The Answer Is Still
Peace
by Dr.
Deepak Chopra
Around
the world people yearn to find peace and give solace to the suffering
and bereaved. Once again the clash of polarized enemies clamors
for attention. Al-Qaeda takes pride in this heinous and sordid
crime, while Western nations seek to bring the terrorists to justice.
Yet it would be naive to take the simple way out and call this
an example of pure evil and depravity.
In
a very real way we are all part of the London tragedy. Everyone
is caught in the tangled web of social injustice, economic disparities,
ecological disaster, war, and terrorism. Unless we accept this
fact, we will continue with our madness of an eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth. Mahatma Gandhi declared that if we continue
on this path the whole world would go blind. Will we ever see through
our blindness and create a global community of connected humanity?
To promote peace today means promoting a critical mass of consciousness
where violence is never an option.
London,
like the attacks in Madrid, Bali, and Indonesia before it, should
make us want to live for peace above all. I understand how it's
possible to respond to terrorism with deep anger; I cannot understand
responding to it with anger that goes on and on forever. There
are causes behind every terrorist act and therefore hope that these
causes can be changed, even as we continue to pursue justice. We
still ignore the source of global instability: religious fundamentalism
which has its roots in extreme poverty, where 50% of the world
lives on $2 per day, 20% of it on less than $1 per day, a world
where 8 million people die each year because they are too poor
to survive.
Terrorism
also festers because of a lack of education, toxic nationalism,
ignorance about the outside the world, and deep economic disparities.
Twenty thousand children died yesterday of hunger-related causes
around the world, twenty thousand will die today, and twenty thousand
tomorrow. That is not part of the evening news. Why not?
Nature
abhors a deep imbalance. The human species has become the most
dangerous predator on our planet. Nature might be saying to herself, "Human
beings were an interesting experiment that didn't work, so let's
move on." Or, perhaps, our self-awareness has reached a turning
point, as Inside ourselves we've always carried the seeds of creativity.
The next creative leap isn't a mystery. Millions of people are
ready to join in harmonious interaction with Nature--and with our
own complex inner nature--to create a world of peace, harmony,
laughter and love. Let us strengthen our intention to create that
critical mass of peace consciousness. Every tear can be a drop
of nourishment for the new world that wants to be born and is making
itself known little by little, every day. Each one of us can help
create this critical mass by becoming the embodiment of peace conciousness
their peace practices:
Being
Peace
Thinking Peace
Feeling Peace
Speaking Peace
Acting Peace
Creating Peace
Sharing Peace
Celebrating Peace.
The
Alliance for the New Humanity is committed to connecting and strengthening
the synaptic network of the emerging planetary mind.
Love,
Deepak
Visit www.choprablog.com to
post your comments and continue this discussion with Deepak.
Barbara
Ashton
phone: 604.805.5869
email
www.barbaraashton.com