A Path To Peace

The root of discord and violence between people and nations comes from our tendency to forget our humanity. We "forget" our true nature.

Violence is a "learned" behavior. We "learn" it from our environment. When we are born, we do not possess the tendency to violence. As we grow, we become driven by "reactions." Our reactions are influenced by what we witness in our environment. We "copy" what we see. Therefore, violence and hatred are not natural to our essence.

As we grow older, we "buy" into the deception. We come to believe that violence is "OK" when "justified". It is "OK" to kill for our beliefs or defending our "territory." We have learned to "possess." We "live to possess". We like to possess things, people, land, animals, anything tangible and intangible. The more we possess, the more powerful over others we feel. Our society or community reinforces this "tendency". Our worth is largely "measured" by the amount of our possessions. We feel validated.

Thus, around the world we find ourselves fighting, killing each other "defending" what we "possess": our nationalism, religion, territory, and ideologies. We become slaves of our deception and desires. In the process, we lose ourselves, our humanity. We sacrifice our soul for lies! (How much better off we would be if we were to place as much zest pursuing wisdom, our self-growth or spiritual evolution as we place chasing our illusions and enhancing our bodies!)

Thus, driven by our illusions, we forget that those we attack blindly (other human beings of all ages) in the name of "a cause, belief or ideology" are as real as we are. They bleed, they grieve, and they have potential and dreams just like us. In sum, in many ways, they are extensions of our "selves" with their own uniqueness and role to play in this world. We deceive ourselves into thinking of them as our "enemy", faceless, without history and soul, different from us. We label them, "Jews," "Palestinians," "Blacks," "Whites," "Muslims," "Christians," "Infidels," and so on.

Some of the stupidity of it all is that we condemn one another mostly for traits beyond the individual's control. We choose to ignore that we are born into a specific religion, ethnicity, country, race, gender, social or economic status! I am white only because I was born into the white race. Or, I am black because I was born into the black race. The same goes for my gender, national origin, and even religion! (Although the latter has become "optional," another "power-driven" concept). However, before we are any of the above, we are human beings. Take all of the above away. What do you have? Human beings! That is what each and every one of us is first and foremost. That is the truth! Everything else is an illusion, a lie! What would happen if we were to eliminate the labels and see each other for what we really are: people?

I firmly believe that peace in the Middle East or nowhere else will never come as a result of political and religious "agreements" and strategies. Peace, I believe, can only be achieved from the "awakening to our humanity" by each and every individual, ordinary people, "caught in the middle" of the political and religious games and conflicts.

Peace can only be achieved by rejecting the illusion, the lie! By opponents getting together and taking off the blinders through sharing their humanity, their pain, their hopes and dreams, by learning from one another, comforting each other, crying and laughing together, forgiving one another, working together and making the decision to stop violence. Thus, honoring the memory of those who have died in the fight by deciding to relate and interact as human beings first and foremost, not "puppets" or "labels."

Some Israelis and Palestinians are doing just that. They are meeting each other, as human beings and sharing the pain each one has endured by the loss of loved ones in the conflict; forgiving each other. They have stopped seeing each other as enemies, as a "Palestinian" and a "Jew". Instead, they have broken free from the deception and have achieved wisdom and enlightenment realizing that first and foremost, they are human beings. Letting their humanity and compassion prevail! Your pain is not greater than my pain. Your loss is not greater than mine is. Your life is not more significant than mine and vice versa . . .

Violence only begets more violence just like hatred only breeds more hatred. It becomes a vicious cycle. It de-humanizes us. It causes us to lose our essence, corrupting our spirit, destroying our soul and everyone and everything around us! Violence and hatred, the deceptive "labeling and blindness" make us dead among the living. Every time we kill someone (or, condone violence) whether our target is a child or an adult, we kill ourselves, our humanity more and more. We bring pain and suffering to everyone who loved and cherished the life we took. Shame and despair to those who love and cherish us.

We become "disconnected" from our essence and blind to the fact that, whether we like it or not, we are all part of the whole, of a bigger picture. Just like each cell and organ in our body makes up our physical being, each one of us is an essential component of life. Just like each drop of water is part of the ocean, so are we part of the whole. As the great poet-philosopher John Donne once said, "No man is an island." No one is "dispensable" . . . We are all indispensable! We were not born to be killing each other but to bring forth more life and safeguard its sanctity. Everything else, all our "excuses" and so-called "justification" for killing are deception.

Until each and every human being on earth understands that by harming others we are betraying ourselves and purpose, slapping our Creator on the face, annihilating our own, destroying our "selves" and what makes us "special", "privileged" among other life forms, we will never have peace on earth.

I challenge you to experience your humanity for one day. Relate to everyone you encounter without any labels! See each individual as a human being only. Can you do it? Come back and tell us about your experience and how it felt for you.

RESOURCE BOX:
Copyright 2004-2005 Barbara Hidalgo aka SoulfulWriter.
Barbara is an essayist, poet, editor and publisher with a background in broadcast journalism. She is dedicated to writing thought-provoking pieces and assisting new authors with their craft. Visit Soulful Writers' Publications for more of hers and other authors' work under "Connections."

---

Your Turn On The Holodeck

Good morning Roy, good morning Joseth.Roy? You have in your world's history a wonderful example of what life is all about in the physical world and what it is that you are doing... Read More

You Are So Unreal

Mankind's ability to give life to lifeless objects, gives rise to much of the grief and frustration that he brings upon himself. He animates, or humanizes all sorts of things and other creatures,... Read More

The Red Ribbon

Everyone wants a blue ribbon. Blue. First place. The best. Even kindergarteners want that blue ribbon. In sports, I was never a blue-ribbon person. In a race I was always last. In baseball... Read More

3 Big Fat Lies that Deserve to Die

Big Fat Lie 1: Your personality is formed and unchangeable by age 5 or 6Somehow we have accepted the idea that we are complete by age 5 or 6 because some "learned psychologist"... Read More

Using Appreciation to Make a Difference

When in 1996 a local Secondary School opened, the staff decided to create a tradition to prepare Christmas Hampers for those in need. Each advisory class (of around 18 students G9-12) would adopt... Read More

A Prison Cell?

Do you have a goal? A focus in life? Have you invested a great deal of time, effort, money to achieve and yet feel you haven't made it yet? For all your effort... Read More

Contemptable Temptation

Let's look at the lesson we should all pay attention to in the Bible, the flight of the Israelites from Egypt. Was their escape through the Red Sea merely an exploit by God... Read More

Teachers Pet

Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 20, 2003I am 32 and a mom with two children. I've pretty much been single for two years. My problem is I found myself... Read More

Put To The Sword

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 23, 2002My girlfriend has an aggressive sense of humor. She teases and likes to parry put-downs. She says it is all in fun, and... Read More

Attitude Adjustment

"If you are pained by external things, it is not they that disturb you, but your own judgment of them. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgment now."~ Marcus... Read More

Reclaiming Our Resilient Spirit

Our spirits are taking a beating. The daily barrage of bad news, violence, shrinking resources, global warming, and economic slowdown can put us in a state of frustration and paralysis. Some days, getting... Read More

Where Did We Miss?

Talking with friends, people I meet on a regular basis, I realized that many of us make a bigger a deal of meditation than it actually is. For some people, meditation is somewhat... Read More

FEAR Don?t Let it Control You!

Fear. What is it? Can you touch it? Can you hold it? Can you show it to another person? I can almost hear you from where I am sitting. No, no, no. Okay... Read More

Make A Difference - Just Go Make A Difference!

Three Words That Can Help Us Live Exceptional LivesCertain words and word combinations carry with them varying levels of meaning for each of us.For instance, you may sense any number of reactions to... Read More

Get Out Of Your Own Way

One of the biggest obstacles to our self growth and personal development is.................ourselves!No, make that THE biggest obstacle.When we say that we want to make changes, but develop resistance and fear and in... Read More

A Lifetime In Love

We let ourselves love but are afraid to say I love you. We constantly allow our emotions to run deep but why do we hold back on our sweet sensations and tingling feelings?Sometimes... Read More

Order and Law

When disorder comes into our lives, we obviously aren't paying any attention to God's laws for us. You may think the 10 Commandments are not for today, but think again. When God gave... Read More

Wherever You Are, Be There

One of the major reasons why we fail to find happiness or to create unique lifestyle is because we have not yet mastered the art of being.While we are home our thoughts are... Read More

Safety ? Are You OK?

Safety is an interesting concept. When we think of safety we almost intuitively think of its opposite, danger. Some people say that "our thoughts create our reality." I would differ with that in... Read More

Motivation and Inspiration: Illusions 101

Q: I was wondering if you could recommend any books on motivation and change that are fun to read and that aren't all rah rah, if you know what I mean. Could there... Read More

True Inner Guidance

It's easy to tell the difference between true inner guidance (spirit) and ego-driven guidance: the first is attended with Love and the second with Fear.True inner guidance will always draw you into something... Read More

Random Thoughts on Living Your Best Life

More things I've noticed along the way:* Our son's birthday is Sept. 11. As we put him to bed on that terrible day, he said,"Daddy, I hate it that I'll always remember this... Read More

Brilliance in Balance

"For everything you have missed, you have gained something else; and for everything you gain, you lose something else." - Ralph Waldo EmersonThe sun creeps above the eastern horizon, and shoots its long... Read More

Principles That Govern My Life

The strength and durability of a building is found in its foundation. The same is true in a life. What we accomplish and the effect we have on those around us is not... Read More

To Raise Your Frequency, Just Turn on the Joy!

The feeling response to being filled up with Love from your Spirit is joy. Higher frequency energy-Love-activates a joy response in your emotional body. I like to say that joy is a frequency-but... Read More

How to Use the Ebb and Flow of Life to Your Advantage

Are you overwhelmed with so many activities you don't know where to start?Are you always in a hurry but seem to get nowhere?Do you find yourself in a state of perpetual over-drive?Do you... Read More

Realistic Living

" The fountain of content must spring up in the mind, and he who hath so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition, will... Read More

Fashionably Late

Direct Answers - Column for the week of January 6, 2003What can a couple say and do when they have been late in getting wedding thank yous out to people? We have been... Read More

Believe In Yourself And Become a Winner: Lessons from Hollywood

Copyright 2004 Priya Shah A while ago I made it a point to watch the movie "Legally Blonde." Not just for the bright, chirpy and eminently watchable Reese Witherspoon, but... Read More