How to Find Peace
This question is one of ten that the movie one voice addressed. It was fascinating to me the responses from well known spiritual leaders of which I myself am in awe of, all from different walks of life and continents in the world. It truly gave me hope to know that in every part of the world we are concerned about peace and there are people doing something about it. Actions that speak so much louder than the BS we all are Quilty of. We talk a good talk but we don't walk a good walk.
I will tell you a story because I think it may help. A man was at a store looking at children's clothing while he was trying to leave a message for his daughter on his cell phone. He told me he'd noted that this woman was on one side of the rack of clothes for kids but not the size he was seeking. In relief he started on the other side of the rack really a distance far from her. She was in the smaller sizes and he was in the larger ones on opposite sides of the racks as far as they could get from one another. He was entertained on the phone and looking for a sweater with some bling that his daughter told him about for his grandchild. Suddenly a woman is standing next to his left saying things aloud. At first he did not think she was talking to him at all. In fact he thought she might be on the phone, when suddenly she got his attention by getting much louder saying things like "really, what are you doing. are you serious?" and other nasty comments and in a condesening tone. It suddenly occurred to this person that she was yelling at him because in her eyes she needed more room and he must have not given it to her when she wanted it. In his mind she was battling by herself. He then looked at her, left his daughter the message on her phone about the sweater and asked: "Are you talking to me, you better not be talking to me". She said she was and started making more comments to the elderly man as if he had slapped her or something terrible like that. It was then that he stated to her, "Why don't you talk to my wife?". He was actually with his sister and called her over and as he explained the situation to her he tripped up and said something like "this bitch...". The elderly man was triggered ad very angry and did not even know it till he said he suddenly felt like he could eat her for breakfast and push her off a bridge. His sister came over to him and simply led him away from her and said "she is not worth it". The lady could not stop talking and made more comments like "I feel sorry for you people". That was when it became obvious that she had an issue with his color or race because that is for me a covert way to say you "spicks" or you Mexicans or ... He suddenly realized that he had participated in a war that spread in the store like a fire because by this time others were looking. My friend was already at the counter paying with his sister and for him and for her it was over by then but he stated to me that he was ashamed he had let a seemingly very angry person make him angry and bitter and lash back. He realized how he contributed to the war of our world by doing what he did: react, become angry, and be what he normally was not. He considered himself a gentleman and one person took him there, to a dark place and he'd allowed her to do so. If we are to create peace we can't react to people like her with like venom and that is the first way to find peace.
Don't fight fire with fire, fight fire with love.
It is absolutely idiotic of us to think that we will find any form of peace by engaging in war with the pretense that we are going to make peace in the world. It is like expecting the war in Iran to manifest peace in the world. It is simply against the laws of life. It is completely against the very fiber of what peace is. It will not ever create anything other than more wars. We have been fighting fire with fire for centuries and now realizing how harmful it has become and how toxic it is for all of us and our children yet we do it all the time. We invest our egos and we react with fear and with pride and ego. We invest our hard earned time into things that won't merit us a dime or a place in the sun. It is simply useless and asinine. It i the reason that we have had so many wars in the world and it starts with very few people. When Bin Laden's sister in law was asked if she hated him for what he'd done she responded: "Of course not, it is that kind of hate that led him to do what he did". What a profound woman and what a completely unexpected response from her to the media person interviewing her. She was not going to hate someone in the same way that he hated that caused his actions. What a wise impeccable spirit. If we could only be that way and not hate anyone for their actions because that hate is our poison. I say don't fight fire with fire. Fight fire with Love.
To be continued:
I will tell you a story because I think it may help. A man was at a store looking at children's clothing while he was trying to leave a message for his daughter on his cell phone. He told me he'd noted that this woman was on one side of the rack of clothes for kids but not the size he was seeking. In relief he started on the other side of the rack really a distance far from her. She was in the smaller sizes and he was in the larger ones on opposite sides of the racks as far as they could get from one another. He was entertained on the phone and looking for a sweater with some bling that his daughter told him about for his grandchild. Suddenly a woman is standing next to his left saying things aloud. At first he did not think she was talking to him at all. In fact he thought she might be on the phone, when suddenly she got his attention by getting much louder saying things like "really, what are you doing. are you serious?" and other nasty comments and in a condesening tone. It suddenly occurred to this person that she was yelling at him because in her eyes she needed more room and he must have not given it to her when she wanted it. In his mind she was battling by herself. He then looked at her, left his daughter the message on her phone about the sweater and asked: "Are you talking to me, you better not be talking to me". She said she was and started making more comments to the elderly man as if he had slapped her or something terrible like that. It was then that he stated to her, "Why don't you talk to my wife?". He was actually with his sister and called her over and as he explained the situation to her he tripped up and said something like "this bitch...". The elderly man was triggered ad very angry and did not even know it till he said he suddenly felt like he could eat her for breakfast and push her off a bridge. His sister came over to him and simply led him away from her and said "she is not worth it". The lady could not stop talking and made more comments like "I feel sorry for you people". That was when it became obvious that she had an issue with his color or race because that is for me a covert way to say you "spicks" or you Mexicans or ... He suddenly realized that he had participated in a war that spread in the store like a fire because by this time others were looking. My friend was already at the counter paying with his sister and for him and for her it was over by then but he stated to me that he was ashamed he had let a seemingly very angry person make him angry and bitter and lash back. He realized how he contributed to the war of our world by doing what he did: react, become angry, and be what he normally was not. He considered himself a gentleman and one person took him there, to a dark place and he'd allowed her to do so. If we are to create peace we can't react to people like her with like venom and that is the first way to find peace.
Don't fight fire with fire, fight fire with love.
It is absolutely idiotic of us to think that we will find any form of peace by engaging in war with the pretense that we are going to make peace in the world. It is like expecting the war in Iran to manifest peace in the world. It is simply against the laws of life. It is completely against the very fiber of what peace is. It will not ever create anything other than more wars. We have been fighting fire with fire for centuries and now realizing how harmful it has become and how toxic it is for all of us and our children yet we do it all the time. We invest our egos and we react with fear and with pride and ego. We invest our hard earned time into things that won't merit us a dime or a place in the sun. It is simply useless and asinine. It i the reason that we have had so many wars in the world and it starts with very few people. When Bin Laden's sister in law was asked if she hated him for what he'd done she responded: "Of course not, it is that kind of hate that led him to do what he did". What a profound woman and what a completely unexpected response from her to the media person interviewing her. She was not going to hate someone in the same way that he hated that caused his actions. What a wise impeccable spirit. If we could only be that way and not hate anyone for their actions because that hate is our poison. I say don't fight fire with fire. Fight fire with Love.
To be continued:
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