The Facets of Peace - 1

09-16-08 - 7:40 a.m.

Peace is more than the absence of war or conflict. It is a state of equanimity, joy, and happiness. How can we feel we are at a state of peace when we are hungry, ignorant, oppressed, or tortured? I say "we" because we are all one. All true religions teach that there is no separation of the spirit. Even physics has shown that we are all part of the same energy coursing throughout the universe. Buddhism teaches the concept of interdependence. "This exists because of that," we are born through the union of sperm and egg. We can not live except for the products of this earth, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. Our abuse of our sources of life is not peaceful activity, rather an example of a deep self-hatred and resistance to the true reality of life. Most of our pollution arises from our efforts to maintain or achieve physical comfort and to avoid death.

We feel justified in our daily activities of death dealing, from our allopathic medicine that emphasizes killing bacteria to our billion dollar meat packing and production industries built on killing animals, other sentient beings. Those of us who pursue natural healing methods such as use of essential oils, which create environments inhospitable for the growth of bacteria, and vegetarians are considered "out of the norm." Yet, if individuals, corporations, and the government bureaucracy were willing to truly "think out of the box" we could easily and quickly resolve these crises which disturb our ability to create a peaceful world.

I want to look at the jewel of peace in all of its facets, health, economics, justice, equality, and non-violence. Peace is not an abstract, utopian, pie-in-the-sky "belief." Peace is the natural state of true reality and existence, if we are willing to work to achieve it.

Walk in Beauty