The continuing months-long stroll for peace by Buddhist monks from Fort Value, Texas to Washington, D.C. is likely one of the most inspiring occasions to happen in america in years.

With all of the hate, division and violence seemingly on full show on this nation, the monks’ journey is a profound reminder that the values of peace, love and kindness can heal not solely America however your entire world. So it actually shouldn’t come as a shock to see the unbelievable scenes of hundreds of awestruck folks lining the streets to greet the holy monks as they stroll barefoot via their cities.

The reality is, deep down, all of us yearn for a extra peaceable world. And intuitively, we all know that the best way we’re dwelling has set us down a path of chaos and destruction. As I tuned in on-line to listen to the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara (the lead monk of the 20-monk strolling procession) communicate to a big crowd in Columbia, South Carolina, I used to be moved to tears by two central factors that he made:

• World peace first begins via discovering peace inside ourselves
• By way of living mindfully, we’ll naturally turn into dwelling embodiments of peace and loving-kindness.

Can discovering internal peace result in outer peace?

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In regard to Pannakara’s first level, I can recall a few years in the past educating a school course I created known as the “politics of peace.” Throughout considered one of our weekly seminars, I vividly bear in mind one pupil’s pissed off response to a studying I’d assigned them by the legendary Lakota chief Black Elk. Like Pannakara, Black Elk believed that world peace can solely come about if we first discover that peace inside ourselves.

The coed, who was a social justice activist and protester, couldn’t fathom how inner-peace-inducing practices like prayer, meditation and chanting might probably translate to world peace. Her dominant paradigm centred round exterior confrontation with unpeaceful actors in energy, corresponding to the federal government and company elites, via direct motion.

I inspired this pupil to critically assess the assumptions of her personal paradigm by asking her this one query: Essentially, what was it about Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. (two of the best social activists prior to now century) that made them such efficient leaders for his or her respective causes of nationwide independence and racial equality?

After a protracted silence, I lastly answered the query. I identified that each of their actions had been powered by the huge reservoirs of peace discovered inside each males. By all accounts, Gandhi and King had been profoundly peaceable males who drank from cups of the religious nectar of their very own faiths (Gandhi deeply modelled his life on the Hindu teachings of Sri Krishna within the Bhagavad Gita, and King as a Christian reverend drew his inspiration from the teachings of Lord Jesus within the Bible).

I then emphasised a degree made by my very own guru, Baba Ram Dass. And that time was that one can passionately attend a pro-peace demonstration however unknowingly unfold concern and division because of unpeaceful emotions inside.

Following that, I requested the scholar if that hypothetical demonstrator would wind up inflicting extra hurt than good via their actions. She by no means did reply. However the reply is apparent: the universe responds to our internal vibrations. If we really feel chaotic inside, we’ll venture chaos onto the world. But when we genuinely really feel loving-kindness in direction of all beings inside our hearts, we’ll shine the sunshine of peace upon the world.

In Pannakara’s phrases: “If we’re peaceable on the within, than we will probably be peaceable on the surface.” This common religious legislation equally applies to our political and non secular leaders, our captains of business, and naturally, ourselves!

Conscious dwelling is an important gateway

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In that stunning speech to the gang gathered in Columbia, South Carolina, Pannakara additionally confused the significance of dwelling mindfully. He taught the listeners how studying to be current within the second will naturally assist us turn into dwelling embodiments of peace and loving-kindness.

In a nutshell, Pannakara’s second central level boils right down to this: conscious dwelling is an important gateway to discovering internal peace. However how can we dwell extra mindfully when it looks like all the pieces in our tradition conspires to maintain us distracted and inwardly fragmented?

We should, as Pannakara confused, dramatically slow down the frantic tempo of our lives so we are able to open our minds and hearts to the various mini-miracles that occur day by day. As an illustration, the solar rising and setting. The ecstatic feeling of affection we expertise via genuine reference to others. The presence of the Divine strolling in lockstep with us after we’re immersed within the glory of Mom Nature. The countless synchronicities that happen in our lives as mysterious manifestations of God’s everlasting grace.

As soon as we turn into acutely aware witnesses to the common prevalence of those mini-miracles in our lives, then and solely then can we turn into conscious of the most important miracle of all: the underlying unity that ties all of us collectively. And as soon as we turn into intimately attuned to this transcendent actuality of oneness, we are able to’t assist however really feel compassion in our hearts for everybody and all the pieces.

This state of unified consciousness blossoms from the flower of mindfulness, and it additionally occurs to be the foundational root of radical love—the very form of radical love that these courageous monks are spreading on their inspiring journey to awaken the world, one soul at a time.

«RELATED READ» “MY RELIGION IS KINDNESS”: 10 mindful living tips inspired by the Dalai Lama»

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picture: MahamevnawaMahaviharaya