YOGA AND WORLD PEACE

K.TIROUMOUROUGANE,
Pondicherry,
India.
Yoga deals with the morals that has to be practiced in the world. The word
‘peace’ means, the state existing during the absence of war, a treaty marking the end
of a war, a state of harmony between people or groups, law and order within a state or
a state of stillness, silence or serenity. Peace as the state existing during the absence
of war results by the observation of the yamas, ahimsa (non violence), aparigraha
(non-covetousness), and the niyamas of saucha (purity) and santosa (contentment), in
particular. The practice of yama advocates that one should not desire for things that
are not necessary to maintain an individual’s life. The practice of niyamas leads to the
calming of the disturbed mind leading towards peace both within and around the
sadhaka. As the treaty marking the end of a war, yoga signifies the victory of the
good over the evil or light over darkness. The word peace can also be considered as a
state of harmony between people or groups. There has to be the absence of
discrimination of race, religion, language etc. All the people of the world are relatives
and we inhabit the same world. We belong to human race and our god is one. The
law and order of a place also represent peace and it is affected by the practice of yoga.
The state of stillness, silence or serenity inspires one to take up the path of Yoga
which in turn leads to relaxation, and calmness of the turbulent mind. Following the
yama niyamas will be an important means of propagating peace in the world. These
restraints and morals are universally applicable. If they were put to practice, by the
multitude of population, all over the world, peace reign in the individual. Peace in the
individual houses of people paves the way for peace in the whole nation. Considering
the word yoga literally and not as a system that originated in India, means the union
of the body and mind or the union of the jivatma and paramatma or the union of east
and west or the union of war and peace. The word union implies that even if there are
differences, there can be a union in between. Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri defines Yoga
as “The understanding of the essential unity amidst diversity, the commonality which
unites all seemingly disparate elements”. Where there is unity in diversity, there is
Yoga and where there is Yoga, there is peace.
 The study of religious scriptures play another important role in the
dissemination of knowledge in relation to peace. Thus going through the scriptures
would be a very satisfying and relaxing experience. By regularly indulging in
religious pursuits an individual can be at peace. By going through the meanings of a
few invocational slokas we can understand how yoga can contribute to world peace.
The following are some of the Shanti Mantras which have relevance to
universal peace:
“Sarve Bhavantu sukhinah
Sarve santu niramayah/
Sarve bhadrani pasyantu
Ma kascit dukhabhag bhavet/”
“Let every body be happy; let every body lead a disease free life; let every
body has a good time; let nobody at any time be sorrowful”.

“Om bhadram karnebhih srnuyama devah

Bhadram pasyema aksabhihirya jathra/
Sthiraihr angaih Sthushtuvan Sasthanubhir
Vyasema devahitam Yathayuh
Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthi”

“Om. O worshipful Ones, may our ears hear what is auspicious. May we,
efficient to worship, see with our eyes what is auspicious. May we, who sing thy
praise, live our allotted span of life in perfect health and strength. Om peace, peace,
peace”.

The Yoga principles says that out of the 5 ways by which an individual’s mind
gets modified (chittavritties, Pramana-right knowledge, Viparyaya-wrong knowledge,
vikalpa-imagination, nidra-sleep, smrithi-memory), true knowledge (pramana) is the
only one which can be beneficial. Thoughts involving the remaining four can draw
the individual to difficulties. Thus an individual who has understood that peace is the
only life force, over comes all difficulties whereas those who doesn’t do so gets
affected by the sorrows of life and suffers. The opening sloka of the Ishavashya
Upanishad and its meaning are as follows:
 Om Puranamadah purnamidam
Purnaat purnamudacyate purnasya
Purnamaadaaya purnamevaavasisyate//

“Brahman was whole, purnam, before creation. After creation also it is

whole. Even if the whole is removed from the whole, all that remains is purnam, the
whole.
The world which is complete was created from the lord who is still complete
without losing any portion of his self. This is not like the mathematical equation of
one minus one is equal to zero. A match stick getting itself lighted from another stick
burns equally. Because fire is hidden in both sticks in equal amount. The almighty
created the universe from himself and is still complete without losing any portion of
his self. So let peace be there in all the three worlds. In the vedic morals an episode
is mentioned which is as follows. When a brahmin named kaushika was chanting the
vedas under a tree, a stork defecated on him. He angrily looked up at it and it fell
down, burnt. Feeling sorry, he went into the town to beg for his food; he asked
“bhavati piksham dehi” in front of a familiar brahmin’s house. From inside a lady
asked him to wait as she was busy with some work. At that time her husband entered
the house she welcomed him and made him rest giving him food. She was carefully
protected by her husband. She valued the likes and dislikes of her husband. She ate
the remains of the food eaten by her husband and worshipped him as her deity. She
was sincere to her husband (Pathivratha). She came out of the house with the food
ashamed of making a begging brahmin to wait. Kaushika looked angrily at her
demanding why she had made him to wait as otherwise he might have gone to some
other house; the lady said that she was not a stork to be burnt by his looks. Kaushika
was susprised and asked her how she came to know of what happened in the forest.
The lady explained that she acquired that quality by serving her husband: anger is the
quality which is an individual’s foe. Those who denounces anger and desire are
brahmins (knowledged ones). Those who doesn’t trouble others even though they
were troubled by them, those who speak the truth, those who make their teacher
happy are brahmins. Those who had conquered their senses, desirous of following the
moralities, and are chanting the vedas are brahmins ; those who are brahmacharis,
who has clarity of speech, who are non egoistic are brahmins. The lady told him that
another wise man named Dharmavyadha who was residing in mithila, will clarify him
the subtleties of dharma. So Kaushika went to mithila and found that Dharmavyadha
was a butcher who was selling the meat of oxen and deer. On Kaushika’s arrival
Dharmavyadha came to him, and said he knew that the lady had sent him there. This
again surprised Kaushika. Dharmavyadha told that he got that ability by serving his
parents. The teachings of Dharmavyadha includes the qualities of yogi. According to
the vedic morals, Yogis are people with equanimity, who in order to meditate reach
the sahasrara spot shrough the sushumna nadi and fix the almighty (paramatman)
there. Thus the prana stabilizes in the soul (atman); the atman is subtle with so many
bodies at different levels. It has sixteen capacities. They are the prana, shraddha,
akasha, vayu, tejas, water, earth (soil), senses (bhoota), manas, food (ahara), sukla
(virya), thapa, mantra, action (kriya), earth (world) and body. Among these, the
jivatman including the chitta which is in the form of agni, is eternal. He is the savior
(kshetrakgna). The three gunas make the soul (jivan) dependent on the physical body.
The paramatman is indulgent in nature. The jeevan acts involuntarily. The
paramatman created the seven worlds. He resides in all the animate things. The
animals doesn’t realise him. Those who possess the knowledge of the brahman
(brahmagnana) visualise him with their subtle sense. Those who had controlled their
mind gets rid of the mental impurities. They then stabilizes the pure mind in the soul
(atman) and are blissful. If in the opposites of happiness and sorrow, likes and
dislikes, mind remains equally poised with tolerance, their mind is free from
impurities. In the early and late periods of the night a Yogi meditates. He eats less
and sleeps less, working well. As the flame which glows without flickering in a
windless place, his mind is unwavering. As looking at objects with a brightly-lit
lamp, he looks at the paramatman with clarity. This knowledge of the Atman is the
best among knowledge. Truthfulness is the best of observances. One who renounces
benefits is the best of saints. There are a few identifications for finding out this
Gnana Yogi: he doesn’t harm anyone; he is every body’s friend; he has no foes; he is
never too happy or too sad; he is renounced; he will be determined (with vairagya); he
has his mind on the jivatman; he removes the bondage between the cause and effect
and reaches the paramatman. As, without bhakti and sraddha one should not start
practice of Yoga. Prana, manas and buddhi becomes steady in a practitioner of Yoga.
Manas is the loveable one for the atman (soul). Regular practice of kriya is the right
type of nishkam (unattached) karma. Its prolonged practice liberates a person. It is
only possible through the practice of Yoga. For the practice of kriya-yoga of Gita,
observation of the following things are essential; kaya manovaky samyama, laghu
ahara, living at a lonely place and avoiding public contacts, darpa, krodha, para pirah
varjana and practicing Yoga by remaining nir-ahamkara, that is practicing dharana-
dhyana which calms citta (mind-stuff); in this way a Yogi is able to visualise brahma.
Practice should be made incessantly without waiting for result. Rajagopalachari in
one of his lectures says that the holy Gita stresses the continuation of worldly
phenomenons. It did not preach that salvation was retirement from job. The tasks
specially entrusted on us because of our position in the society should be considered
as our duty. All the people of the world with different duties should perform well in
such a way that the net result is peace. The Gita says that people should do their
duties intelligently and sincerely even though their benefits go to the society.
Thoughts of difficulties does not disturb them. They remain with courage and
calmness of mind whether they win or lose. Because they leave the results of karma
to the Lord. Some transforms Gita as a pacific explanation to violent activities. They
pay their attention to the war setting only. They find evidence to dispassionate killing.
It is a big mistake. The explanation of Gita starts with the grief of Arjuna. He feels
sad for this arraying of army to kill each other. In this setting the Hindu Dharma
concepts are infused. Eventhough the propounder of Gita, has done so in the battle
field it has to be considered just as the delivery of Religious Veda of the Hindus. It
should not be considered as a scene in the Gurukshetra war. In kathopanishad,
another epic written earlier than Gita, the same opinion is told in which epic, there
was no war scene. The same words were found in the kathopanishad as in the Gita.
So Gita is not an excuse for violence. It speaks of the general duties that has to be
done. The verses of Gita should not be merely chanted; they have to be followed in
life. By sincerely reflecting on the teachings of Gita every day and formulating our
actions and thoughts accordingly we become people who really respect the Gita. Also
we become people who are seeking peace. The “Naladiyar” (four lined stanzas) is a
well known tamil classic of 400 stanzas dealing with ethics and politics. The essence
of the 248th stanza is highly correlated with the implications of Ashtanga Yoga. It
means that an individual’s intellect is responsible for his success or failures. This idea
is also related to the 505th couplet in the “Thirukkural” another ancient Tamil classic,
which means “Dost thou want to find out whether a man is noble or little minded?
Know that conduct is the touch stone of character”. By knowing that success and
failures are part of life and that if we behave ourself benevolently in the society,
unnecessary conflicts leading to disruption of life can be avoided. Bhakthi Yoga is a
real, genuine search after the lord, a search beginning, continuing and ending in love.
One single moment of the madness of extreme love to god brings us eternal freedom.
“Bhakti” says Narada in his explanation of the Bhakthi-aphorisms, “is intense love to
god”. – “When a man gets it, he loves all and hates none; he becomes satisfied for
ever”.
“Sa Ishvarah anir-vachaniya-premasvarupah”
“He the lord is, of His own nature, inexpressible love”. Thus, as Swami Vivekananda
explains in his Bhakti Yoga, an individual who possess extreme love to the lord, gets
rid of hatred and becomes loving natured, as the lord whom he worships himself is an
embodiment of love. Following the path of Bhakti Yoga makes the world peaceful.
There is a beautiful story as told by Sri Ramakrishna which gives an interesting
picture of the consequence of craving for happiness leading to distress and the
realisation of its futility. A kite with a fish in its beak was chased by a large number
of crows and screaming kites, pecking at it and trying to snatch away the fish. In
whichever the direction it went the flock of kites and crows also followed it. Tired of
this annoyance, the kite threw away the fish which was instantly caught by another
kite. At once the flock of kites and crows turned to the new possessor of the fish. The
first kite was unmolested, it calmly sat upon the branch of a tree. Seeing it in this
quiet and tranquil state, the Avadhuta saluted it and said, “You are my Guru, O kite;
you have taught me that so long as man doesn’t throw off the burden of worldly
desires, he can not escape from worldly distractions and be at peace with himself”.
Let there be a harmonious manifestation of the inner self which contribute to
educate ourself and to educate every other being to be part of a somnolent and alert
world. Om shanti.