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Oṁkārabindu saṁyuktaṁ nityaṁ dhyānti yoginaḥ, kāmadhaṁ mokṣadhaṃ caiva, oṁkārāya namo namaḥ. Respected Viśwa Gurujī, distinguished guests, and all peace-loving brothers and sisters, my salutations. I offer my reverence to those sage and ancient enlightened philosophers who discovered this divine path and found this way of life to deliver peace in this universe. My salutations to Viśwa Gurujī, who has made this event possible through his utmost effort, creating this wonderful and magnificent program. I thank the World Peace Council (WPC) for inviting me and granting me this opportunity. I also thank you on behalf of the millions of yogīs meditating and wishing for yoga for peace worldwide. Furthermore, I thank you in the name of the country of height and light, Nepal—the land of the first and foremost yogī, Śiva. Please accept my salutations. There is a saying: if you want to gain something in one year, plant crops. If you want to gain something in ten years, plant fruit trees. If you want to gain something forever, begin yoga. Now is the high time to start. The Western world taught the Eastern world how to drink Coca-Cola. Now it is time to extend this exchange. The Western world needs to learn how to practice yoga for peace, while the Eastern world has already studied works like Othello and Man’s Search for Meaning from Western philosophers. Now is the time for the Western world to listen to and read the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, the Rāmāyaṇa, the Gītā, and Vedic philosophy. Though these originate in the East, they are a common good for all humankind. Today, I am here to raise the voice of those voiceless millions of animals who have no place left to go. I am here to raise the voice for those suffering from violence, war, and discrimination. This Earth can be a wonderful place of peace. Your presence here for this peace process is your contribution, and such participation is wonderful. This era can be one of peace. Before we proceed, I wish to explain that during the Mahābhārata Yuddha, a council was held. NASA scientists have now discovered that sound persists in the universe from the past. Therefore, whatever we speak, whatever voice we raise, will remain forever. We may not live here forever, but our voice for peace will endure. So, can we all please chant "Aum Śānti" together? Let us at least create one unified vibration at this peace conference. Let us begin as the Eastern philosopher Cāṇakya says: what you wish to create depends on your body, mind, and spirit. If we regularly direct our body, mind, and spirit toward a positive path, we will definitely achieve peace. Commonly, we think yoga merely brings flexibility—standing on toes or shoulders. But if only flexible people were yogīs, what of those in the circus? They are all flexible. Yoga is not only physical; the physical aspect is less than 30 percent. It is more than that—emotional, mental, and spiritual. For humankind, it is the interconnection from the individual to people, from people to nature, and from nature to the planet. Once we understand this interconnection, we can progress, and this is a wonderful gift for the universe. The Upaniṣads speak of the ten commandments of Dharma, the ten Yamas. The foundation of yoga is peace, Ahiṃsā. The Vedic scripture states, ahiṃsā paramo dharma—nonviolence is the supreme duty. Hence, if we practice ahiṃsā and yoga, it will definitely lead us on the path of peace. Nowadays, people are very rich. From Satya Yuga through Tretā, Dvāpara, to Kali Yuga, we have accumulated material wealth little by little, yet there is no peace. Wealth is not the solution for peace. Throughout human history, political rule and other philosophies have never brought lasting peace. Yoga now brings peace. We are all soldiers of yoga. Wherever you go, you must carry peace. Now, when you return home, we must request our governments: if we truly want peace in our country, we do not need to invest more in the military or in drug and alcohol factories. We need more investment for yoga studios, a yoga curriculum, and to train yogīs. We need thousands, millions of yogīs in this world to make it beautiful. Yoga carries the spirit of all faiths; it is a way of life, not a religion. It upholds similar principles. The core meaning of the Veda is to know yourself from within. What you see outside is your thought. To fix the world, you must fix your mind. The Bible says, "Man, know thyself"—look inside. The Tripiṭaka says, as Buddha taught, "Appa Deepo Bhava"—be a light unto yourself. In the Quran, Muhammad stated the same: "Nur al-Masih"—know the light within. Yoga is the only practice that gives peace to everyone without harm, judgment, or discrimination. Therefore, one yogī can embrace all. According to the Śiva Purāṇa and other scriptures, Śiva said, "Who can defeat violence? Who can defeat death?" Śiva told Pārvatī, "There is only one in this universe who can defeat death and remain in peace, and that is the yogī." So if we truly want peace, now is the time to practice yoga. When you practice yoga, you do not need to forcibly quit meat, drugs, or alcohol; automatically, those negativities will leave you. This is our āsana practice. Doing it regularly will definitely bring good into our lives. Yoga is the manual of life. When you buy a computer or anything, you read the user manual first. Without it, fixing problems takes time. Similarly, yoga is the manual for a happy, peaceful, and non-violent life—for everyone, not only Indians or Nepalese, but for all humankind. This manual is essential from the start of life. That is why we need a yoga curriculum. Yoga is education for school, not just for old age. It is never too late to start; we can begin now. This is our asset as humankind. I was born in a remote village in Sindhupalchowk, Nepal. My father used to say that in this world, the rich often have plenty but do not wish to share, while the poor have little but wish to share. I asked him, "What can be shared by everyone?" He said: a smile and peace. Even if you have nothing, you can share peace and a smile. Yoga does not require money; it can be practiced by anyone on a zero budget. You gain health insurance, peace, and foster non-violence in society. Hence, the yogic life is the best life. It has been practiced for millions of years by yogīs, sages, and ṛṣis. Now is the time to practice, and not only for yourself—you must help others practice. Every day is a great opportunity to learn and change our lives. This conference is a high time, a good opportunity to transform ourselves and the world. The world is only a word; you and I are the world. If I transform myself and you are ready to transform yourself, we can change the world. If we only talk and limit ourselves to scripture, we cannot change anything. Changing individuals on a large scale changes the world. So let us commit today. First, we must transform ourselves. We must take a pledge and then spread peace globally. Otherwise, we merely arrange peace conferences without spreading peace. As Viśwa Gurujī always says, peace begins within you. If you do not change today, tomorrow will never come, and we will just keep talking, remaining restless in mind. If you have a light, you can see. If you have a smile, you can share it. If you have peace, you can spread it. If your mind is restless, you cannot go beyond. So let us start today, let our actions speak louder than our words, and let us transform ourselves and each other. The good news is that the Nepal government, for the first time, is ready to designate one district as a yoga district—Bhaktapur. Millions of yogīs have now agreed. Just as there is Yoga Prague, there will be Bhaktapur as a yoga district. The initiation has started. We practice yoga not only for ourselves but for the new generation, to share this planet with every human being, animal, and creature in the universe. Proceeding this way, we will definitely achieve peace and non-violence, and our wishes will come true. The Vedic scripture asks: what is the meaning of the human body? It means that the human body came to this universe not merely to eat, sleep, have sex, and die. It is for a greater purpose. We can elevate our conscious level, spread awareness, and uplift ourselves. If we live an animal-like life, we are not using our brain and capacity at a higher level. Now is the time to uplift. If you are sleeping, now is the time to awaken. Yoga reminds us of the three important days of human life: it speaks of the importance of birth, the importance of death, and teaches everyone why we came to this Earth. If you have not found your reason, yoga provides the answer. Therefore, yoga is the solution for peace and non-violence everywhere. The journey starts now. Wherever you are, whatever country you come from, from today, when you return, let us make a difference for ourselves. Let us begin to change ourselves and start giving peace to others. Nowadays, political and organizational leaders have no time. Without time, how can you manage peace? How can you think about yourself? When do you close your eyes? When do you empty your mind? Without emptying the mind, there can be no peace; something always remains. Therefore, this world needs yoga in action, not just in word. That can start today. We will utilize this human body for a good purpose and for the solution of this universe. It is said that animals do only four things: āhāra (eating), nidrā (sleeping), bhaya (fear), and maithuna (procreation). They eat, sleep, make a family, and die. Animals have only four or five instincts, but human beings have more than fifty, and we hardly use three percent of our brain. Yoga will boost your brain capacity and inner potential, allowing us to say goodbye to stress and anxiety. Nowadays, in Australia, many doctors’ prescriptions recommend yoga. If someone goes to a clinic with an incurable sickness, a prescription for yoga may be written. Furthermore, the good news is that yoga is now in the news in Australia. Viśwa Gurujī is spreading yoga, and we have begun teaching yoga in Australian government schools for the past two years. I hope the Czech Republic will also become a capital of yoga. We are holding this peace conference here, so we can expect that next year many schools will start yoga education, many places will convert into yoga centers, and investment in missiles, weapons, alcohol, and drugs will be reduced while investment in the yoga system, practice, universities, and philosophy increases. One day, we will definitely find peace. It is said that whether you choose meditation or medication, we definitely want meditation for peace, and that comes from yoga. Yoga starts on the path of ahiṃsā: Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna, Samādhi. The first basic Yama is ahiṃsā. So non-violence starts today. Can we start today? At least today, let us not be upset with anyone. Let us deal with everything calmly, wake up tomorrow calmly, and share this calm. We should not send only diplomats and ambassadors to other countries; we should send a yogī as an ambassador. You can see here a yogī from Vedic culture spreading the philosophy of peace—a wonderful example. We can teach this new generation. When we send diplomats, we should also send a yoga teacher. Wherever you go, yoga should be part of your life. People may say this is tradition in a modern world of remote controls and robots. How can you hold your nose and breathe deeply? But it is said that the more you invest time in yoga, meditation, and the spiritual path, you will become it automatically, and peace will come automatically. This has been practiced for thousands of years by yogīs, saints, and Maharṣis. It is a wonderful way of life. You have time to brush your teeth, you never forget to eat, you have time for Facebook, email, and social media. So why do we not have time for yoga, meditation, and peace? When you smile, peace starts from your lips. When you think positively, that is another step. When you produce humble words, that is action. And when you say that you and I are the same—Vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam, the world is one family—we are all brothers and sisters regardless of origin, color, or stature. When you feel that the ātmā and paramātmā are the same, discrimination will definitely disappear from this world, and violence will vanish. Therefore, we must now raise our voice to our governments and politicians: we need to send a yoga teacher to the United Nations. We should not send only military for peace processes; we need to send groups of yogīs to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kabul, and the Middle East. We need to send groups of yogīs. Security forces cannot give you true protection, but one yogī can start the change. You can see the example here. So, can we start the peace process today? Can we? Yes. Thank you very much. Let us chant Om Śānti again. Feel peace within yourself. Place your feet on the ground. Smile once more. Keep your backbone straight, shoulders back. Inhale deeply, exhale deeply. Commit yourself: "I am the ambassador of peace from today." Let us chant. Om Śānti, Śānti, Śānti.