How To Find Peace

 

Dear Reader,

The world continues to be in all manner of chaos - with CCC (COVID and Climate Change) being central to that situation, of course.

There is a lot that's not all hunky-dory, but I am certain that amidst all that is being reported there are fresh roots growing, and that peace (individual and global) is attainable.

There is particularly good news for all of us, in fact, and it lies in a conundrum that a great sage mentioned not so very long ago. This is a paraphrase of what he said:

Your mind is continuously buzzing, 

or there are various conflicts occurring around you, 

and you say to yourself, "I want peace". 

You want to know how you are to obtain peace.

The answer is simple: 

remove "I want". Then you are left with "peace".

Does this sound too simple? In one way it is - it sounds trite. How could peace simply be found if one literally took that step?

But, of course, the literal explanation is not really what is meant. In fact, it is a simple but profound pointer to the basic problem of our lack of peace - the fact that we "want" things, or relationships, or freedom from worry - and, amidst a pandemic, the "want" of how to deal with it. Or we accept the advice from others that this "want" of things is the way that should be followed.

However, whether or not we obtain these "wants" the result very often brings headaches of one kind or another. Therefore we acquire a lack of peace.

Doesn't sound like a good way of life to me if we cannot obtain true peace of mind.

So, the real explanation for the removal of the words "I want" is that the desire for wanting needs to be stopped at the source. "But", you say, "what is the world for if we are not to work, earn and spend - on what I want? Or to pursue any of the dreams I have?"

Or even "Can't we get back to normal rather than have these crises?!"

As far as a pandemic is concerned, or another great catastrophe, there is no easy answer except to adopting a lifestyle that encourages all around us to live in love. Love is the crucial matter, exhibited in compassion for all that is around us.

Let's step aside for a moment to recall something that may not seem totally connected - the matter of 9/11, which is the date (today) on which I am - coincidentally - starting to write this piece exactly 20 years on.

In this article is included a list of 'five lessons gained from local peacebuilders'. The second of those five lessons is that "peacebuilding is less costly and more effective than war".

Whoa! That profound but simple statement should be telling us something, shouldn't it? The lesson is surely something to do with the fact that war arises because of a dispute between peoples because one or the other is imposing themselves on the other. Something somebody (even if a nation) decides it wants!

Do you see the connection? Aggressive or panic situations arise at any level of society because of a want of something. Therefore, if we were to cease wanting and replacing it with something that would bring true peace, that would be better - wouldn't it?

What also emerges from the article above is that the peacebuilding process brings out the positives in people, people that may well have been shocked and even traumatised by being witness to something awful. They have seen at first hand how something must be wrong in our system of values, even though we keep on extolling our strength in the West as nations of democracy. 

Isn't democracy all very well if those that use their right have an intelligent understanding of values? Not, note, an understanding about GDP or how the budget is going to affect one's finances or about how some other country like Russia is seen to be a 'baddy'.

The fact is that all people are made (born) the same in terms of general physicality as well as mental and emotional orientation. It's the way that people are affected by their culture and general environment that affects their attitudes to life. Note, however, that facts and opinions acquired are nearly always about things outside ourselves, not about what is essentially a true value.

Values, please note, are more to do with feelings. And - deep down - everyone in the world has near enough the same feelings even if their opinions may come to differ (after education and material living in their country of upbringing)!

Now, I would say that certain religious or spiritual teachings actually work towards understanding our true selves (our real psychology) and that they all agree on the topic, though the practice may differ. Further, that such knowledge can only lead to peace. Then what might you say?

I would guess you would say "Then why don't we already know about it if it were so beneficial?". The real answer to that - as far as I am aware - is that man's consciousness has only lately (in historical time) risen sufficiently for better understanding. Climate Change and other issues are slowly making the matter more clear.

However, all the great religions teach the concepts of love and selflessness and compassion. Those teachings are great in themselves, but it's just that we should try more to understand ourselves through such practices to bring about (starting with individuals) world peace. Reducing our wants (and 'I want') is all part of it.

There is no easy answer to our personal or world problems other than the endeavour within ourselves to find the truth and exhibit compassion after finding the love within. And to put aside the urge to find exterior palliatives that are never the long-term answer.

I wish you well in your endeavour.

Thank you for reading this.