OT: Peace Starts from Within Us

[Guest guest]

"We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves." - Dalai Lama

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I couldn't have said it better than his Holiness. I have previously asked if there is a quietest place on Earth

and I got funny answers like in the cemetery or only dead people are

quiet. It was good to read the lighter sides to that question.

Some of them gave serious and

thoughtful answers through their personal experiences; they had found

the quietest place from hikes in the Rocky mountains while looking into

the eyes of an eagle or quietness in moments of solitary amidst the

vastness of the Sonoran desert or simply just be surrounded by nature.

The majority of people shared my

thought that the quietest place is found in everyone - within oneself.

It is easy for one to find peace during good times. But when one find

peace within himself/herself, one can even find peace in the most

traumatic and challenging time.

Through this peace that one find

within oneself, one can obtain peace with others like what His

Holiness, Dalai Lama said. And through this peace that one obtain with

others, we can have peace in the world. Do you think that is possible?

I believe it is possible.

Besides peace we make with

ourselves, we must also be compassionate and kind to each other;

treating each other with loving kindness as if you would be treating

your family and friends. There is a saying, "There are no strangers in

this world, but only friends we have not met." And Mitch Albom said in

his book, "Strangers are family you have yet to come to know."

There is a certain truth to this as I believe we are interconnected in

this world. What we are doing may indirectly affect another.

Since we are not living life as a

hermit, there are bound to be communication with people around us. With

communication, misunderstanding can easily arise. There is a need for

mutual understanding and respect for each other difference. Failing to

put ourselves in another shoes usually lead to conflicts. This can be

otherwise averted if we are not too quick to judge others or

situations. Let us practice less haste and more patience.

When we are compassionate and

kind to others, others will eventually reciprocate with compassion and

kindness also. You may ask why it should start from us? Like Gandhi

said, "Be the change you want to see in the world."

Let us be the change and let us inspire others to follow. And together

with mutual understanding and respect for each other difference, peace

in the world is highly achievable.

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"It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it." - Eleanor Roosevelt