The world desperately needs our prayers and goodwill at this time. The extraordinary events taking place in the Ukraine and Russia, as well as around the world, are sending out waves of dark, disturbed energy. Each of us must do what we can to counterbalance this darkness with light.
Paramhansa Yogananda gave a strong warning to the world in 1939, when Europe was on the brink of a World War II. Among other things, he said:
“Why do world suffering and misery arise? When people all over the earth are happy and prosperous they are in tune with God, and the entire vibrations of the earth in relation with the planets are harmonious. But as soon as one nation starts fighting with another, or selfish industrial gourmands try to devour all prosperity for themselves, it brings depression. And when depression starts in one place, it begins to spread everywhere, owing to the vibrations that travel through the ether.”
“World War I created wrong vibration in Europe first, which then spread all over the earth, and where there was no war, influenza appeared. The agonies of the people who died in the world war created the subtle cause of the epidemic.”
“Ye nations of the world, beware! Use your patriotism to protect your own country, and do not get mixed up with any other nation that advocates aggression. All nations should unite to noncooperate in every way with those nations that want to start wars of aggression.”
“The politicians are blinded by their patriotism, selfishness, and love of fame. Disregarding the divine laws laid down by God and voiced by great saints, they are bringing an avalanche of miseries upon the nations of the earth.”
The repeat of history is eerie. Yogananda might have been speaking today rather than over eighty years ago about aggression and pandemic. But implicit in his warning, if one looks deeper, lies a message also of hope and instruction. These times of conflict can be a springboard to higher awareness, if we see them as a warning to raise our consciousness. Don’t wait for others to act. Let peace begin in your own mind, and let it spread to those around you in ever-widening circles.
If bad vibrations can cause disease and depression, then good vibrations can create health and prosperity. It is our responsibility to send out strong radiations of peace and goodwill to counteract and neutralize negative ones.
Each of us can pray for peace.
It is very good that the world has united in confronting this aggression primarily through economic and non-violent means as Yogananda suggested. But we, individually, must also strongly confront the darkness of these times.
Each of us can pray for peace, act as angels of mercy to everyone we meet, and fill our thoughts and relationships with peace and harmony. On a more subtle level, it helps to remember that this world is but a drama, created and acted by Divine Mother. Everything is made of consciousness. With our uplifted consciousness, attuned to God’s higher laws, we can help strengthen the light so it can prevail.
We have many friends, wonderful people, in the Ukraine, Russia, and throughout Europe. The innocent people do not want war. Let us try to help them! Visualize our friends and the entire area being filled with subtle vibrations of goodwill and benevolence. Pray earnestly for God’s higher vibrations of love and kindness to spread.
I am making a pledge to do my best to act throughout each day with peace and harmony, and to strongly radiate those vibrations to the whole planet. Will you join me?
In the light,
Nayaswami Jyotish
Listen to Jyotish as he reads the blog, then expands on it, often adding special behind-the-inspiration stories and answers to common spiritual questions. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (6:59):
48 Comments
I’m in… ward!
Me, too!!
🙏🏻✨
Yes please
Jai Guru
I am praying and shall till the war is over.
🙏❤️
🙏🔥
May Peace Prevail on Earth.
Sending Love, Light, and Hope💗✨💗
PEACE
Sending Love, Light, and Hope💗✨💗
PEACE WITHIN, PEACE WITHOUT
With a pure and loving heart we pray Ukraine and it’s people are surrounded by God’s love and light. Love protects them and light guides them.
May God penetrate Vladimir Putin’s soul and remove his darkness.
May God enlighten the people that surround Putin and have them speak words of clarity and peace to him. May his army put their weapons down and give up the fight, not their lives.
Peace and love surround our planet.
These words we pray in the name of our God.
Amen🤍
Your sentiments are taken to heart, war should not ever be justified. However, were you were saying the same thing when US invaded Iraq under the guise of wmds? Or Afghanistan? Or it’s practice of covert regime change in Middle East, Venezuela etc? When do your sentiments apply to the USA as the self appointed uni-polar police of the world – invoking their barren, soulless materialized western ideology on any and all, through “plata o plomo.” When will the great power of the US be sanctioned by the rest of the world for its atrocities, or it’s political elites held to account? The US and NATO poked and provoked a bear knowing and intending well the outcome of the poking – should not those same politicians in the US and throughout NATO be sanctioned for their personal involvement?
Absolutely right Joel. I concur. The USA has the potential to be an amazing country and set the example and standard for the world. Yet we are literally held back by our leaders and representatives. And the qualified ones steer clear of the occupation. Fear maybe ? God has a plan my friend. Trust. God bless. Namaste
Joel, this is very valid comment. And very sad reality, unfortunately.
I join you in prayer and thank you for this message. I visualize ordinary citizens responding with extraordinary courage and love demonstrating their call for freedom, equality, and peace.
Namaste everybody,
I’m very upset to see how a wonderful spiritual organization, my spiritual family is transforming into a political one and its leaders take a side in a very complex conflict, obviously, they don’t know much about. In their address we see clear American political agenda, CNN slogans – just because they are Americans and watch Amirican media. In their satsang they express satisfaction that “aggressive people” are isolated. We hear in their rethorics hidden calls to distance from one country. Is that spiritual? Is that yogic?
Being a leader implies both privilege and responsibility. Being a spiritual leader implies special responsibility to unite people with love and high vibrations, not to devide them, especially, taken into account that all gurubais have different political views.
Let’s imagine that leaders of Ananda now are not Americans. For example, they are Indians. What could Indian leaders of Ananda say today if they speak about politics?
For instance, they could have spoken about the pressure and threats that their country receives from the US because India doesn’t want to support American policy and wants to be in a good relationship with Russia as it has always been. They could also say that the US goes so far that even threatens India to use sanctions against it.
Would that be sattvic?
Politics and yoga should be separated. To speak about politics responsibly one should know FACTS.
I call upon Ananda leaders to distance from politics and to focus on yoga.
With love,
Parvati
It may prove helpful to clarify my intent. This blog was my best attempt to urge that those of us who are striving for higher consciousness to affirm and act with peace and harmony. It was not meant as a political statement.
In answer to an earlier comment by Joel, I am opposed to all warfare. I was opposed to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Conflict does not, cannot produce peace. The problem is self-interest, whether at an individual or national level. The very thought that one person’s or nation’s self-interest justifies harming another is counter to God’s law. Our teachings are meant to help us achieve unity and overcome the egoic delusion of separation from God and from each other. We are all one and conflict simply deepens the delusion of separation.
In short, I do not believe that either war or politics can provide a solution. The only way out of conflict is to raise consciousness. I summarize my thoughts at the end by saying, “I am making a pledge to do my best to act throughout each day with peace and harmony, and to strongly radiate those vibrations to the whole planet. Will you join me?”
We have a calendar with a daily quote from Paramhansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi. Today’s quote, March 4th, was particularly relevant, perhaps even an answer from him. “Though the human race and its works disappear tracelessly by time or bomb, the sun does not falter in its course; the stars keep their invariable vigil. Cosmic law cannot be stayed or changed, and man would do well to put himself in harmony with it. If the cosmos is against might, if the sun wars not with the planets but retires at dueful time to give the stars their little sway, what avails our mailed fist? Shall any peace indeed come out of it? Not cruelty but good will arms the universal sinews; a humanity at peace will know the endless fruits of victory, sweeter to the taste than any nurtured on the soul of blood.”
Namaste Parvati,
Very eloquently said. That is the heart of what I was also trying to understand. I find it deeply concerning when organizations such as this begin pushing the narrative of WEF, CNN, Davos, etc. Similar to what we’ve seen over the last two years.
Nayaswami, your response resonates with all readers – higher consciousness, spread love, ascend to peace…but your original post was a political piece against one country and actor. Here Ananda org is, echoing the same narrative that the American mainstream media has programmed into the minds of the western world. Where is the call for sanctions against the US war machine? And the political elite that create, and magnify this wedge of division while salivating for endless war and crisis? You’re call to isolate Russia shows a complete lack of empathy, knowledge, and understanding – we know the only people sanctions harm are the isolated and poor citizens.
Your personal pledge rings with the same vibration of todays twitter “virtue warriors” after economically condemning an entire country. This has left a sour taste of ever associating with ANY ORGANIZATION that espouses dogmatic ideology fed from the political elite class as I’ve witnessed here, SRF, etc. Such a far cry from the pure science that is Kriya Yoga.
Was it not Yogananda that said something along the lines of, “if I were to come back in 100 years, would I even recognize the organization that was left to you?” I know it was directed at another organization, but as I watch Ananda delve deeper into the politics of the day, I can’t help but think the same applies here.
I am joining my brothers and sisters around the world in peace and prayer.
Thank you for these timely words of wisdom. I’ve taken to reading “Where There Is Light” every night after my meditation and have found it comforting and inspiring. I join you in radiating loving and peaceful vibrations throughout our World. May our collective Light bring peace to all soon….🙏🏼
Though bombshells may be exploding all around us, keep the peace brother, keep the peace🙏 While others may fall to the ground frightened and trembling, keep the peace sister, keep the peace🙏 Our fellows need us now more than ever to be the neutral calm zeropoint at the center of the dystopian storm🙌 So keep the peace friends, keep the peace🙏
Thank you for these timely words of wisdom. I’ve taken to reading “Where There Is Light” every night after my meditation and have found it comforting and inspiring. May our collective light bring peace soon….
Nyaswami Joytish Yes Gurudev l will join you to pray daily for peace light and love between the Russians Ukrainians Americans and the western nations . Thank you for the message. Your Fellow Ananda Kriyaban.
Amen!
I am definitely in! Thank you for this beautiful reminder! Love to all
Jessie
Thank you for the wonderful and (oh, always) timely article Jyotish ji. I’m blessed and grateful to be following this path, led by very learned and highly spiritual leaders. Paramhansa Yogananda himself, and Swami Kriyananda too talked much on the aspect of war and troubles, as they brought a ray of light that can shine into all the aspects of a human life. Pretending to stay out of it all is never even remotely close to what they taught. May we never fall into the folly of thinking that anything that supports my country politically is right, and anything that does not do so is wrong. May Truth alone be our guide.
Namaste, Kaylash,
When you say that our beloved Guru Yogananda and Kriyananda were not that far from politics I can only remind you that Yogananda welcomed Hitler when this figure appeared on the political scene. Very soon after that, of course, he radically changed his view. Kriyananda writes about this eposode in his “Conversations with Yogananda”.
It proves again the highly dellusionary nature of such dirty thing as politics.
All is God’s Lila. Let the current Lila finish the soonest and the peace restored.
Thank you dear Jyotish, for your very timely and needed message filled with with Master’s powerful wisdoms!
I’m joining you and the Masters and all in this pledge and prayers for peace, goodwill and benevolence.
Your post truly touches my heart and soul, and yes, I join with you and all in making the pledge as you wrote here to “do my best to act throughout each day with peace and harmony, and to strongly radiate those vibrations to the whole planet.”
In Divine Peace, Love, Friendship, and profound Gratitude for Master, you, Devi, and all our Ananda Worldwide Family,
Priyala
Priyala
I am making a pledge to do my best to act throughout each day with peace and harmony, and to strongly radiate those vibrations to the whole planet
Aum, Peace!
Thank you for the words of hope, light and stillness among the dark storms swirling around the world. Let light shine everywhere and wash away the darkness.
Yes, I join you in praying for peace & harmony around the world.
That Heavenly Father, Divine Mother will send a ‘blanket’ of the joy of the beauty of Mother Earth, Our Fragile Island home, all of gifts of creation, the morning dawn, the evening sunset, the voices of tiny little birds building homes for birth of there babies, the soft, fragile, delicate petals of flowers of so many colors, the miracle of the wings of a butterfly, the joy of petting a dog or kitten – just think of ALL THE GIFTS THE CREATOR showers us with everyday, the Ever New blessings of JOY and BLISS will fill the minds of ALL WORLD LEADERS and ALL working around them. Prayers are the BEST weapons for ending wars. Yogananda had a Church of All Religions. . . . .
In the words of those of the Bahá’í Faith
Blessed is the spot,
and the place,
and the city,
and the heart,
and the mountain,
and the refuge,
and the cave,
and the valley,
and the land,
and the sea,
and the island,
and the meadow
where mention of GOD hath been made, and His praise glorified.
Every spot, everything all around us – Let it all GLORIFY GOD’s love. Let me be an echo of HIS LOVE.
Send heavenly light to all fighting to find new creative, ingenious & wondrous ways to end the fighting & fill their minds with beautiful thoughts of creation & all the uplifting songs, and LOVE ENDURES FOREVER. Nothing is impossible to GOD.
Hope to sing songs to hold on the all the thoughts of peace and its miraculous power. Going to an inter-faith night vigil prayer for peace.
(hope it is like a taizé (french word The characteristic of Taizé is the adaptation of the repetitive form to simple musical lines and core biblical texts that can be sung by a whole assembly of various nationalities, languages, and denominations. )
Thank you, Ananada Village for being a beacon of light
for the World
tricia
Thank you for your comment, Jyotish,
Yes, let us be filled with peace and harmony. May God help us to reveal in ourselves divine gypsies free from any samskaras and attachments to origins or ideologies. May we all be united in our love and service to God and Gurus. AUM AUM AUM
I WILL! Namaste
Thank you Jyotish for the uplifting and positive message. I am holding everyone in the Light, that we may all feel
the peace and love of the Masters sustaining us all as we go forward in peace and harmony throughout the world.
Namaste, Joel,
I understand your feelings. We can just hope that Ananda will not become an American organization only for Americans. Even though in America all spectrum of opinions on the world politics can be found. AUM AUM AUM
Dear Nayaswami Jyotish Ji,
Thank you for this blog. Very important and useful message particularly for this time.
The world is going through one after the other. Tough times!
We are grateful for this path and the teachings which is giving us the strength. And to be part of the Warriors of the Light wherein we send and uphold the Divine Light.
Yes! Joining you and other Gurubhais in sending peace and harmony to the world.
Joy,
Prem
Praying thrice daily after meditations.
This post deserves wide circulation through every center of Ananda so that every individual can pray and mass prayers take place everyday.
Joy GURU.
This message is so timely. I pray for sustained peace for the Ukrainian’s. I pray that their land, culture and home be restored and that peace permeates their hearts and minds.
Dear Jyotish and Devi! My name is Sunita. I’m from Russia. I personally met with you in 2017 in Italy, during an international retreat, we talked quite a bit and I don’t expect you remember me, but at that moment, I am one of the leaders of Russian Ananda and I own the most popular Russian YouTube channel, through which I spread the teachings of Yogananda and Kriyananda, attract people to our path, and then through the European Ananda some receive Kriya. I translated a lot of lectures with Swamiji and a few lectures with you. They are very inspiring! You are very inspiring! Thanks! However, I could not translate this article for my Russian subscribers. I’m not going to convince you of anything, I’m generally not interested in politics, but now this topic itself makes me interested. Russian opinions are very different from what is shown in the American and European news. If possible, I ask you as the leaders of Ananda (the worldwide Ananda family, including the Russian one) (and you are wonderful leaders) – do not call Russia an aggressor country. Russians have a completely different opinion on this matter, even those who have been with Ananda for many years and have been practicing Kriya Yoga for many years. Tomorrow I will see you at satsang via zoom and I will not say anything on this topic, because we will discuss what unites us;)
With Master’s Love
sunita.
Thank you, Sunita. This is very helpful. You are absolutely right, let’s discuss what unites us, which is the goal of yoga. Love and friendship without any borders is what the world needs.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy…🙏🕉️
https://youtu.be/nj4tz6w9hvA 🙏🕉️
Thanks for sharing. I was recently in seclusion and found that listening to track 10 (the one about “Peace”) in the “Metaphysical Meditation” audio recording done by Swami was very helpful to tune into before doing the peace and harmony prayer for the world. I had thought of continuing with this prayer after my meditations and your blog has confirmed that inspiration for me.
Brilliant. Perfectly said. Much love and respect.
God has a plan. Got to go through hell before we get to heaven I suppose. The United States of the world will materialize. And disillusioned politicians and leaders of all countries will fade away. Trust. Faith. Believe. Peace and love.
Namaste.
Dear Joythisji!
Lord Buddha said hatred begets hatred.
I am in..
Few years ago I read an article from Dr Deepak Chopra, it said the power of thought Is stronger than the gravity.
Let us send our thoughts in unity of Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavanthu!
Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthi!
Love and Light
Grace
Dear Joythisji!
Lord Buddha said hatred begets hatred.
I am in..
Few years ago I read an article from Dr Deepak Chopra, it said the power of thought Is stronger than the gravity.
Let us send our thoughts in unity of Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavanthu!
Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthi!
Love and Light 🪔🪔🪔❤️❤️❤️🌹🌹🌹🙏🙏🙏
Grace
Beautifully written call for prayers for peace, Jyotish. As a yogi and disciple I frequently look up Yogananda’s teachings on world events. I appreciate the way Yogananda explains how human behavior, politics, and warfare directly effects the weather, causes cataclysms and pandemics, and so on. He never shied away from discussing world events because understanding world events was part of the path of being a responsible human being and yogi. I read, re-read, and then read again your blog, and heard you directly quote Yogananda over and over, and paraphrase Yogananda over and over. There was no mention of one country being either right or wrong, only that there is dark, disturbing energy all over the planet and always has been, and we need to counterbalance that with light. And you stated, “We have many friends, wonderful people, in the Ukraine, Russia, and throughout Europe. The innocent people do not want war. Let us try to help them!” What a wonderful, inspiring blog–a request for prayers for peace. Thank you for uplifting and inspiring me on this day, and reminding me of Yogananda’s teachings on this subject. Jai Guru!
Regardless of who’s right or who’s wrong, your point is well taken Jyotish. Thank you! 🙏🏼
Thank you Jyotish for speaking about this very important global event. I pray for Ukrainian people and Russian people every night and ask Divine Mother to remember we are all HER children and that this beautiful blue planet is hers to love and protect. War, of course, is never the answer. You said that. We are ALL God’s kids; all one, united in the Divine creation…all playing our parts, hero and villain! It is so difficult to not feel drawn into this tragedy. I know I have experienced a plethora of emotions. My personal resolve is exactly what you are asking of us: to sow peace.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom and being a channel of Master’s and Swami’s voice. Namaste
Standing love and light!!!!!
Peace ☮️ On Earth