http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-way-to-peace.html
The Way to Peace
Adapted from Peace is the Way, by Deepak Chopra (Three Rivers Press, 2005).
The way of peace doesn’t claim that God must be a pacifist. The gulf between pacifist and warmonger belongs in our psychology, not in the nature of God. Divine schizophrenia can be overcome by seeing certain spiritual truths and hanging on to them.
God isn’t a person.
We cannot read his mind.
The essence of God is consciousness.
Consciousness can be used for either violence or peace; the choice is ours.
When it is expanded, human consciousness chooses non-violence since that is compatible with love.
If these principles are valid, then God doesn’t have to jump into the middle of human affairs. He stands for the pure essence of life and love. For me to solve my personal anguish over war, I must transform my consciousness until violence is no longer an option. By now this is a familiar argument. Millions of people understand it.
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add your comment »Yes, Joanna V., they do read the comments, but I think the comments are more for the writers than the readers. Writing clarifies our response to what we have read. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, one must satisfy survival needs first. Then, one must feel safe. Once our physiological needs and safety needs are meet, we can then work on our love and belongingness needs, as well as, our esteem needs. When all of these are satisfied we can expand our consciousness. That is when we achieve those moments when we touch our true selves...it is called self-actualization. Who and where in the world are the needs met sufficiently to allow this growth and expansion. We are all on the path. Some at different levels. All the world is a stage...
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During the Vietnam era we ,who opposed and refused to participate in WAR, had a simple saying, "What if they threw a War and nobody came?"
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But more millions do not. Most unfortunately, many are unable to discipline/convince/comprehend/modify the "fight or flight" syndrome we've inherited from predator ancestors. This is why we need ethics, spirituality and saints...yet it is still hasn't been enough to evolve consciousness.p.s. does anyone read these comments?
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Like I always say...."Love is the way..."
Hugs,
Tracey Huguley
www.traceyhuguley.blogspot.com
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"I believe he will come back as a lion, in that, he gave us the free will to choose life or death/light or darkness."
We already have it.
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I think that ending wars is on the soldiers hand more than on the politician's. Peace will only be possible when ALL the soldiers understand that war and violence are not the best options for humanity, but LOVE and PEACE; then they will throw away their weapons and return home, peacefully disobeying leaders orders. Then, who will take the weapons and fight... the politicians?
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Jesus came to this earth as a lamb showing us the correct path but, I believe he will come back as a lion, in that, he gave us the free will to choose life or death/light or darkness.
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Dr. Chopra,
Your thoughts are truly inspirational. By nature, I am a peaceful person; but what are your thoughts on the state of affairs when countries do not have enough food or economic trade to help provide stability for their people? It is often mentioned in the media that war helps bring monies for the countries that are involved in it. Is total peace possible when there is such economic disparity amongst the countries?
Even in our great country of America, there is hunger, strife and too many recent killings in schools, namely colleges. I've witnessed family members suffering extreme poverty even though they have a college education.
Seems to me that there may not be any easy anwer to war or its' companions of poverty, greed and the like; but it would seem that a belief in a "higher power" (whatever an individual believes in) would help bring all peoples into one accord of a more peaceful world.
Thanks for allowing me to voice my opinion.
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This is not my saying. But it makes a lot of sense to me. WITHOUT THE DARKNESS, HOW WILL WE KNOW THE LIGHT?
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I don't believe God is consciousness. As Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj points out in "I am That", God is beyond consciousness.
My understanding is that consciousness is merely the ability to perceive: duality. Consciousness arises from Pure Being. Duality, from being what?
The way to peace is simply to be peace. One can not fight war and be peace at the same time.
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