World peace and inner peace

Question

There’s so much suffering in the world from wars and fighting. What’s the best way that we can help to achieve world peace?

Being peaceful

To achieve world peace, be peaceful. Know that there’s only one sun shining on this planet, but that one sun benefits so many—millions and millions.

When you shine your true spirit beautifully like the sun—bright and clear—then you’ll be amazed how the contribution of just one person can affect the world. You’ll be amazed how much peacefulness one person can contribute to the world.

When that happens it will go beyond the point where there is no war—because even if there’s no war, that doesn’t mean there’s love. It will move to the point where humans on this planet will love each other, will be kind to each other and will help each other.

So if we each gain victory over our inner war of anger and hatred and other negative emotions, this will put an end to war. Then there will be world peace.

When you are peaceful, the natural world will respond to that

Question

You’ve spoken about how being peaceful can help the suffering of people in the world. What about nature—what are a few things we can do to help the natural environment on the way to world peace?

When we are peaceful, this state of peacefulness naturally wants to express itself.

Once a person is peaceful, everything that comes out of them has an impact of peacefulness—the look in their eyes, the words they speak, the wish in their heart, the vibration they project—everything about them will contribute to peace.

If they’re walking in the garden the plants feel very peaceful, the plants feel very happy. If they’re swimming in the river, the river feels, “Wow, what a delight to have this person swim here.” When you go for a walk in the morning, and the sun rises, the sun is excited just to touch its light on you.

Everything in nature will adore you. Even an ant. When you’re looking at an ant it will feel you love it. The ant will feel peaceful, and it will look at you with curiosity, but it will know you won’t hurt it. It will know you love it.

Everything in nature will benefit when you are being peaceful. Everything will feel the impact of your peace.

Nobody will pollute the rivers, nobody will cause destruction to Mother Earth—because those actions that cause destruction are sponsored by lack of peacefulness. In this way nature will benefit from our peacefulness.

Being peaceful in the world takes practice

Question

It’s said that we should try to maintain our inner peace and inner silence regardless of whatever activity is happening around us. So, is there any benefit in choosing lifestyles and professions that are less stressful, if the goal is to maintain that inner calm only?

Yes. For example, let’s say you’re in primary school and you’ve just learned how to swim. You can swim ten metres across the width of the pool, but you haven’t got the strength to swim the length yet. Now, does it make sense to go to Bondi Beach and start surfing the waves? No. You can drown.

In the same way, in the beginning when we’re learning how to still our energy and be calm within us, we should strive not to put ourselves in very extreme and difficult situations, where we start to drown emotionally. Because we’re still just learning.

But when we get better and better, and we become a very good swimmer, then we should go to the beach and catch waves, because that makes us an even better swimmer. Those big waves come and hit us, and that is actually good for our swimming skills. Because that makes us gain experience, that makes us gain more confidence in swimming.

Then when the tsunami comes, we have a slightly better chance! If you can only swim the width of the pool, when the tsunami comes you’ve got no chance.

So in that sense it’s good in the beginning to try to keep your life as simple as possible. Don’t do too many activities, don’t give yourself too many deadlines—deadlines are like big waves.

If you’re learning how to drive, don’t go straight to the CBD of Sydney in your first week, because it’s not easy to drive there. Just drive around the quiet car parks first, when there are no cars. Then move to streets. Keep practicing. Then slowly the inner suburbs, then slowly, slowly come to the CBD.

Now when you get really, really good—that means you’re able to maintain your inner stillness and calm really well—then if the tsunami of life hits you—no worries. You can take on deadlines—no problem. You can be the busiest person on the planet, with deadlines just coming at you from all directions—no problem. You’ll be able to respond with peace and calm no matter what’s thrown at you once you’ve mastered your mind.

You’ll face all sorts of things in life with no problems at all—relationship difficulty, financial difficulty, bad neighbours, physical illness. No problem at all.

So, make use of a simple life, and when you’re good, you can dive in the deep end.

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