Hello friends,

Greetings from South India–a quiet rural area outside Udipi in Karnataka, to be more precise, where I’m deep in a 21-day Ayurvedic panchakarma cleanse and treatment program. More on that in a second.

I’m taking a moment here to veer from my usual devotional subject matter because–well, reality. I’m not going to say “I hope this finds you well” because, let’s face it: it’s been a staggering and difficult last couple of weeks in the USA and I know that notwithstanding the many blessings many of us enjoy, at an essential level things are not, in fact, at all well. With apologies to my Trumpy friends, or those readers who may believe that what is happening nationally/politically is somehow “just what we need” to rejuvenate the nation, sometimes we must call a spade a spade. Here’s what I see.

After spending decades slowly but successfully tightening voter suppression and gerrymandering tactics and stacking the judiciary with Federalist Society-approved ideological right wing lawyers, the incoming administration is making their move swiftly and harshly: using their thin margin of victory to claim a mandate and attempt an ongoing coup and hostile corporate takeover of the country by the Musk/Thiel/Trump/Bannon elite, with their stated goal of destroying the modern state (or “drowning government in the bathtub” to use Grover Norquist’s charming phrase). We can no longer use the word “conservative” to refer to the Republican Party, and this attempt to shove an unwanted and un-American Christian nationalist theocracy down our collective gullet is bad news indeed. This is not good, and will not end well. Nor will it go well even in the short term for almost everyone not named Bannon, Trump or Musk.

But here we are. Living in the fabled (or cursed) “interesting times.” Little to be gained by pretending it’s not happening, even less by retreating to our temporary “safe spaces” and enjoying whatever privilege we may still possess in these trying times. Once we experience some of the natural mood deflation and paralysis that arises when we witness this level of catastrophe yet see no leverage points for making a positive difference amidst the madness, we must get back in the dharmic saddle and face these challenges as best we can.

Beyond the obvious things that we already know–like voting wisely with my dollars, being kind to others, not being too convinced of my own correctness or superiority, doing my own inner work, etc.–it’s very difficult for me to know what practical actions I can take to stem the madness and play my own deeper part at a time like this.

The idea that wandering the world with my harmonium leading sweet and peaceful moments of devotional chanting in small groups could possibly be sufficient for the moment seems, honestly, sometimes a bit ridiculous on its face.

And yet also, gathering in open groups of any size in order to cultivate our loving nature, do our sadhana and spiritual practices, thus further remembering the nature and depth of our true Self, which then inspires us to live more aligned, active and empowered lives according to what we most deeply feel and believe–maybe it’s not so small a contribution, after all. It’s a subject I continue to ponder as I wander…

In any case, it’s dread times right now, and anything we can do to remind each other (and ourselves!) that we do in fact live in a sacred world full of love and beauty, and that even in this Kali Yuga, this frustrating age of struggle and darkness, we do not need to give in to the cynicism, but can continue to work to face life’s ever-present challenges with grace and dignity, trying to uplift everyone around us–well, I reckon anything we can do is damn well worth doing. So that, my friends, is where I will start…
 

Back to India. I’ve been on the road an awful lot over the last number of years. There was a restful break of sorts at home for the first year or so of the pandemic–if we can call that time restful in any meaningful way–but having been home barely three months in 2024, I will say that I am deeply appreciating the gift of this panchakarma time: three weeks straight with no cars, no money, in a small group of kind humans being fed healthy food, and treated in a nourishing and healthy way in a beautiful spot in nature where I’m not even sure I’ve heard three cars drive by since I arrived two weeks back.

I’ve even had a couple of new songs appear, and am working on one or two more while I am here. I am not a prolific songwriter, so I profoundly appreciate when new songs arrive. It’ll be fun to share them with you when we next sing together. If I’m lucky, while I’m here in India I’ll enjoy a few days in the recording studio to work on these new tunes.

Given the gravity of the moment, it feels tacky to plug upcoming retreats and events, so I’ll save that for another time. Please know that I derive great joy, inspiration and solace from the times we spend singing and gathering together, and I’m deeply looking forward to being in each others’ presence when I return to New England and North Carolina in April and May.

What I will do, at the risk of seeming trite, is drop a link here to the imperfect, yet radical in their own way, founding documents that long ago provided the vision and coherence behind the then brand new idea that is the United States of America: that people are born free, that governments derive their legitimacy not from force or God or bloodline but from the consent of those governed–from US, from we the people. That we are not a theocratic Christian nation but a place where everyone should be free to worship (or not) and practice what inspires them, as long as it does not infringe on others’ freedom to do the same. These are big, beautiful, and far-reaching ideas, and they are still powerful and relevant. It’s not a bad idea to re-read these things once in a while.

I know these documents and the USA itself are flawed, that slavery and indigenous genocide are the original sins of the nation’s founding, that late-stage extractive corporate capitalism sucks and that self-governance is always an imperfect work in progress. All I need to do is reflect on the challenges I’ve experienced in personal relationships or while living in small, well-intentioned group houses to know that these lofty things are always imperfect–even at small scale, much less at the national level.

And yet, still. There is something marvelous and inspiring about these documents and the vision they articulate. I guess it turns out to be true, what they say: there is no free lunch, and America is not so exceptional that every generation can avoid the obligation to re-engage with this basic struggle for self-governance, for human freedom. And as if to prove the point, here the moment is rising to challenge us all.

In the face of this stiff wind, my friends, I greet you–no matter who you are and where you resonate on the social or political spectrum–in a spirit of respect, honor and dignity. I bow to the eternal beauty within you, and to the miracle of life and creation that breathes through us all and through every living (and “non-living”) thing we can feel with all our tender senses.

It gets pretty damn dark before the dawn. But the sun will rise again, and it will light and rekindle our efforts to evolve together with love, with sweetness and devotion.

For this is one more thing we must not forget: we cannot simply live our lives in reaction to whatever prevailing darkness and negativity may currently threaten or reign. We need to remember to hold and embody a positive stand for the light, for the joy, for the love, for the beauty.

As the I Ching says in hexagram 43, Breakthrough: “the best way to fight evil is to make energetic progress in the good.”

So while we are making our necessary stand against the madness of the current moment, let us also continue to forge and refine our positive vision of a beautiful and holy life shared amongst all living beings.

I dream of a life of dignity, decency and beauty for all beings, where billionaires do not thrive while billions suffer, but where the fortunate use their resources and good fortune to uplift all people towards a state of collective harmony and shared purpose. I dream of a world in which all of us can speak our truth without fear, where all may freely love who we feel inspired to love, without danger and without anyone who is not involved in that equation feeling offended or aggrieved in any way. I dream of free and empowered women across the globe, and an education citizenry in a world where starting young we learn mediation and conflict resolution skills every year in every school, so collectively, we learn how to navigate life’s unavoidable conflicts and difficult moments through a shared focus on mutuality, respect, and the desire to build a world where everyone wins.  I dream of a world with no Nazis or white supremacists, and so much more.

Your vision may differ, but I do believe it’s important that we all lean into this creative, joyful element of the world. Let us continue to dream and build and create and sustain, even while we don’t take our eyes off the prize of resolving our current struggles, political, ecological and otherwise.

If you’ve gotten this far, thank you for reading.

I am sending you all my love. Thank you for your presence, for being connected with me, for all that you are. Thank you for all you do to keep the light on in yourself, and for others.

Please stay in touch and keep me in your own loop, as we continue to navigate this wild chapter together in the moons to come.

Respect,
Adam