I stood at the park downstairs, appreciating the serenity of the moment, watching as a leaf floated down from the tree nearby. It was midday. I was waiting for my sister-in-law to arrive. I have not seen her since 9 months ago, before she left for India.
My immediate surroundings (see picture) was lovely, with lush greenery neatly lined along the road pavement while I waited. My thoughts went back to the 10-minute walk that I just had, from fetching my daugther back home from school. Along the way today, the trail has been lined with police and army personnel.
The peace and security of my neighbourhood has been threatened in the past two days by the escape of a fugitive Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader by the name of Mas Selamat Kastari here in Singapore. An avalanche of police has descented on the area near where he has escaped, surrounding the wooded area behind my daugther’s school.
This is an unusal event as hardly anyone has ever escaped from the tight security and confines of our Police force here. The irony of it all is that the person who escaped is Singapore’s most wanted man. An Indonesian, he was deported and detained here under the Internal Security Ace since March 2006. Mas Selamat was behind a plot to crash a hijacked plant into our Changi Airport, as well as other planned targets here. Found in his possession once were literature on making bombs.
With this jab, I thought to myself that we should not take peace for granted. We must strive to preserve it and to renounce conflict in every possible way. If we waste time and energy in conflict and strife, we will not feel safe nor happy nor be able to get on with what our lives.
As I’ve always known it to be, for there to be peace, the heart and mind, which form the basis of human action, should be at rest. Any encouragement for war and strife cannot come from pure spiritual awakening but rather, from the want of power, wealth, egos or deluded interpretations of religious text.
The battleground should not be external but rather an internal one. It is within us, that the greatest battle be fought on conquering the negative forces within us. Mental awareness is the key to unlocking the door form in resolving conflicts and from which pure thoughts of happiness and peace can arise.
“Peace is not achieved by controlling nations, but mastering our thoughts.”—John Harricharan
The mind is the ultimate source of all happiness and misery. Only when an individual is at peace and happy, can a society, nation and then the world be at peace and happy.
“Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular job. It lies with each of us individually. Peace, for example, starts within each one of us. When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us.”— HH the Dalai Lama
Peace can be gained in little steps. It can start today when we learn to let go of our selfishness and biasness, and help our neighbours and friends, of different colors and races, with acts of love. Peace is the way for bulding a life and a world of much happiness and joy.
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.”—Jimi Hendrix
I ended my thoughts and hurried, with open arms, towards my sister-in-law as she arrived at the driveway. Somehow, as I hurried along, I found myself humming to the tune of “Imagine” by John Lennon….reflecting that I’m as much a dreamer as he had been….
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My dear Evelyn,
You are so right when you say;
“The mind is the ultimate source of all happiness and misery. Only when an individual is at peace and happy, can a society, nation and then the world be at peace and happy.”
and
“It is within us, that the greatest battle be fought on conquering the negative forces within us. Mental awareness is the key to unlocking the door form in resolving conflicts and from which pure thoughts of happiness and peace can arise.”
I couldn’t add anymore insightful words than what you have written yourself.
Much Love & Light,
James
Evelyn, what a beautiful post and how very true it is. In fact, that’s one thing I keep seeing more and more “proof” of in my own life - that simply BEING what we want to see in the world removes the need to try and create anything - it all just flows naturally. Love your blog and I will be back to see more of it! Adding you to my blogroll!
Wendy
Hi Evelyn,
How moving and beautifully written. I love Imagine, thank you, maybe you would like to write a guest post for The Highway.
I am reading A New Earth- just being:)as you say
namaste
Suzie
Thank you for the lovely words and thoughts. I love the idea of taking a peaceful moment to watch a leaf fall from a tree. We can prepare ourselves to defeat evil by strengthening our inner peace and resolve and skills.
I love “Imagine” by John Lennon. He was my favorite Beatle.
Thanks for including the video. I enjoyed it immensely.
It is so calm and relaxing… After all those posts that call you to do something, to run somewhere, to save somebody… just watching the leaves falling and slowly reaching to inner peace
Thanks Evelyn!
Misha
Map Quest
Misha, I just had to laugh reading your post. You are so right
Just over a week ago, I was given this advice by a learned monk: seize every opportunity to Be In The Moment even during the waking hours of the day. Watching a falling leaf, as I waited for my sister-in-law, provided a joyous moment.
Suzie, I’ll write to you soon to find out more. I’m not sure what a guest post entails.
With much love and appreciation,
Evelyn
What I read, from your work on more then one webpage, is that you are ready to start writing and publishing your BOOK.
The personal way you write, will attract people, so it will be in its publishing, that the challenge will be.
I did encourage and help my wife publish her book, and I trust your husband will also fight for your success in the publishing business, as he knows how to focus on the target, even without the help of electronics.
You may not know this, but people who listen to me Go Far!
best regards to you and your dearest ones, from us here Annette and Amnon
You can writ to us about A Better World, when you have time and content you like to share, as I have little free time and like to read others who love the world or see from above the sky…
I have a picture your husband will like, but it should be emailed directly.
It has a fighter inside The Eye In The Sky!
Hello Amnon, please check your email. I’ve written to you