Peace in the world begins with peace in the heart.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid. - John 14:27

Dear Friends, Brothers and Sisters,

Becoming a Force for Kindness and Compassion in a Time of Hatred and Violence

Like many of you, I feel the heaviness of our times—the rise of anger, hatred, and violence. It can seem as though the whole world has become a battlefield. The heart longs to respond, to do something, to bring light. Yet in the wisdom of Rasa Yoga, we are reminded: a disturbed mind cannot be the source of peace within.

Before we can contribute to peace in the world, we must first cultivate peace.

Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

— Luke 23:34

Standing on the Firmament of Stability

Imagine you are standing by a lake and see someone drowning. If you leap in with a chaotic mind, wearing heavy boots and clothes, you may sink alongside them. But if you pause—remove the weight, take a breath, and anchor yourself the way you can truly, be of service.

This is the Rasika way of first, steady your own mind and being. Only from firm ground can we extend the life-line of peace to others.Millions are drowning today in their own turbulence of anger, jealousy, and fear. If we simply react and plunge into the chaos, we too will be pulled under. Instead, Yoga is the journey that asks us to pause, to prepare inwardly, and to become the calm presence the world so desperately needs.

The Ripples of the Mind

Patanjali tells us that the mind, like a lake, is affected by every stone that falls into it. Thoughts of jealousy, hatred, anger, or superiority may seem small, but their ripples disturb our families, our communities, our nations—and eventually the world.

The same is true of peace. When we cultivate peace in our own mind, the ripples spread outward. The Buddha said, “Light your own lamp, and the lives of others will be illuminated.

We cannot force others to abandon darkness. But by living in light, we demonstrate its joy and draw others toward it.

Patanjali’s Four Attitudes for Peace (Yoga Sutra 1:33)

Patanjali gives us a direct, practical method for calming the disturbances of the mind. He points to four attitudes that purify the heart and open the way to peace:

Maitri - friendliness toward those who are happy.

Karuna - compassion for those who suffer.

Mudita - joy in the virtues and successes of others.

Upeksha - equanimity and non-judgment toward those who act without virtue.

Maitri – Friendliness

When we feel irritation toward someone’s success, Yoga invites us to turn that energy into friendship. Rather than letting envy become poison, we cleanse the mind by consciously celebrating their happiness. This practice dissolves animosity—the hidden toxin that clouds perception and blocks peace.

Karuna – Compassion

Compassion begins with healing our own wounds. The hurt places, the disowned shadows that draw us in with a distortion in perception, making us reactive, quick to anger, slow to forgive. Unless these are soothed, we perpetuate violence in subtle or overt ways. Compassion, then, starts as self-healing and extends outward in genuine care for others.

Mudita – Joy in Virtue

It is easy to feel threatened by the recognition of another’s spiritual qualities. Yet celebrating other’s virtues with sincere gladness purifies the mind and allows us to benefit from their light. Instead of comparing, we practice reverence and joy, which strengthens our own journey.

Upeksha – Equanimity

Upeksha is not indifference but clear seeing a move toward the harmonics of sacred neutrality. To “see closely” is to understand actions in their broader context. When we view harmful behavior with equanimity, we do not condone it, but we recognize the conditions that gave rise to it. This perspective protects the heart from judgment and fuels compassion instead of hatred.

The Inner Work of Peace-Shanta

Cultivating these four attitudes transforms the landscape of the mind. As clarity, compassion, joy, and equanimity take root, the mind becomes tranquil, luminous, and one-pointed. From this state, peace is no longer something we try to enforce—it naturally radiates outward.

This is the Rasikas way of being an active agent of peace-beginning with the purification of our own mind/nervous system, and from there letting the ripples flow to family, community, and world.

The journey is not quick. There are NO OVERNIGHT SCHEMES TO QUICK ENLIGHTENMENT! It requires knowledge, repetition of practice, application, Kula, patience, and courage. But every step matters. By steadying ourselves in maitri, karuna, mudita, and upeksha, we heal the disturbances within, and in doing so, we contribute to the healing of theworld. Peace and Ease are not a distant goals. Peace and ease are the nature of the Self. Ayurveda Yoga gives us the tools to uncover it, embody it, and extend it.

I suggest further study

For those ready to go deeper, I encourage you to explore *The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada, a commentary rooted in our living lineage, my beloved ParamGuru. It transmits not only scholarship but the direct wisdom carried through the saints, sages, and masters of our Rasa Yoga tradition.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall inherit the earth.

-Matthew 5:9

✨ **Rasa Yoga School of Ayurveda Yoga**

“Peace in the world begins with peace in the heart.”

🔸 If you are already walking the Master’s Path, take this teaching as a call to renew, refresh, and rebirth your focus. In light of what is unfolding in our world, let this be your moment to recommit and to see Master’s Path as exactly what it is meant to be: a training ground for cultivating the very qualities our hearts and our world need most.

🔸 If you are not yet in Master’s Path, I invite you to seriously consider it. If the principles of peace, compassion, and clarity are important to you, this program is designed to support your deepest cultivation and to empower you to be a luminous presence in the world.

Love, Padmaji