Vol. 25. March 7, 2022
Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh once wrote, “Meditation is to be aware of what’s going on — in our bodies, in our feelings, in our minds, and in our world.”
Right now, most people are painfully aware of what is going on in our world. Russian despot Vladimir Putin began a premeditated, unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine.
People are suffering.
Women and children are emptying out of Ukraine by the hundreds of thousands. Tearful scenes rip hearts asunder at train stations.
They leave behind husbands, fathers and brothers, who stand courageously, ready to give their lives for freedom and shed their blood for peace in their homeland.
How can we foster peace in war-torn Ukraine?
Thich Nhat Hanh advises “be peace.”
He counsels, “If we are peaceful … everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace.”
If we want peace, be peace.
So how do we be peace?
Meditate.
Meditation does not remove us from society, but prepares us to engage society in the best possible way we can. With our true self.
Our true self is calm, compassionate and nonjudgemental. It does not set up divisions. It sees all people as one.
If we insist on duality, we will never get to a state of non-duality. Meditation cuts through dualism. Meditation provides a non-dual awareness of reality. That awareness is called enlightenment.
Enlightenment is available to us right now.
Let your perception be like that of a Buddha.
A Buddha lives in the world, and acts in the world, while seeing the world as nirvana.
What would it feel like to be a Buddha? To hear the Diamond Dharma Sound all the time? To see with Transcendental Sight? To know that everything is all right every moment of every day?
Surprised? Quiet? Glad? Peaceful?
Who knows?
But one thing’s for sure.
You wouldn’t want to invade a country and make people suffer.
Be peace for yourself.
Be peace for your family.
Be peace for the people of Ukraine.
Be the Buddha that you truly are.
The Buddha Times 