World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 959

Peace of mind is generally associated with bliss and happiness. The greatest thing in life is internal peace. We all want peace. Global peace, goodwill to all sounds simple, yet it has proved to be amazingly difficult to accomplish. We all have so many differences, such as race, religion, nationality, gender and so on. One of the key aspirations that almost all of us share is the desire for peace and happiness. This is the tie that binds almost every human being on the planet. The world peace may not mean that evil goes away from the surface of the earth; rather that good so overwhelms evil, that evil can not ruin the peace shared between all peace loving beings.
Yoga and world peace:
Yoga is certainly one of the important paths to promote peace culture. The fundamental goal of Yoga philosophy is peace, peace within and peace in outside world. Sage Patanjali follows the medical pattern to obtain tranquility, peace of mind. There is a mental disturbance, causes are traced, removal of causes are found and described and techniques are prescribed to remove causes of disturbances.
Patanjali says Yoga is cessation of all kinds of mental modifications or fluctuations of the mind. It can be done through repeated practice and detachment. [Yogasutra. 12).Once this is achieved, the seer, the self abides in its own true or natural form [Yogasutra.1.2-3]. It is enlightenment. It is a state of wholeness, at being at one and therefore at peace. This enlightenment is not only the end of suffering, but also the end to the continuous conflict within and without and the end of the dreadful enslavement to the incessant thinking that goes on in our minds.
The teachings of Yoga Philosophy are universal and impersonal. They consist of basic principles of spiritual life which can be experienced and tested by earnest seekers of every race, religion and creed. The first and foremost of these principle state that our true self is divine and pure consciousness. We are not what we normally think we are: a bundle of body, mind and ego whose pleasures and interests are to be served at all costs. The identification of us with the states of our body and mind has always been a mistake. Through spiritual practice we can discover our true self which is pure spirit, distance from the body and mind, perfect, free and one with the Divinity itself. This discovery is the ultimate goal of life. Having found the Divine Being within ourselves, we see It likewise in all living creatures and even in inanimate objects. We pour ourselves out in the service of others, regarding our fellow beings as the very embodiment of Divinity. Patanjali Yoga prescribes the path of ethical and moral disciplines, gives techniques of concentration, and meditation to realize our inherent divinity or spirit. By following these techniques under the guidance of a qualified teacher the aspirant can fully realize the existence of the divine reality as the very essence of oneself and the world.
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