Can you imagine a world where all beings live in peace, harmony and community? What would it take for the world to be at peace? How would life be different? Because there is so much chaos, violence and turmoil in the world, it seems impossible to realize. And certainly for me, the individual “I”, what can I do to make a difference?
Although there are role models, activists and everyday heroes that have impacted the world, I am not them. Many of us feel helpless. And while there is little you can do, there is much more you can be. Einstein articulated this view best when he said, “Problems are not solved at the same level they were created.”
Taking a Higher Perspective
So, we must take a different and higher perspective. Everything changes when we change the way we view the world. Conflict begins when people view themselves separate from everyone and everything else. When we look at the world from the perspective of duality, we divide the world into parts: my home versus your home, my country/your country, my skin color/your skin color, my job/your job, I am right/you are wrong, and on and on. When we judge, when we view ourselves as ‘better than’, we create separation which is the seed of all conflict.
Human history illustrates this. Many wars were fought in the name of God. We were right and you were wrong. Millions died. In every case those fighting believed that God was on their side, but how can that be? How could God choose from among his children? A paradox indeed.
In Duality There Are Winners and Losers
Duality demands there be winners and losers. And since no one wants to be a loser, we fight to be the winner regardless of cost. Through this thinking, we have polluted our waters, raped our lands and depleted the ozone, all the while ignoring the advice of the world’s scientific community.
Duality believes in “not enough.” There are not enough natural resources, food, water, money for the entire world to be happy. Therefore, for me to be happy I must make sure I get mine before there is nothing left for me.
Duality Is Causal
Making decisions based on duality is the prime cause of our problems and the world’s suffering. Underlying all of this is the thought “I am separate from you and you are separate from me.” This is easy to believe because your senses tell you it must be so. But there is more to the world than meets the eye.
There Is No Me, Just I
What if there was another way? What if there was no you or me, just “I”? If I took from another, hurt another, harmed the environment, then I would be hurting myself. If we truly understood this, the world would instantly change.
When properly applied, the concept of “I” is transformative and profound. This is so much so that Pat and I have developed a workshop around this principle entitled, How to Change Another Person or Anything in 28 Days or Less. I know it sounds crazy but it works, for it invokes unity consciousness through a breathing technique called, The Breath of I.
Compassion Unites
The concept of unity is taught by all the great masters and is common to the world’s religions, yet few practice this. One energy that unites us is compassion. Unfortunately, compassion is rarely brought forward of its own accord. It often takes tragedy and disaster for us to reach out to our brothers and sisters who share this earth walk with us. Reflect back on hurricane Katrina or the tsunami that killed almost a quarter million people in Indonesia, or the plight of refugees that are fleeing their war torn nations. Our hearts open to those who are victimized. We feel the pain of others and our hearts unite. We become one people.
But we do not have to wait for tragedy to awaken us to unity. We can do so right now. The path is simple and it has always been there. Let’s choose it. How? Look for Part 2 of this article next month for more on discovering The Way To Peace.
Please join David and Pat for their FREE Mindfulness Meditation: Uniting The World In Peace on Sunday, October 16 via www.bodymindspiritradio.com.
