Some Thoughts on Living a Nonviolent Peaceful Life

How do we define violence and nonviolence? What guides us? The idea of doing no harm. Question asked by a teacher: Is it better to weed the thistles out of the alfalfa or to try to grow alfalfa in a way in which the weeds don't thrive? This could be a metaphor for promoting peace rather than resisting violence.

We communicate to others (often non-verbally) how we feel toward them and/or certain issues. Unless we accept our own tendencies to violence, we don't deal well with those tendencies in others. The more we spend time in the Light, the greater resistance we have of being drawn into violence.

If we are to promote peace, then we should realize the part we play by needlessly putting ourselves in danger. Being passive and promoting peace are not the same thing.

Daniel Quinn in his book Ishmael writes that we do have a rightful place about which we need not be passive or apologetic. We need to determine our rightful place.

This brought the question of how one might react in the face of violence done toward self or family. The difference between acts of physical hurt and acts that are annoying but not physically harmful was discussed. We have a right to our own safety and need to seek ways of protection that promote peacefulness. One committee member commented on the power of eye contact in preventing harm.

How we view the world influences how we act and react. If one feels direct relationship with other beings, we try not to separate our selves from them by unpeaceful acts. Someone has said, "Everything we do is accounted for."

As a part of self-education, watch what your mind does. In other words, don't believe everything you think. We need to be mindful of how we behave. Sometimes we feel we are victims and react by being oppressors. We need to practice being aware of our place. We do have freedom to make choices.

At a conference, there was discussion on global dissociation as a cause of violence and wars, of the ideas that lead toward thinking of me or you, us or them. When we have a feeling of hopelessness of accomplishing an end to violence in our world, we need to remember how much more violent the world might have been were it not for people trying to live peaceful lives.

We need to make waves, when by doing so we promote kindness and healing. Our actions do affect other people. As do our choices. We minister when we give others permission not to rush; when we push ourselves and others, we interfere with peacefulness. There are many ways in which we determine our choices — from people, reading, etc. or from the inside out, a feeling of being compelled. (There may be further discussion of these issues at a later time.)