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Society and Politics

Give Peace a Chance

An article by BK Sister Urvashi in honour of 21st September, UN’s International Day of Peace.

“Peace may sound simple - one beautiful word - but it requires everything we have, every quality, every strength, every dream, every high ideal.”
-- Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999)

Isn’t the five-letter word ‘peace’ extraordinary? We know it means ‘calmness’, ‘tranquillity’, ‘no war’, etc but it can be a vast reservoir of energy. In our fast changing world of technology and flamboyant entertainment, some consider ‘peace’ synonymous to ‘inactivity’ while others appreciate or desire it only when faced with situations of opposite nature.

However, peace is an emotion and state of being that existed within us long before anger, sorrow, anxiety, hatred, stress and their progeny made an appearance in the drama of life. It’s an attitude, a way of living, a treasure of the human spirit so dear that we often forget it is part of us and cannot to be obtained externally. Although experiences with loved ones, nature, acts of worship, music, dance, charity and the like do elevate us to a higher sense of well-being or give us peace of mind, there is an incognito, priceless generator of peace at our disposal: the human consciousness or ‘I, the soul’.

It’s quite an achievement that we carry on despite the horrific things occurring in the world, or the personal test-papers we clear everyday. The human soul is challenged at every step. Though negative forces attempt to subdue our goodness, the innate nature of peace has and always will shine through. Whether we are making sense of erratic bombings, robberies, treacheries, debilitating illnesses, corruption, onslaught of natural calamities, pollution, family disputes, the competitive educational or corporate world… or simply just handling the regular stresses of living out our dreams, all of us know the anguish of a mind trapped in doubt, insecurity, suppression, fear, failure and feelings of not being acknowledged or loved. This over-whelming pressure can be harmful unless I direct the traffic of thoughts and bring only positive and beneficial ones to fruition, that is, into words and actions.

For those who are familiar with computer lingo, just as ‘defragmentation’ of the hard disk is necessary for computer upkeep as, in essence, this helps re-organise data and saves on memory etc, our fragmented minds, hearts and world can only be transformed with peace. This magical tool is filled with truth, purity and love: the greatest healing powers of all time. It changes my outlook on life because discontentment no longer remains. A peaceful mind focuses on priorities and higher goals. How can I be interested in insignificant matters if I truly value my thoughts, time and relationships? No matter how disturbing situations may be, I have the right to choose how to react. As the Law of Entropy teaches us, every closed system goes from an orderly state to disorder, and back to order only when an external force of energy is applied. So whenever I find my world in a state of chaos, rather than feel overwhelmed let me detach from the situation and look at it unbiased, so that I can strengthen the mind and heart to solve it. I should choose whether to be part of the problem or adopt the path towards a solution.

This ‘going within’, ‘contemplation’, ‘detachment’ etc required to experience true peace keeps the self stable, resourceful and empowered. When I act according to my innate qualities of patience, faith, hope, justice, forgiveness, and wisdom I lift my consciousness beyond physical limitations to see the truth within every individual and circumstance. Ancient history provides an excellent example of King Vikramaditya’s throne, said to be so powerful that a person would act righteously for as long as he or she was seated. Likewise, you and I have been granted a divine seat of consciousness, that is, seat of the soul in the centre of forehead from where activities of the entire body are co-ordinated. When I bring into awareness my true identity of an immortal, pure point of conscious energy, I recharge my positive strengths and skills. It is only in this state of being that I can forge a connection with the Supreme Almighty Being, the Ocean of Love, Peace, Purity, Knowledge etc and inherit the same fortitude.

It’s time for us to reclaim our birthright of peace and happiness. Let the celebrations of World Peace Day, 21st September, last not simply for a day but a week, a month, a year and a lifetime.