What Now?

A human being is part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. The true value of a human being is determined by the measure and the sense in which they have obtained liberation from the self. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive. -- (Albert Einstein, 1954)

The above quote speaks directly to the heart of the solution to our current world economic situation. I did not call it a solution; this is fundamentally a larger perspective while involving the heart in coming to terms with why these things are happening, understanding and systematically eliminating the causes, and ultimately getting on with living this great life.

It's time for us to begin to look at ourselves and how we view this situation. Do we feel victimized? Do we need to blame someone? How will this affect our children? Have we thought about it? Have you thought about it?

Think. About. It.

Greed and apathy have played insidious roles in forming the current path. Honesty and integrity will cure it and restore our vision of the correct path, one in which all people are honored and planned for. Maybe we should stop putting our parents in nursing homes and assisted living communities and allow them to live with us in support of raising our children. Think about the benefits, not to mention the honoring of the wisdom inherent in being the older, wiser adult. Spending time with men and women of such stature is incredibly good for young people and children. At the same time, it is very healthy for elderly individuals to be involved in the energy of the young as well. Think about it.

Like I said, fundamentally a larger perspective :)

The opportunities to influence the world for good take place all around us and how we treat other people speaks to our willingness to be a part of the process. We have evolved to a point that we can and should be seeing everyone as connected; not separate. This is indeed a world situation, not just an American situation, and I believe we can get a good start on healing it all if we would consider forgiveness. Forgiveness. Neat word.

Peace -- jb

The End of Conflict

It's been a while since I last posted anything. It is not for lack of desire, however, and becoming busy has its own certain bittersweetness; doesn't it? I have enjoyed great abundance in my professional line of work (not blogging) and I have equally endured the perceived lack of "enough time."

It is in the spirit of ending conflict that I write of my thoughts today. This is an effort to spark conversation about forgiveness and how it alone can end all suffering.

Conflict and war in the world reflect conflict and war in the mind, and both this inner an outer turmoil are born of thoughts of anger and attack. The relinquishment of anger and attack and the practice of forgiveness are, therefore, essential to the realization of peace in the world and in ourselves. -- Gifts From a Course on Miracles

I have come to see that there are times that, in my own anger lies the perception of righteousness and justification at the expense of the true feelings of the one I am projecting my interpretation onto. In other words, I have interpreted something about someone and allowed negative emotions to rise up in me because of what appear to be the facts. In that moment I am denying my knowing that forgiveness heals, and choosing to allow anger to take its place without clearly perceiving where the problem lies. When I choose to accept the idea that all conflict stems from misunderstanding, I am taking a first step towards peace and away from conflict.

When I allow myself to receive only loving thoughts from someone and recognize their attack as a cry for help, then I can begin to accept them and work towards healing that hurt. We are all humans with the potential for greater good than we have known, and by choosing to think before we speak, and letting love forge a position of forgiveness deep within us, we allow peace a chance to bloom in any situation... no matter how dire that situation may appear.

Anyone I perceive as my enemy is part of my peace, which I give up when I choose to attack.

I am in my weakest state when I attack, and I am at my strongest when I recognize that I do not need to attack. I always regret conflict afterwards, so my prayer today is that we each remember, before we go into attack mode, how much nicer it is when we all get along in the way we are designed to. We are all better served when we do not choose to be offended, and instead choose to offer healing through the conscious choice to forgive. Every time I write those words, I remember Christ forgiving his murderers while they were in the act of killing him. I think that embodies for me (by design) the totality of love personified. That act alone is the simplest way for me to see that my petty issues are small enough to, at least, justify the idea of forgiving instead of fighting.

Give peace a chance today, let love be its reason, and think thoughts of how to end conflict with those we know we should right now. -- jb

Imagine Peace Today

I was reminded of our need for peace again today. I was out and about watching people like I like to do and I noticed many, not just a few, but many people wearing t-shirts commemorating the 9/11 tragedy. I am not one to suggest that we ever forget those who lost their lives, nor am I of the opinion that by wearing a shirt that reads, "We Will Never Forget," that the wearer is even connected to the events of that fateful day... except through the window of their television set.

On the other hand, what is it that we are keeping alive by remembering? Keep in mind, I live in the south, far, far away from the site of the twin towers. I have a hunch that when some of us are doing the remembering, we are actually looking for an excuse to get back at the perpetrators. I say, let it go.

I pray that I do not offend any of you by saying that. I too watched in horror as the towers fell, and I remember how I, along with my wife, just cried and cried nearly all day. It was awful... but it is in the past. It is wonderful and very healing to memorialize the dead, but at some point there needs to be an effort at forgiveness. I guess I am still jaded by those I know who can't let something go, and hold on to the past as if it were their favorite childhood toy.

I have witnessed first hand how holding on to a painful memory can lead to other painful events. I have been counseled in the past to find an image of peace that I can hold on to instead, and it works. I use this during meditation and prayer also. I don't believe that we will ever be satisfied with ourselves if we spend our energy focused on the the things that we don't like about our brothers and sisters around this beautiful globe, or down the street, or across town. I wish we had t-shirts proclaiming, "We Will Never Forget World Peace."

We are destined to have what we hope for and I am only trying to get us to think about letting a forgiving attitude be the driving force behind our hopes and our actions. Peace is still a viable option, no matter the circumstances, and I pray for our collective healing.

Here is a video I saw today that caused me to think. I share it with you in hopes that you will be touched by it's message, as I was. Namaste' --jb -- http://www.peacetodaymovie.com/

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Forgiveness

My friends, I am about to try and make a case for forgiveness being the single most important choice we can make in the cause for peace. I am speaking, of course, from my personal experience and years of observation, both outwardly and inwardly. It takes both you see, and what I have come to believe about forgiveness is that without it we cannot heal, and healing is what the world needs. Allow me to elaborate:

If I truly desire peace for myself, and all others as well, I am forced to confront my relationship with my self first. I can't lie to myself and simultaneously be honest with you. It just doesn't work that way. Furthermore, if I want peace for others, I must choose to be peace. In choosing to be peace, I am now confronted with my relationship with my brothers and sisters.

When I take time to heal by forgiving myself first and making peace with myself, I open up my true self to reconciliation with everything that is. I am in a better position to offer peace when I know what it looks like, and self forgiveness leads me to that awareness.

There exists quite an exquisite mystery for me in that, I want to be a teacher of peace yet I am discovering that, in the process, I am actually learning to be peace. As I learn more about peace, I gain a higher understanding of how it applies to the healing process. I can say I want peace, but my choices will indicate my level of commitment to it. When I make forgiveness of others a priority, I avoid the unnecessary delay in reaching peace between us.

Think of those who, for you, represent an opportunity for healing. Decide to offer forgiveness if it is needed and watch the healing begin. Don't have expectations of what the one you forgive will do in response. That is of less importance than for you to reach out in love. I am convinced that we will find true peace by making peace with ourselves, and by forgiving instead of resenting, we make it easier for others to realize their own peace. In this exercise we allow healing for us all.

Namaste' -- jb

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