What does passion for peace mean to you?

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Permalink Reply by Carlos on September 26, 2008 at 8:15am

To me peace is a people's movement. It is a movement of the learned. I believe that Henry David Thoroeau's philosophy of nonviolence and civil disobedience rings true for the United States and throughout the entire world. It only takes one person to bring about a change in society that lasts for a lifetime. Even if that one person is killed by the wicked, his or her movement lives on for a lifetime.
I do not believe that religion has anything to do with peace. Peace is brought about by not just crowds, but individual free thinkers all across this globe.
Regardless of whether the government thinks is right in the best interests of a nation, peace rings true for not a lifetime, but through the entire history of mankind.
I come from Costa Rica, a country that has not seen war for 60 years. My grandfather was the last person in my family to fight in a military, and I am proud to say that I will never in my lifetime fight in any army because I know a better way. Costa Rica got rid of its military in 1948, after a violent war between the rich coffee plantation owners and the people's liberation front took place. My family belongs to the popular party in Costa Rica, and my uncle Armando was the vice president of my country.

Long live peace!

Permalink Reply by David Gould on September 26, 2008 at 5:05pm

Gordon Thank you for all of this. I find very often as I speak to folk that we believe in the same things. One such time was when Julie Felix (Sixties Anti-Protest singer along with people like Donovan and Bob Dylan) came to Langholm and gave us a concert this week. Speaking to her afterwards about the Peace movement I felt a cry from deep within her resonating with a cry deep within me...our souls had touched and united for a brief moment in a shared "Passion for Peace". You cannot mistake this meeting of souls nor the music that plays in your heart at such moments. I have tuned into my own inner music and know when others are vibrating in harmony. I suppose that is why I am on this and other sites for peace in the first place. I may not be a Buddist but within my own tradition I meditate upon many things including the pain and suffering of this wounded world. The world is beautiful as are all the people of this world but because of the lack of harmonics between us all, the world with its rich abundant lifeforms is suffering.
Passion for Peace has to be that part of us that wishes to restore this harmony. On this site we believe that can happen when one person starts to vibrate in sympathy with the world and the needs of others.
Unlike you I have to resort to poetry to express the true feeling involved so watch out for one on the Julie Felix moment sometime soon if I can stop long enough to write it.
Love and Peace

Permalink Reply by WORDWARRIORabc on September 28, 2008 at 1:02pm

What does passion for peace mean to you ?





Since I was a young girl the passion for peace have always been instilled in us from our parents.I was attracted to the hippie movement as I thought they were awesome and far out people who wanted to express themselves in a peaceful way ..Love and Peace those two words had a significant impact on me.Growing up being aboriginal,I myself have never face any racist remarks or any form of prejudice,although I knew some people who were struggling with this situation and were devastated with the racist remarks that others have spoken and took them personally.I felt a complete utter sadness for them and tried my best to express how to deal with the matter,but to no prevail they were sinking deeper into dismay...it hurt me to the core to see these individuals struggle and not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.Telling someone that tomorrow is another day and to ignore those who hurt us with words meant nothing to this individuals cause all they could hear and see was hatred in this world as they began to withdraw from friends and eventually family.The Hippie movement began to pave the road for peace,love and unity and I wanted to be a part of it.As a child my mother had put the fear into us as children about hippies,I thought hippies were some kind of human like animal that lived in trees.Then one day I had met some hippies who were hitch hiking across Canada to spread the word of love and peace.I had told them what I thought hippies were and we had a good laugh.At that point in my life I wanted to be a hippie and spread the word of love and peace after meeting these hitch hikers.I had found them to be the happiest and most peaceful people that I had ever met.Their music began to have a powerful meaning for me.Their lyrics and beautiful musical sounds was poetry in motion.. after all most peace songs started out as poetry... and thats when I realized that Peace was not impossible and that one would have to want it to make it happen.Later on in my early twenties I began to read about Buddhism.Buddhism is based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, sometimes simply known as "The Buddha", who lived in or around the fifth century BCE in the northeastern region of ancient India.Buddhists recognize him as an awakened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings and their suffering by understanding the true nature of phenomena, thereby escaping the cycle of suffering and rebirth and that Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices and powerful insight.While it is usually considered a religion, some scholars have defined religion in ways that exclude it.The number of Buddhists in the world ranges from 230 to 500 million or more, with most living in Asia.Today Buddhism is a universal understanding of peace,honor,humbleness, acceptance and one feels deeply moved.The Buddhas Greatness, embodiment of Virtues, blossoms of the Human Tree,Buddha is nearer to us.and is.the most Noble of Mankind.Later on in my life I had met a girl who was a mediator.She taught me about meditation, and said Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned, "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness.I was impressed I had to try this meditation.I began to meditate and today I do this daily.There is no length to how long ones meditates.I was told to "Concentrate on the quality of your meditation sessions and to meditate consistently" to find inner peace.My father being a spiritual man and although we were Roman Catholics he told me they were two different things.I was taught the ways of the natives early in my life.. when I used to work with my Father.(he was a pulp cutter) and I was his ruler girl.He would tell me about the native ways and the importance of excepting yourself and others.My upbringings have always brought me happy and peaceful thoughts when I reminisce about the times that I would spend working with my father as a young girl and each day I would look forward to his stories.My Grandfather also told me some stories about where his people came from and his childhood.I eventually passed on to my children.Today I believe they are at peace with themselves.I am very proud to have been taught spirituality by the best peaceful people that being my Father and Grandfather and my encounters with those hippies that shared their war for peace.I am at peace with myself today after battling two bouts of cancer in my life.Having to be a cancer survivor has made me look at life differently.Today I am grateful for that battle for it has taught me about my life and the life of others and how blessed we are to live on such a beautiful planet.I take one day at a time now rather than look into tomorrow or yesterday.. after all tomorrow is another day of living, loving and more journeys and yesterday was just that.My war for peace is my passion and my desire and one can find me always sharing and recruiting people to join the war for peace.

Peace-out

One of my favorite Buddhist thoughts

"To win Peace"

The question that inevitably suggests itself is, how far can the great message of the Buddha apply to the present-day world? Perhaps it may apply, perhaps it may not, but if we follow the principles enunciated by the Buddha, we will ultimately win peace and tranquility for the world.

- Nehru

Permalink Reply by Peace_maker on October 23, 2008 at 10:48pm

I loved your post it sure has a darn good meaning of peace is all I can say here peace and love and light


Ed .

Permalink Reply by Gordon J Millar ~ The Global We on October 3, 2008 at 9:21am

Always good to hear from you Mike,


Thank you!

with metta,
Gord

Permalink Reply by Naresh Narayanan on October 6, 2008 at 4:57pm

I totally agree with you and am for peace on all fronts. But one question, don't get me wrong, but why is this unbiased, universal group aiming for peace in the world, regardless of caste, creed, religion, nationality or economic status, have the star spangled banner all over the main logo for this group? Nothing personal but I would suggest a more *global* symbol to represent peace lovers and us people's passion for peace.

Permalink Reply by Peace_maker on October 14, 2008 at 3:28pm

to me peace is another way out not to have a war but try to have terms to seek a solution ..a lot of things are human rights that seek to be equal to every one to have peace and justice to all .