War is the most ancient and primitive way of dealing with conflict.
According to yoga, stopping the cycle of war requires delving into the
subtle causes underlying material desires and religious differences.
These are selfishness, ego, greed, ethnocentrism, and sense of
inferiority. Because of these attributes, we fail to do what we know is
right, and persist in doing what we know is wrong. In the scriptures,
this phenomenon is called killing the conscience.The great scriptures of
yoga--The Bhagavad Gita, The Yoga Sutra, and The Upanishads--clearly
describe how the subtle causes of external war emanate from the internal
world. The real cause of war lies rooted in the individual's
unwillingness to listen to the voice of the heart, the inner
conscience.Drawing on the philosophy of yoga and other spiritual
systems, Why We Fight: Practices for Lasting Peace offers practical
tools for self-transformation. Through contemplation and spiritual
practice, we can replace greed, desire, jealousy, and anger with
compassion, tolerance, and love for ourselves and others. By cultivating
these qualities in our daily lives, we have the power to make a positive
impact on the world.