Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. We all wish for world peace, but world peace will never be acheived unless we first establish peace within our own minds. We can send so-called 'peacekeeping forces' into areas of conflict, but peace cannot be oppossed from the outside with guns. Only by creating peace within our own mind and helping others to do the same can we hope to achieve peace in this world.
Interpretation
Inner peace is essential for achieving outer peace in the world.
This quote emphasizes that true peace in the world can only be realized when individuals first cultivate peace within themselves. External attempts to impose peace through force are ineffective; instead, lasting peace requires personal reflection and a collective effort to foster harmony in our minds.
In practice
During a meditation retreat, to inspire participants to focus on their own inner tranquility.
Patience is a mind that is able to accept fully and happily, whatever occurs. It is much more than just gritting our teeth and putting up with things. Being patient means to welcome wholeheartedly whatever arises, having given up the idea that things should be other than what they are.
When a jealous person sees signs of other people's success and good fortune, his heart is pierced with envy. But someone who has learned to rejoice in the good fortune of others experiences only happiness. Seeing another person's beautiful house or attractive partner immediately makes him happy - the fact that they are not his own is irrelevant.
Happiness and suffering are states of mind, and so their main causes cannot be found outside the mind.
The path to enlightenment is really very simple - all we need to do is stop cherishing ourself and learn to cherish others. All other spiritual realisations will naturally follow from this.
If you want to bring an end to long-standing conflict, you have to be prepared to compromise.
Working for peace in the future is to work for peace in the present moment.
Peaceful coexistence cannot be limited to the powerful countries if we want to ensure world peace.
We demand a non-violent world where human security is the basis of our common global security. People have the right to live in a world where the basic needs of all peoples are addressed. No more military attacks. No more war.
Peace, like charity, begins at home.
The United States strongly seeks a lasting agreement for the discontinuance of nuclear weapons tests. We believe that this would be an important step toward reduction of international tensions and would open the way to further agreement on substantial measures of disarmament.
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