Peace
on Earth
“In
this world, hate never dispelled hate. Only love dispels hate. This
is the law, ancient and inexhaustible.”
The
Buddha
We
have been taught this spiritual truth for many thousands of years.
All our spiritual leaders, from Buddha, to Jesus, to Muhammad, to
Gandhi, to King, to Mandela, and right up to Pope Francis today, have
spoken about the healing power of love, and the destructive nature of
hate. There are two reasons for this. One is that we humans will
never know a world of peace as long as hate reigns supreme—if we
want to experience 'peace on Earth', then we must create peace on
Earth. The other is that hate is a corrosive emotion. Whether it
occurs in one human heart, or a nation, or tribe, hate destroys from
the inside out.
The
watch words for the season of Advent are hope, prepare, love, joy,
and light. These apply to our inner life as well as our communal
life. It is, therefore, a good time of year to self-assess. Is there
someone, or some situation, past or present, that is in need of your
forgiveness? Is there an old wound, or perhaps many old wounds, that
you're holding on to, feeding with resentment, maybe even hatred? If
so, I recommend a cleansing ritual. Write down on paper what happened
to garner your anger. Treat it as you would an opening statement in a
jury trial. Judge them, hold them accountable, condemn them for the
pain and suffering they have caused you. Put it all in writing. When
you have said everything you need to say, written every last word,
take it outside, or put it in your fireplace, and burn it. As it
burns, allow their misdeeds and your resentment of them to be become
smoke and ashes; ended and gone. Peace begins in the human heart.
When each of us holds peace in our hearts, there will be no room for
hate.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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