International Day of Peace
Today, September 21, has been declared an International Day of Peace.
What is peace? It is something we can explore deeply, both individually and in community. An important aspect of peace is its dynamism. It is more a process or way of acting than a static goal far in the future or an intangible concept. Peace is something we do, and we must do it each moment. The peaceful person stands in the stream of everyday life, connected with what is happening (for ignorance is surely not peace), but not drowning in it. There is no peace in hatred, anger, desperation, lust, arrogance, or fear.
Think of people like Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King, Jr. They refused to be swayed by the inevitable currents of life, while still acting strongly in the world. This is the essence of dynamic peace. We can all strive for it, whether we are world leaders or simply computer programmers, parents, teachers, electricians, or hairdressers.
It's not so simple to think about: Being peaceful as we engage in arguments, as we struggle with the pains of the body, as we delve into the tedium of relationship management. But when we stop thinking about it, and just do it, it becomes more managable. We need only get out of our own way.
But peace can also go farther. Can we imagine that peace is deep enough, wide enough, and powerful enough to extend beyond the daily life we experience? Timeless peace. What might that look like?
It is said that those who experience this type of peace all do so simultaneously because it is all the same moment. Even a glimpse of it before we plunge back into the torrent of life can provide inspiration for a long while. Perhaps you have felt this at a moment of exceptional clarity. Don't forget.
For me, peace is a deep motivation. I am drawn to it in all forms, and have invested considerable effort in experimenting with it. Much more effort remains. How about you? What does peace mean to you, and how have you experienced it?
What is peace? It is something we can explore deeply, both individually and in community. An important aspect of peace is its dynamism. It is more a process or way of acting than a static goal far in the future or an intangible concept. Peace is something we do, and we must do it each moment. The peaceful person stands in the stream of everyday life, connected with what is happening (for ignorance is surely not peace), but not drowning in it. There is no peace in hatred, anger, desperation, lust, arrogance, or fear.
Think of people like Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King, Jr. They refused to be swayed by the inevitable currents of life, while still acting strongly in the world. This is the essence of dynamic peace. We can all strive for it, whether we are world leaders or simply computer programmers, parents, teachers, electricians, or hairdressers.
It's not so simple to think about: Being peaceful as we engage in arguments, as we struggle with the pains of the body, as we delve into the tedium of relationship management. But when we stop thinking about it, and just do it, it becomes more managable. We need only get out of our own way.
But peace can also go farther. Can we imagine that peace is deep enough, wide enough, and powerful enough to extend beyond the daily life we experience? Timeless peace. What might that look like?
It is said that those who experience this type of peace all do so simultaneously because it is all the same moment. Even a glimpse of it before we plunge back into the torrent of life can provide inspiration for a long while. Perhaps you have felt this at a moment of exceptional clarity. Don't forget.
For me, peace is a deep motivation. I am drawn to it in all forms, and have invested considerable effort in experimenting with it. Much more effort remains. How about you? What does peace mean to you, and how have you experienced it?
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