Perhaps one of the most important ethical virtues that yoga taught me early on was non-judgment. I brewed in a society where opinions mattered, and everyone had a “say” in everything. Your social status was based on your ability to impose your point of view and to navigate others into the indispensable “should’s and “shouldnt’s”. Literally, I was brought up with the notion of what I was supposed to do or not to do. I judged people for what they appeared to be, and never second-guessed myself whether I was right. It was a pretty intolerant attitude toward the world and others.

This all changed when I committed to a rigorous yoga practice more than twenty years ago. Suddenly my desire to comment about other people and to label them vanished, and I began so see the singular light and unique nature in everyone. I didn’t force it. It came naturally. I would catch myself at times bragging about others, and feel ashamed of myself. Slowly I eradicated the bad habit of judgment and noticed the inherent richness in everyone. Since that day I made a vow to nurture the nature in others and help them carve their unique self.

As stated in the Bhagavatgita, the Hindu epic about self-conquest, judgment and intolerance arise from a place of separation and division. When we live with this polar mindset we fall into the trap of right or wrong, good or bad, truthful and false success and failure, inferior or superior. But how can we make such a distinction if we ourselves are a sum of diverse aspects that often contradict each other? Tolerating judgment is counter-productive and a rejection of the diversity in nature. Nature is designed in organic patterns that constantly interpenetrate to sustain life and the eco-system. It is a vast network of interwoven intelligence. The boundless palette of colors, shapes, forms and relationships weaves the very web of creation and recognizes the interdependence of all.

We are not isolated entities. We are cells in a universal whole – intelligence cells, now dormant but with mind/brain circuitry designed to reflect the thoughts of the creative spirit at the Source of our life. As we release the impositions we see that creatures and environment are inseparable, and the environment does not stop with the eco-system but extends to include our star system and every galaxy resting in the universal sea. We are an indelible part in the chain of evolution and every conscious thought, every mindful action impacts the complementarity of the whole. So why fight over territory? Why pledge to serve one faith and undermine another? Why succumb to violence in order to gain power? Why try to control others and not co-exist peacefully?

The demon of repression and violence has infiltrated into the minds of people and converted them into senseless redeemers. Redeem what? Other than our own karmic debts, personal flaws that we have inherited from this and pas life times, there isn’t anything tangible to pay allegiance to. The human race is now poised upon the threshold of a breakthrough. This breakthrough begins from the moment we raise our eyes above history’s illusory divisions. If we debunk the myth of war in favor of global tolerance we will rise in consciousness.

In Yoga consciousness dwells in a universal field of information and awareness that has been long bubbling up through the Earth’s biology. The knowledge is stored in a giant interstellar computer known as Akash or “ether”. Every thought that we emit in space is instantly translated into “Akash” and archived. As thought forms access this informational field they create a unified vibratory coherence. This intelligence envelops the Earthly grid in the form of a “noosphere”. The more we feed the “noosphere” with positive thoughts, and constructive ideas, the more creative force enters our bodies. Animated with such creative power we are able to fulfill our potential while benefiting others. We naturally become more compassionate and accepting.

The most essential lesson from Yoga is indeed acceptance. It is a source of peaceful recognition of the divine nature inherent in all. As we relinquish judgment, we are ready to tolerate different points of view. We refashion our ideas to serve a greater purpose. We generate self-love and our love extends to others. We feel that we want to grow mutually in peaceful co-creation and forbearance.

Then why fight over false notions? Why clash over territory and religion? The very root of the world religion (religare), means “to relate to”. In accordance with Einstein, we yogis believe that everything can be viewed in relationship with everything else, and never in isolation. The more we try to separate and divide the more we negate the inherent plurality of life. We need a leap of perception to thrive in this threshold. There on the brink of eternity, together and united, we can inscribe the new story of humankind. A story woven from all the strands of nations, all the colors of the rainbow, all the beads of universal consciousness that string our globe. Beads of tolerance and global forbearance, beads of compassion and planetary hope.