The strongest barrier to experiencing stillness is judgment.
The mind - following its stubborn value system - always judges the consequences of an action (or series of actions), whether it's right or wrong, good or bad, should or should not. Like when a child hits another child, and you immediately get angry and scold them: "Why are you being so naughty, you shouldn't (aren't allowed to) do this!" But you don't take the time to be understanding, compassionate, and filled with love to truly find out what happened, about the so-called cause. Because consequences all have causes, and if there were no causes, they wouldn't have happened. But the human mind usually only judges the results; they are lazy, impatient, and impulsive, thus not willing to investigate thoroughly. To see, every process leading to a result has a reason behind it, and so, it's logical when it's happening according to the law we call cause and effect. But the mind is only focused on judging, condemning, and punishing. When you judge someone, it's also a way for the ego to think you're punishing them and they deserve it. But you don't realize that this judgment creates negative emotional consequences and an unhealthy mind for yourself. And so, when you condemn or punish, judge others, you are doing that to yourself.
Everything that happens has a cause, and therefore it's logical following the law of cause and effect. But when you see everything happening objectively, all having causes, it doesn't mean you just let things happen. If your child hits another, would you just be indifferent and let them continue hitting? It demands a serious awareness here. First, you see your child is feeling dissatisfied with the other child, and this dissatisfaction drives the behavior of hitting. Therefore, your mind no longer criticizes or condemns your child. Because you've seen the cause driving the process of creating the result, so it's unnecessary or unwise to blame a child when they are not even aware of the thoughts and behaviors they cling to are causing such undeserved consequences.
Instead of teaching children dogmas that only fill their minds with moral concepts, help the child experience what's happening inside them before, during, and after the behavior. "How did you feel before hitting your friend, how about during, and how now?" Doing so helps the child's consciousness return to itself, and see everything clearly. Meaning you're teaching them self-awareness, not filling their minds with a series of moral dogmas. Because profound change only happens when the child is willing to be aware of themselves. When they start being internally aware, positive change will happen naturally. Therefore, instead of teaching concepts, teach the child to experience the inner self practically and vividly. Teach them to feel, express those feelings objectively without any judgment. Such education would create a cognitive revolution for the whole world.
But our minds are taught to focus only on dogmas, on concepts, on what's called beautiful or ugly, good or not good, should or should not. Even those who have practiced in temples, keeping many precepts, many of them cannot resist going out, enjoying with money, or engaging in lustful behaviors. Because practice, as you call it, is the ability to quietly experience (without rejecting, opposing, or criticizing) what's truly happening. Because all that's happening in this world isn't really contradictory as you might think. They support each other, and all are opportunities for awareness. Even war isn't an issue, right? Yes, but it doesn't mean you support it, or try from the mind to oppose it. You understand why it happens. All external wars come from internal battles. When your mind fights for peace, you also create an external fight for that, and thus, all wars in this world are fought in the name of noble causes.
What you can do is help people be aware of themselves. That they have been slaves to dogmas, to concepts, to thoughts, to images, to emotions, to mental habits... They forget the important part, which is truly being aware of what they are doing. Truly being aware of what's happening in the mind, in the inner space, in words, and in behavior. To see objectively how they are driven and created externally and what consequences they leave behind.
When you teach a child that hitting a friend out of hate isn't really worth it, you must help them be aware of the consequences of clinging to negative thoughts that cause uncomfortable feelings inside them. Ask them, do you really want these hateful, uncomfortable feelings? Because our true consciousness never chooses suffering and likewise, it doesn't choose to cause suffering to others. And from then on, the child will not choose to listen to negative thoughts producing uncomfortable feelings. Help the child know how to choose (consciously choose) beautiful thoughts instead of negative ones, and help them experience that their nature is joy, not hatred or sorrow. But you'll see, our education system teaches people to think they are bad, evil, greedy, suffering is inevitable... We haven't taught children that joy is their nature. We rarely teach children to think positively, and direct those positive, peaceful thoughts inside to experience the readily available and infinite spiritual peace.
If you speak out about stopping wars, it must come from understanding, tolerance, and love. Because God doesn't blame or judge any of His children. He simply awakens them. So now, you must awaken yourself from the dogmas - the thought habits you've clung to for so long, to truly choose consciousness filled with love in everything happening, even the uncomfortable thoughts or feelings happening within you. Everything happening is to remind you that you are unconditional love.
