When we eliminate the unknown, we eliminate fear. When we eliminate fear, we eliminate violence. When we eliminate violence, we are at peace…
This used to be my thought on living a peaceful life:
“I desire to live a peaceful life - a life free of violence and fear. While this is desired, I tend to continue to live with conflict and frustration. I tend to cling to the life that I know rather than open myself to work toward a life of peace. I am not sure I know how to go about living peacefully and have the potential to struggle in this lifetime (and beyond) to find that ever-allusive state of being.”
I no longer believe that peace is an allusive state of being any more than a violent state of being is. It is how I view my self and the other that will dictate how I live. When I dispel conflict and violence in my life, I will experience peace. This is how I think it is achieved:
The root of violence is, ultimately, fear. The root of fear is the unknown. To eliminate the unknown, I must take the time to understand the unknown hence it becomes known. When I come to understand that the unknown is actually a part of my self, I will no longer fear it hence eliminating the conflict it has caused within me.
Violence is often directed to one of two places. I can be violent toward another individual or I can cause violence to be stirred up within and against myself. When I do not view my self for my full worth – if I do not take the time to know my deepest self – I remain unknown hence creating conflict (or violence) within. When I do not view the other for his/her full worth, the other remains unknown hence creating a fear of the other which can lead to violence toward the other.
What is my “full worth”? What is the “full worth” of every human being? My “full worth” - the “full worth” of every human being - is divine essence. Divinity is at the core of every human being which is what makes all of us the same. I am created with the same divine essence as everyone else hence I am not separated from anyone. Rather, I am connected to and the same as all other people. If I can discover this divine essence first within my self then in others, I will no longer fear my self or others. There will no longer remain an unknown factor. Everyone can be known hence no need for fear of the other. With no more fear there is no more violence. With no more violence there is only peace. When I recognize that my divinity is no different than anyone else’s, my life will be peaceful because no one will be unknown. I will have discovered the one thing that unites all people and I will be able to live a peaceful life.
And this is the goal of all belief systems – a state of perfect peace and perfect love. This is Moksha, Nirvana, the Garden of Eden, Jannah, the Kingdom of God, Heaven. Whatever its name, it is the same state of being. When I seek what unites all human beings instead of concentrating on the differences among us, I will no longer fear the other. When I no longer fear, conflict will subside. When I no longer experience conflict, I will be in a state of peace.
Next blog: “Recognizing the Divine Essence in My Self and Others”
This used to be my thought on living a peaceful life:
“I desire to live a peaceful life - a life free of violence and fear. While this is desired, I tend to continue to live with conflict and frustration. I tend to cling to the life that I know rather than open myself to work toward a life of peace. I am not sure I know how to go about living peacefully and have the potential to struggle in this lifetime (and beyond) to find that ever-allusive state of being.”
I no longer believe that peace is an allusive state of being any more than a violent state of being is. It is how I view my self and the other that will dictate how I live. When I dispel conflict and violence in my life, I will experience peace. This is how I think it is achieved:
The root of violence is, ultimately, fear. The root of fear is the unknown. To eliminate the unknown, I must take the time to understand the unknown hence it becomes known. When I come to understand that the unknown is actually a part of my self, I will no longer fear it hence eliminating the conflict it has caused within me.
Violence is often directed to one of two places. I can be violent toward another individual or I can cause violence to be stirred up within and against myself. When I do not view my self for my full worth – if I do not take the time to know my deepest self – I remain unknown hence creating conflict (or violence) within. When I do not view the other for his/her full worth, the other remains unknown hence creating a fear of the other which can lead to violence toward the other.
What is my “full worth”? What is the “full worth” of every human being? My “full worth” - the “full worth” of every human being - is divine essence. Divinity is at the core of every human being which is what makes all of us the same. I am created with the same divine essence as everyone else hence I am not separated from anyone. Rather, I am connected to and the same as all other people. If I can discover this divine essence first within my self then in others, I will no longer fear my self or others. There will no longer remain an unknown factor. Everyone can be known hence no need for fear of the other. With no more fear there is no more violence. With no more violence there is only peace. When I recognize that my divinity is no different than anyone else’s, my life will be peaceful because no one will be unknown. I will have discovered the one thing that unites all people and I will be able to live a peaceful life.
And this is the goal of all belief systems – a state of perfect peace and perfect love. This is Moksha, Nirvana, the Garden of Eden, Jannah, the Kingdom of God, Heaven. Whatever its name, it is the same state of being. When I seek what unites all human beings instead of concentrating on the differences among us, I will no longer fear the other. When I no longer fear, conflict will subside. When I no longer experience conflict, I will be in a state of peace.
Next blog: “Recognizing the Divine Essence in My Self and Others”
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