interdependent on each other and our fragile ecosystem but we need change and action to support that interdependence. We must all learn more from each other and understand how our choices impact everything on our planet.
The world of Yoga teachings provides us with a wide array of tools and ideas to implement change at the individual and collective realms. Transformation is key to our individual and collective spiritual work.
Racial Justice
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali III.38 te samādhāv upasargā vyutthāne siddhayaḥ
By giving up the love of power, you attain the power of love.
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Gender Equality
sarve bhavantu sukhinah sarve santu niramayah sarve bhadrani pashyantu ma kashchid duhkha-bhag bhavet—Vedic prayer
May all be happy. May all be free from sickness. May all look to the good of others. May none suffer from sorrow.
Income Equity
sarvesham svastir bhavatu sarvesham shantir bhavatu sarvesham purnam bhavatu sarvesham mangalam bhavatu—Vedic prayer
May auspiciousness be unto all. May peace be unto all. May fullness be unto all. May prosperity be unto all.
Animal Rights Activism
YS II.46 sthira-sukham āsanam
The connection to the earth should be steady and joyful.
Environmental Consciousness
YS II.30 ahimsā-satya-asteya-brahmacarya-aparigrahā yamāḥ
Non-harming, Truthfulness, Non-stealing, Proper use of vital energy, Greedlessness.
These are the five practices, according to the Yogasutra, that help with self-transformation and enlightenment.
1. Racial Justice
Several modern democratic constitutions provide for the right to life, liberty and a degree of equality and opportunity. Despite making headway in creating just societies in the world, we still witness an alarming retrenchment across the world. Recent events in the United States have shone the light on a failed system of racism and inequality that is embarrassing and uncivilized.
Racial Justice does not mean tolerating people that don’t look like you or speak another language. Racial Justice does not mean sympathy and filling quotas, Racial Justice does not mean spiritually camouflaging and moving on after consoling hurt individuals. It means an implicit dignity for all people, guaranteed by everyday actions, changes and results for this and the next generations.
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali III.38 te samādhāv upasargā vyutthāne siddhayaḥ
By giving up the love of power, you attain the power of love.
Bhagavad Gita III.21 yad-yad ācarati śreṣṭhas / tad-tad evetaro janaḥ sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute / lokas-tad-anuvartate
A great person leads by example, setting standards that are followed by others all over the world.
2. Gender Equality
We believe no gender has a monopoly on prowess, competence, and human excellence. We believe that all genders are complementary and all genders reflect the diversity and the beauty of the human expression. A narrow gender labeling is depleting and diminishing of the human condition. We aspire to see gender celebration, not divisive gender labeling. We support adding more voices to the conversation, learning and informing each other, and learning especially from people who have hesitated to share their experiences because of an oppressive societal view with such narrow labeling.
sarve bhavantu sukhinah sarve santu niramayah sarve bhadrani pashyantu ma kashchid duhkha-bhag bhavet—Vedic prayer
May all be happy. May all be free from sickness. May all look to the good of others. May none suffer from sorrow.
Om purnam adah purnam idam purnat purnam udachyate purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavashishyate—From Yajur Veda and the Isha Upanishad
That is whole. This is whole. From the whole the whole becomes manifest. From the whole when the whole is negated, what remains is again the whole.
3. Income Equity
The consequences of income inequity are extraordinary, affecting human dignity and access to opportunity across generations of divided or minority peoples which has long lasting damage. Power and access to resources have been concentrated at the top, and we must seek to offer access as best as we can to those who have gone without. Many workplaces are now actively including in their manifesto this often neglected approach. We need clear voices that articulate equitable pay and access to growth and opportunity. We must listen to radically new ideas and ways to demolish the vast wealth disparity that became an unsustainable offshoot of capitalism gone wrong within the United States and other wealthy countries. It doesn’t mean that hard work doesn’t get rewarded. It means all hard work gets rewarded proportionally.
sarvesham svastir bhavatu sarvesham shantir bhavatu sarvesham purnam bhavatu sarvesham mangalam bhavatu—Vedic prayer
May auspiciousness be unto all. May peace be unto all. May fullness be unto all. May prosperity be unto all.
4. Animal Rights Activism
All of creation must be seen in equal respect and love instead of a mass exploitation for depraved purposes. Most of the time, atrocities against animals are buried behind the scenes, with companies preventing people from knowing what is happening. We aspire to see a world where all factory farming becomes illegal and socially unacceptable. We owe a ton of gratitude to a number of activists that have come before us - and have selflessly worked towards shining the light to create awareness, transformation, and inspire compassionate and creative solutions. For instance, there are encouraging signs, such as mainstreaming vegan food and the embracing of ethically produced products and clothing, by hundreds of influential people.
We envision a world devoid of animal cruelty and commercial exploitation of animals, in which cruelty is completely uncool. We have made some progress as a society, but we can do a lot more. Luckily, the path of Yoga provides a clear explanation and a way forward as outlined in several of the writings of the co-founder of the Jivamukti method, Sharon Gannon.
YS II.46 sthira-sukham āsanam
The connection to the earth should be steady and joyful.
If we are to survive as a species, we must make the transition from a culture based on slavery, exploitation, violence, and death to a way of life based on kindness, peace, harmony, and wholeness.
Sharon Gannon, Yoga & Veganism
5. Environmental Consciousness
It should not have to take a pandemic, extreme flooding, loss of habitat, food insecurity for millions, pollution of our skies and forests, and not to mention the unequivocal evidence and scientific data linking human behavior to drastic climate change for us to wake up, change our ways, and reverse the damage.
In our consumption-oriented culture, a fundamental consciousness shift is required for survival of the planet and the health of all who call Earth home. We believe the obstacles for true climate preservation are unchecked greed, an ignorance originating from short term benefits of hoarding resources, and the unwillingness to care or make an effort to view one’s own actions.
YS II.30 ahimsā-satya-asteya-brahmacarya-aparigrahā yamāḥ
Non-harming, Truthfulness, Non-stealing, Proper use of vital energy, Greedlessness.
These are the five practices, according to the Yogasutra, that help with self-transformation and enlightenment.