The Process of Peace

From Gandhi: "Non-violence is not a weapon of the weak. It is a weapon of the strongest and the bravest"

So many visionaries, Gandhi included, spent considerable energy working to bring about a world, or at least their country, as a place of sustaining peace. They worked forever it seems, untold hours, many lost everything they held dear, reaching for that unreachable star of peace and tranquility as a people.

I’m not sure such a peace can hold. I’m not sure there are enough peace-loving folks in the world who would actually be able to stand for peace, in a way that would stop those who corrupt our governments and manipulate our people from foisting yet another of their insane wars on us.

Maybe that can’t ever happen, I don’t know. In some ways, it’s discouraging.

But I find another possiblity inspiring. And it’s a possibility, a potential that takes far less to accomplish, and far more results that can be predictable, workable, and measurable.

I’ve come to believe that we can create a process of peace, if not absolute peace itself.

What is a process of peace? It is a way to engage those who are engaged in war, or attacks, or manipulations toward war, into working with each other to find a way to live together. It is a trust-building process that offers the path of getting to peace as a way to create lasting relationship. And, it is a process that honors and protects the interests of all sides, and sees all of the people involved as the same, with the same human desires for living a fulfilling life free of strife.

The Process of Peace holds these above tenets sacred. It is a process with a foundation that all people are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights: among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. With these principles as touchstones to this process, fears, worries, wants and needs can all be addressed with equality, respect and understanding.

And in such an atmosphere, even friendship can blossom among former enemies.

All people are created equal. What we see with the corruptors here in America is that they haven’t even offered any path toward peace with the people fighting against our occupation of Iraq. Their intent clearly seems to be to hold Iraq, through killing and fighting only, and to protect the oil fields until their multi-national corporations can secure them for themselves. They seem to have accomplished this aim this past week, in their immoral negotiations with Iraq.

The United States must feel ashamed of this empire-building and colonization of Iraq. We have been in many ways a good and just people. We have also been the most aggressive warring country on Earth, with never-ending wars to secure resources across the globe. This ‘process of war’ is all too familiar, and it’s end must come, and come soon.

We can engage in a process of peace. We can find a way to reach the hearts and minds of those we are fighting, and to offer our own capacity for toleration, understanding, and yes, even our ability for friendship to blossom.

We must find the process of peace. And we can begin with our own lives, and find such a peace-making process within our own relationships, family, friendships, workplaces and communities.

Let’s dedicate ourselves to this process of peace, and do so starting now, today.

After all, it’s our Process of Peace. It’s way too precious to leave to war-mongers and war-profiteers, such as the corruptors who are running our U.S. government today.

So why should I waste my beautiful mind…

From Barbara Bush:  "But why should we hear about body bags, and deaths, and how many, and how many this or what do you suppose? Or, I mean, it’s, it’s not relevant. So, why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?" - Barbara Bush on ABC - Good Morning America, March 18, 2003

Why, indeed????????

Oh, you ‘compassionate conservative’, you…

Sheesh!

GandhiGuy Goes to Washington. . . ?

Below is Don’s Reply to Pamela, an event organizer in Washington, D.C.

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I’d love to begin talking with you directly, Pamela, on how this performance could fit for your organization there in Washington, D.C., a possible range of dates, and if you’re open to it, begin to pin down the details of support systems needed.

I’ve done 26 portrayals of Mr. Gandhi since the inception of this performance in March of 2007, including peace rallies and marches, church services, special forums and school performances. They have all been received with warmth, a soft sense of humor, and touching responses from the participants.
 
The “Evening” is subtitled, “On Becoming Worthy of Peace”, and brings Gandhi’s ideas of non-violence, non-cooperation, and the power of love to the audience directly. We structure the opportunity to experience what it would be like to attend Gandhi’s nightly prayer vigils in his home ashram, where thousands would come for the chance to be near him. Within this setting we hold a brief meditation/prayer to begin, have some Indian music play, then a brief address from “Mr. Gandhi” that touches on what it takes to become worthy of peace and justice as a people, citing many examples and stories from his life to illustrate, as well as contemporary challenges here in America. There is always a call to action at the end of the address, illustrating Gandhi’s focus on turning our anger about the injustices around us into loving and compassionate action.
 
We then open it up for questions from the audience, or ‘satsang’ as they call it in India and this has consistently been the most powerful piece of the portrayals. The questions have ranged from strictly political, dealing with the war in Iraq, impeachment, and how to balance love with non-cooperation, all the way to personal questions about how to follow one’s heart in difficult life decisions.
 
Overwhelmingly, the attendees have cried, responded respectfully to “Gandhiji” in their reflections, and helped to create an atmosphere where the air becomes thick and rich with the beauty of this man’s contribution to all of us, even into today. The testimonials have consistently stated that after the very first question, people forgot that it was a performance, and became enraptured with being able to be with ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ in present time.
 
It’s a bit mysterious how this happens, but I’ve given up judging it, and have just decided it is a powerful theatrical event every time for them and for me, and have let myself go with it.
 
I’m really looking forward to talking with you soon about bringing “Mr. Gandhi” to your performance space. Thank you in advance for your openness that you’d expressed to Allan about talking with me. I really appreciate it.
 
You can hit ‘reply all’ and I’ll get your answering email at both of my emails above, in case I’m not at this terminal when you reply.
 
I’m looking forward to our connection Pamela!
 
In Peace,
 
Don McAvinchey

Creating a Personal Practice of “We”: Step 5: Finding your niche for peace

Don’t worry about finding your path of "We". 

So many people I talk with in my portrayals of Mahatma Gandhi express being discouraged, unhappy, frustrated with many political realities, and unable to grasp what they should do. This lack of direction then leads to more discouragement, more disconnection and frustration, and the circle of concern begins to become a spiralling force downward.

Of course, from one perspective, there is a lot to be discouraged about: In the USA, we have had an administration that has been bent on destroying our economy, fighting an unjust war, torturing human beings, and reducing our rights to those of totalitarian regimes–in other words, no rights at all.

One could get very depressed if we allowed ourselves to be.

There is a way out of such depressive feelings.

We must first accept that we are feeling bad, and find the story we’re clinging to that leads us to that state of mind. It often has to do with seeing the political scene as unassailable, frightening, and too big to deal with ourselves. So, we shut down, walk away, and go watch TV.

You can’t let this happen anymore to you! Not if you want a life of vibrancy, love of life, and contribution.

Yes, I said ‘You can’t let this happen’. And that’s what I meant to say. The power for your own satisfaction in life does not rest in the hands of some politicial figure, a bad economy, or the state of your countries’ policies. The power for your own sense of happiness lies solely within your own hands. And that is what we’re going to talk about today, how to bring that power back into your hands in your Personal Practice of ‘We’.

Of course the cards are stacked. Some people are aligned with forces far beyond your control, and seem to have the ability to dabble in benefitting themselves and all of their rich associates financially, status-wise, and politically. But they aren’t in control of your heart and mind, your self respect. Only you can hand that over to them, and only you can be in charge of you.

The word ’sin’ has been defined as the sense of being disconnected from Spirit,  from The Divine, from  Love & Life. Sin is thus a name for being discouraged, for feeling that sense of disconnection and lack of direction. Here’s how to get your sense of connection back in your own hands:

Find your niche for peace.

Right now on Earth there exists the largest movement of humankind ever to be assembled in all of history. It is a leaderless movement geared toward creating a just world for all, freedom and equality for every group, peace around the planet, and a sustainable future for our children and their children. Never before in our history have so many millions of people joined so many small, grassroots organizations that feed their values, and their values feed the organization.

There is no shortage of work to do in these important areas, and no shortage of groups working on them. So, all you have to do, if you feel discouraged about our present situation, is to follow this process:

    First, feel your feelings of discouragement, and let it be okay that you’re feeling them.

    Second, take total responsibility for those feelings being in your life.

    Third, go to www.wiserearth.org and search for a group that touches your heart and soul in it’s mission.

    Fourth, join that group and become active.

Don’t let the sin of discouragement be in charge of your life. The world needs you now, and you’re being called to rise to the occasion, to be more of who you are, and to share yourself and your gifts with everyone.

I know, I’ve been called too. I know right where you are, right this moment, in reading this post.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. Be it in all of your fiber, all of your being. Stretch your energy for compassionate action, for contribution, for peace all the way into your heart, and all the way out through your own actions in the world.

You can do it. I know you can. I believe in you.

With Love and Peace,

Don, aka The Gandhi Guy

Torture is Evil

George Bush and his regime have created a policy in our country for torture of other human beings. Their efforts include as well secret prisons in Europe, military courts that bow to ‘the king’, the suspension of habeas corpus, and unending imprisonment without rights.

These are all evil steps. And the worst is torture, for torture is evil.

Any regime that engages in torture therefore is practicing evil. Not trying to get information, not working to end hostilities, not setting up means for gaining infiltration information of ‘the enemy’, but simply practicing evil.

As Gandhi said, "It is a citizen’s responsibility to support a government that is doing good. And likewise, it is a citizen’s duty to refuse to cooperate with a government that is engaged in evil."

Torture is evil.

There is no justification for such a horrific stand other than the terrorizing of other human beings, and the creation of fear to speak out from within our own citizenry.

If you have been supportive of this evil, think about this question: How long do you think before such evil occurs against American citizens?

Torture is evil.

Men who practice, promote and justify torture are therefore consciously practicing evil.

There is no way around it. We are a people with high ideals, with a story about our country that represents all the best in ourselves as a people. However, with our constant warring since 1776, with the genocide of the First Nation peoples across the continent, and with the level of graft and corruption of this regime under Mr. Bush, we have fallen far short of our ideals.

Nevertheless, the vision and hope for America is still there, in the good and kind hearts of its people. Day in and day out the vast majority of us go about our lives reaching out to help others, collaborating in our communities and creating peaceful resolutions to local and national disputes.

We ARE a kind and good people, and that is our true nature.

As it is the true nature of every person on this planet.

Torture does not fit into this, our vision and dream of America.

Those who have promoted and lobbied for torture, for secret prisons, for endless war as foreign policy, are ruining our country. They must be stopped and brought to justice for their crimes, as any criminal would be.

Torture is evil.

And those who practice evil are actually ‘leading’ our country, creating the vision of what it means to be an American.

Those who promote evil in this form are saying this is who we ARE as Americans.

I do not believe that Americans fit such a picture that Mr. Bush would have us believe of ourselves. We must stand for justice, the rule of law over his tyrannical abuse of power, and the end to this horrific policy of war, torture and terrorism by our government.

Torture is evil.

It is every citizen’s duty to refuse to cooperate with a government engaged in evil. We have such a government now.

Let us come together and stand for our true vision of ourselves as Americans, and build a path of peaceful engagement across the world instead of what the Bush regime has created.

Now is our time. It is time for a New American Dream, based in who we are as a good, kind and compassionate people.

We can do this, because it is who we really are.

Join us now, become a member of GandhiGuy.com, and help usher in our New American Dream.

Creating a Personal Practice of “We”:Step 4: an idea whose time has come: Step 3

The Way of We is an idea whose time has come. We can no longer afford on this planet to see others as different from us, to see ourselves as separate from the Earth and it’s ecology. As Suzuki said, "We are the ecology. There is no distinction".

So The Way of We has to follow. We are connected, each of us, one to another, in an inexorable matrix that is constantly in flux, consistently powerful in its scope, and never-ending. There is no room for isolation nor the thoughts that come with isolation:

                I don’t matter.

                I make no difference.

                I can misuse this resource and it won’t effect anyone else.

                I can misuse my power for my own benefit and my small tribes’ benefit, and it doesn’ t matter what the consequences for others are.

None of those thoughts are justified anymore. And as time goes on, and what is being called the "Green Revolution" continues, we will all begin to speak out against such thoughts when others speak them, we’ll apologize when we slip ourselves and utter these words, and we will gently and lovingly move the conversation, and thus the world, back on track when we stray from The Way of We.

The true revolution in our time is conversation. The Way of We will be that conversation, from here on out, for all of us.

It will take time, and practice. The Way of We is strewn with obstacles at first, friends, family and colleagues who are holding on to the ideas of greed, fear, us-against-them, and power domination. Our current administration in the White House seems filled with such people, and their communications are rife with the scorn of such thoughts, in all the words they utter. But they too will find their path to The Way of We, as we’re beginning to see now, with Mr. Bush’s declaration that we should move toward energy sustainability. A little move, and a late one, but a move nonetheless.

The Way of We pulls us into It, and every time we resist Its movement to include us, we are but delaying the inevitable. "Resistance is futile", as the Borg said, and it is so. Greed and destructive seflishness will become first unpopular, then looked down upon, then impolite, and finally it will become history.

The Way of We is coming, and coming strong. It truly is an idea whose time has come. As you begin to make room in your life for It, your life will change. You’ll stop shopping for needless trinkets, you’ll stop charging on credit cards, you’ll find a stable financial path, you’ll see where you can bring Nature, compassion, generosity, and social sustainability into your own life. You’ll notice that you’re becoming happier, that you won’t be able to stand by silently when others speak from fear or greed, and you will think repeatedly when you’re about to take some questionable action, "How will this effect Us, everyone of Us?"

Then you’ll be on The Way of We. It will become your path, too.

So begin this week by asking yourself as often as you can remember, "How will what I’m about to do effect all of Us"?

Start The Way of We now. Its an idea whose time has come.