What is a yogic perspective on the prospect of war? How should we best respond to the presence of violence? P
There are two major Yoga perspectives, one is dualism as expressed best by Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. In this perspective there is wickedness which can be overcome by good deeds, goodness can be elevated by seeking liberation, and the role of the liberated is to free others. Patanjali’s writings contain all the answers to the seeker striving to elevate themselves and their world. We just have to match our questions with the answers he gives. By reading and contemplating how to implement the answers that Patanjali gives in his writing, we can make ourselves into instruments of peace and nonviolence. I would recommend his commentary on violence in chapter II, 34-35 that I have rendered in my interpretation as “Negative thoughts and emotions are violent in that they cause injury to yourself and others regardless of whether they are performed by you, done by others, or you permit them to be done. They arise from greed, anger, or delusion and are indulged in with either mild, moderate, or excessive emotional intensity. They result in endless misery and ignorance. By consistently cultivating the opposite thoughts and emotions, the unwholesome tendencies are gradually destroyed. II, 35 on abiding in nonviolence, one’s presence creates an atmosphere in which hostility ceases.”
From this dualist point of view the presence of violence in the world is a fundamental truth. It does exist. The question is not how to avoid it, eliminate it, or ignore it. The question is how can I be awake and promote that which is most fundamental to my true nature? In response to violence, let us not choose to escalate the violence by declaring war, let us create goodness where our life has put us.
A second point of view is expressed in Yoga 's teachings of nondualism. In these teachings, there is only One Being, an omnipresence. The sense of duality is only due to the lack of discernment that leads to Self-realization. These teachings are succinctly put in All is One published by Sri Ramanasramam (Ramana Maharshi) and elaborated on in the great text of yogic wisdom, the Yoga Vasistha, several editions have been translated by Swami Venkateshananda. Every aspect of life serves a purpose even the terrorist force served by Osama is part of the unitive presence. In the text pg. 172 states, "If the demons function as the enemies of God, then religious and righteous actions shall prevail in this creation; and thus this creation will continue to exist and flourish, not otherwise." Our response to demonic forces is to be nonattached to them that would render us becoming like them and perpetuating violence by seeking to go to war. But rather deepening our commitment to being true to our Self and uplift humanity because our response is guided by right thinking cultivated by spiritual discernment and persistent determined practice.
We are subject to the gunas, the primal forces of desire. Our choices are to be rajasic and fight, sattvic and seek peace or become tamasic and do nothing. But act we must for the Yogi seeks to change himself, regardless of the personal difficulty it might entail. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Whatever you do will not make a difference, but it is very important that you do it.” And this from one who clearly made a difference; yet from a nondualist-enlightened point of view, he did not make a difference. The perspective knows that the True Self is unchanged by our actions. That Self will not be different whether or not we are violent, peaceful, active, inactive, bound, or liberated.