Thoughts for contemplation

 January 2024 

Peace is the absence of violence. When peace is within you, its presence signifies that all levels of your mind  - reptilian, emotional and intellectual - are in sync with each other; that your focus is on the moment, on one thought - one essential, unifying thought that does not disturb any part of your being - your body or your mind. You feel connected to the presence of Life itself. You may call that "Presence" God, or Jesus or Allah or any other name. I just call it Spirit. 

It resonates as a feeling of harmony; an experience of Oneness with “what is”.  This state is considered the highest state of virtue in Yogic philosophy and  served as the prime thought and action by Mahatma Ghandi.  Called "ahimsa" in Sanskrit, non-violence is founded on the principle that all living beings are an expression of the same Life/Self. In the ancient Yogic text, Raja Yoga Sutras, Pantanjali, writes "non-violence is practiced in three ways: 

         Physically - by doing no harm to another person's body   

       Vocally - by doing no harm through sharp words 

        Mentally - by directing no ill will towards others

Patanjali wrote that an aspirant must abstain from all these forms of violence according to his/her capacity. A person must cease all forms of violence in order to achieve peace.  One who is peaceful, speaks the truth and uses diplomacy to resolve issues. A person who is peaceful lives life with gratitude and considers the needs of others. Content with what he/she possesses, a peaceful person cares about others and shares what they possess as a way to provide others with the opportunity to experience peace: freedom from want.

The greatest barrier to peace is rooted in Egoism. Egoism is an ignorant belief that one person should have power and control over others; one person should be the master over the many. Throughout the history of mankind, we find that leaders who embrace egoism, disrupt peaceful civilizations through their actions, words and selfish drive to make one group superior to all others. They promote selfishness and cruelty: they are aggressive - they lie, kill/assassinate dissenters and promote war. Greed underlies their thoughts and actions. We have one such ego-maniac running the Republican Party today:Trump. Many others are in power around the world. Thus, we have war.  Among the masses, known today as MAGA, we find egoistic people who support this aggressive leader. They  focus on what is lacking in their lives and they blame others for it. Egoistic people ignore harmony with Mother Earth; they see her as something to be used to empower the few and enslave the many.

Harvard professor of Psychology, Steven Pinker, shares his research and ideas about violence in his book, " The Better Angels of Our Nature". In his discussion as to the nature of violence, he quotes Thomas Hobbes (1651):

                                 "So that in the nature of man, we find three principal causes of quarrel. 

                                  First, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory. The first maketh 

                                 man invade for gain; the second, for safety; and the third for reputation (p 31)." 

Competition, we understand. Diffidence is defined as "lack of trust and self-confidence; and glory, well that is self-evident in leaders - past and present. Members of Congress and state legislatures across the United States have jumped on the "big lie" and break laws and continue to support the fear Trump creates by remaining silent. This choice supports violence.

Violence is never the path to peace, so it is important to increase the virtue of non-violence in your life. Start by being non-competitive with yourself and others.  Surround yourself with people who earn your trust - who have your back. Work on building self-confidence by applying yourself to every task at hand and then giving yourself a pat on the back upon completion....be nice and supportive of yourself! And recognize that glory is over-rated … slow, but sure success wins the race.

Stop quarreling with yourself and others and start creating peace. Don't bother looking to the world outside of yourself as a place to start. Begin with yourself. Note: you are either building a life or tearing down the one you have.  Take time during your busy day to close your eyes and just watch your breath - observe being alive.   Slow down your breath to slow down your heart ... let your body rest.   Slow down your mind; single-focus your awareness on one thought. Focus on feeling  calm;  let all other feelings drift away. Stay "present" with yourself" by loving yourself just as you are - in this moment, in this day, and be profoundly grateful for the people who love and care about you - who share your hopes and support your dreams.....give yourself the gift of non-violence.

May it be a guiding virtue for your life in 2024.

Hari OM Tat Sat,

 Melinda Ann