World peace

Yoga is very much related to the cause of promoting and achieving 'world peace', which is only achievable via the realization of unconditional peace from within oneself, where the minds that are occupying and sharing this space in the universe, are free from the influence of ignorance and egoism.

Originally, many yoga schools were being founded under the advocacy of promoting and achieving world peace.

World peace is the reflection of healthy minds occupying the world, having clear thinking, correct understanding, self-control, respect and accommodation, that allows all and everyone under different qualities of names and forms to be sharing this space of the universe living in peace and harmony among one another, free from all kinds of ignorant thinking and behavior, greed, selfishness, hatred, jealousy, corruption, discrimination, threat, violence, unrest, bully, abuse, exploitation, offensiveness, oppression, invasion and war.

The world is just being what it is. It is neither peaceful nor not peaceful.

It's the minds that are occupying the world constantly acting and reacting, either wisely and selflessly or ignorantly and egoistically, that is determining whether there is more peace and harmony in the world, or not.

If more minds in the world are in good health, or more minds are being free from the influence of ignorance and egoism, then there will be more peace and less unrest in the world, regardless of the inevitable selfless impermanent changes of the condition in the world, and different life experiences, where sometimes it's desirable and pleasant, and sometimes it's undesirable and unpleasant.

Though yoga is about advocating world peace, it's nothing to do with having an authority or authorization that is about regulating and controlling everyone to behave or not behave in certain way, or to be fighting against what certain human beings or communities categorized as 'bad' or 'evil' human beings, but it's about the minds having awareness and initiative to free themselves from the influence of ignorance and egoism, realizing unconditional peace and selfless compassion in themselves, being independent, having clear thinking, correct understanding and self-control, respecting and accommodating all kinds of names and forms being different from one another, while being kind to one another instead of hurting one another.

Particularly those who have the aspiration, capability and opportunity to become present and future various types of influencers and leaders in the world, that are impacting the world in certain way, they need to be free from the influence of ignorance and egoism. Otherwise there will be less peace and harmony, or more unrest and disharmony in the world, which is what was happening, is happening, and will be continuously happening.

If all minds are free from the influence of ignorance and egoism, the world doesn't really need any influencers or leaders to be influencing and leading other minds. However, not many minds have the awareness and initiative to free themselves from ignorance and egoism. There are very few minds are free from the influence of ignorance and egoism in the world that don't need to be led by any leader or to be inspired by any influencers, to live life in certain way. There are many minds couldn't function or live life independently, where they think and believe that they need to attached towards certain communities and ideas being led by certain leaders, or they need to be inspired by certain influencers, to live life in certain way, or to make certain decision.

And hence, many yoga schools were 'initially' being founded under the cause of expounding the teachings of yoga and promoting yoga practice in the world, that is mainly about the elimination of ignorance and egoism from the mind, in order to help the world to have more selfless, wise and compassionate leaders or influencers, that are greatly impacting the situations in the world. It's really not so much about promoting the physical health and fitness condition, but mainly about looking after the state of the mind, or mental health. Unfortunately, just like everything else that are impermanent, many 'yoga schools' are also evolving or changing into something that is not so much about the elimination of ignorance and egoism, but instead, it's empowering ignorance and egoism, attaching towards and chasing after the qualities of names and forms that the minds like, desire and agree with.

Similarly, 'awareness' is about the mind turning inwards, being aware of what is going on in itself, being aware of ignorance and egoism in itself, being aware of the selfless impermanent restless modification of the mind, and be initiative to eradicate ignorance and egoism from itself, to silent or annihilate the modification of the mind. However, 'awareness' is being practiced as being aware of what is going on in the body (pleasant and unpleasant sensations/good and bad conditions) and in the world (agreeable and disagreeable happenings/desirable and undesirable situations), while chasing after and gratifying the desires of craving and aversion, to attain and empower the sense of satisfaction, goodness, happiness, positiveness, joyfulness and meaningfulness.

It's okay if one doesn't necessarily have very good physical health and fitness condition, being unable to perform many actions in the world, but it's highly important to be having good mental health, be free from all kinds of mental corruptions, being at peace, as one is, going beyond the energy fields (the three Gunas) or the fluctuating hormones and secretions in the physical body, going beyond the selfless impermanent state of the mind, going beyond all kinds of duality, being undetermined and undisturbed by the selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms, the desirable and undesirable life experiences, or the pleasant and unpleasant conditions of the world.

While having very good physical health and fitness condition, but without good mental health, and being able to perform many actions in the world, physically and mentally, functioning under the influence of many kinds of mental corruptions, can be detrimental or even dangerous to oneself and the world.

Having wise and compassionate leaders to lead the ignorant minds is good, however, having wise and compassionate teachers that guide the ignorant minds to be free from ignorance and egoism, to be independent, to be free from corruptions and suffering, is much better.

People talk highly about the liberty of liberation from being ruled by foreign power or authority as what independence is about, however, this type of liberation doesn't stop the world having so much unnecessary man made problems and suffering arising from ignorance and egoism.

The real liberty, or the 'useful' liberation, is about the minds being free from the influence of ignorance and egoism, and there will be less problems and suffering deriving from ignorant egoistic human beings in the world.

Similarly, depression and some other kinds of mental or physical illness and disability, are a great suffering for quite many people, as well as might can be 'controlled' or 'relieved' under certain medical treatments and rehabilitation activities, however, the most serious form of illness in the world of human beings, is the mind that is functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism. Those who don't suffer from depression or any kinds of mental or physical illness and disability, who might be highly energetic, healthy, fit, intelligent, knowledgeable, educated, talented, skillful, successful, wealthy and powerful, but could be under the influence of deep ignorance and intense egoism, they can be performing many actions in the world that cause many kinds of damages to oneself, others, the surrounding environment, or the world.

Inventing and possessing more and more higher technology defense equipment or weapons to protect one's nation or to fight against other nations doesn't stop wars and the consequences of it from happening. It's all the leaders and influencers in the world, or those in position or power to impact the world in certain way, that need to be free from ignorance and egoism.