A common space for harmonic peacemakers
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"The roots of war are in the way we live our daily lives–the way we develop our industries, build up our society, and consume goods. We have to look deeply into the situation, and we will see the roots of war. We cannot just blame one side or the other. We have to transcend the tendency to take sides."
— Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Step
The Buddha said that if you get caught in one idea and consider it to be "the truth," then you miss the chance to know the truth. Even if the truth comes in person and knocks at your door, you will refuse to open your mind. So if you are committed to an idea about truth or to an idea about the conditions necessary for your happiness, be careful. The first Mindfulness Training is about freedom from views:
"Aware of the suffering created by fanaticism and intolerance, we are determined not to be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist teachings are guiding means to help us learn to look deeply and to develop our understanding and compassion. They are not doctrines to fight, kill or die for."
This is a practice to help free us from the tendency to be dogmatic. Our world suffers so much from dogmatic attitudes. The first mindfulness training is important to help us remain free people. Freedom is above all else freedom from our own notions and concepts. If we get caught in our notions and concepts, we can make ourselves suffer and we can also make those we love suffer.
- Thich Nhat Hanh, in " No Death, No Fear".
(Image: Head of a smiling Buddha, Greco-Buddhist style, from Afghanistan)
Looking Deeply Into My Anger
I am determined not to speak when anger manifests in me.
I will practice mindful breathing and walking to recognize and look deeply into my anger.
I know that the roots of anger can be found in my wrong perceptions and lack of understanding of the suffering in myself and the other person.
I will speak and listen in such a way as to help myself and the other person to transform suffering and see the way out of difficult situations.
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
We call expressing our appreciation “watering the flower” in the other person, because we each have a flower in us—our freshness, humor, joy, and lightheartedness. We need to help water and maintain the freshness of the flower in our beloved ones. Often we only speak out when something is wrong, but so many good things are happening all the time that we forget to notice. Our child may be in good health, our partner may be helping out with some household chores. We should not just complain when things go wrong, but take time to name all that we are grateful for. When our flower is watered regularly, it is much easier for us to accept constructive criticism and cheerfully change our behavior to be more supportive of the family.
- Thich Nhat Hanh
If we are not empty, we become a block of matter.
We cannot breathe, we cannot think.
To be empty means to be alive, to breathe in and to breathe out.
We cannot be alive if we are not empty.
Emptiness is impermanence, it is change.
We should not complain about impermanence,
because without impermanence, nothing is possible.
- Thich Nhat Hanh
"PEACE
NOT WAR
GENEROSITY
NOT GREED
EMPATHY
NOT HATE
CREATIVITY
NOT DESTRUCTION
EVERYBODY
NOT JUST US"
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Connect With Us!
We light a candle for all our friends and members that have passed to the other side.
Gone from our life and forever moved into our heart. ~ ❤️ ~
Two beautiful graphics for anyone to use, donated and created by Shannon Wamsely
Windy Willow (Salix Tree)
Artist Silvia Hoefnagels
Ireland NOV 2020
(image copyright Silvia Hoefnagels)
She writes,
"Love, acceptance and inclusion. Grant us peace."
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