A way to World Peace – As an Indian Sees it.

A way to World Peace – As an Indian Sees it
Article by: Vandana Mataji
Vidyajyothi – Journal of Theological Reflection
(July 1992, Vol LVI)
My Comments on this Submitted to:
Rev. Dr. George Pattery, s.j
Santiniketan
Abstract
Three inspiring facts had strengthened in the author three convictions, which may inspire someone, by reading these words, to try out the method of bringing to our war-weary world the peace it so longs for.
The three convictions are:
1. World peace necessitates a serious effort from every human being.
World peace depends on the sincerity of purpose of every individual, specially the Goodness hidden in everyone’s heart. Reverence for differing opinions and respect for those who hold them is specially significant and essential. We should be acting, out of personal and solid convictions based on ethical and spiritual values.
2. World peace cannot come unless there is first peace between religious that is, a true friendship.
Peace between religions is the first essential peace we should work for if this world has to know peace in all other areas of life. Respect for the faith of others should include a true caring and cherishing attitude and a sincere seeking to understand and appreciate whatever is good, true and beautiful in their religions, which may definitely include Love. For that one must learn not only the ‘theology’ of religions, but, more importantly, the ‘spirituality’ of the other’s faith. This will lead us to see that true happiness comes from within.
The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan has begun to give us an example of an open attitude to all religions. The Bhavan being an open minded, apolitical movement with international goals and vision, cuts across all barriers of caste, creed and culture, language, race, nation. It is “catholic” in the true sense of the word – ‘universal’.
3. A powerful but neglected weapon for peace, meditation.
Mediation is another and perhaps the most powerful weapon for peace we have and can use. It can be more powerful for escorting in peace and life than the nuclear or any other 21st century bombs are or will be in escorting despair and death. An important prerequisite is that one should be in peace with oneself in order to become an instrument of God’s peace. One should realize, too, that it is not one’s own peace but God – the God who is peace – being allowed to breathe forth His Spirit of peace through us out into world.
Meditation is a practical method of becoming what we pray for in the Prayer of St. Francis “Lord make me an instrument of your peace”. This flow of peace goes on even after the ‘sitting’ meditation, as long as we do not consciously put any blocks to it through our egoism.
Author’s experience of peace-meditation in Ayodhya with people of other faith is elaborated in the last part of the article. The result of this meditation is not cared by the author. “Only God knows – and cares, that we became more aware and perhaps more compassionate is rewarded enough” She says. By exhorting everyone to become peacebearers author concludes the article.

Comments on the article

The conflict in Ayodhya had been the source of much national anxiety in 92’s. Meditating on the problem the founder of Jeevandhara Ashram discovers that peace is the responsibility of every human being, and that world peace can come about only if there is peace among religions, and that mediation is a powerful means to bring about such peace. While pleading for relations of friendship among religions she describes the initiative of a group of believers who meditated on and long for peace.

The author’s idea of ‘reverence for differing opinions and respect for those who hold them’ is something which is worth mentioning. Today what we lack is that thing, if somebody is having some differing opinion, other than that of mine I am having some personal hate towards him, I may try my level best to crush down his ideas and his movements. When the author say that world peace depends on the sincerity of purpose of every individual, we are bound to think that we are the individuals, who are supposed to be the peace holders and peace makers for the community. If any terror attack happens in the other side of the Globe, I m the least bothered one, nobody from my relation has lost life, my parents and my caretakers are having no problem, then why I should worry about it. If something happens in the Jammu region I m not the culprit to be blamed. These are the normal reactions from anybody. We are least worried about the pain, suffering or any explosion or war, if it hikes the price of the oil or wheat I m bothered, I may argue against the then government even I may propose for a harthal. Author’s idea of ‘Sincerity of purpose’ is to be propagated in our community.

Since humans are now identified with his caste and religion, it has got an important part in the peace process in the world. As the author says ‘Peace between the religions is the first essential peace we should work for if the world has to know peace in all other areas of life’. Religion is the most inner area of each individual, what he believes, what he performs, and his moral formation is governed by that inner part. Insulting my believes and belittling my rituals are never forgivable from my part. If I am convinced that my believes and the believes of my neighbour doesn’t conflict each other and that they leads to the same end, I may not try to belittle my neighbor’s religion. As the author says - Respect for the faith of others should include a true caring and cherishing attitude and a sincere seeking to understand and appreciate whatever is good, true and beautiful in their religions, which may definitely, include Love – We need an active, creative, consistent non-violence in our hearts to enter truly into other’s faith-convictions. I should enter into my neighbour’s home and heart simultaneously.

Here in the article author never mentions about the sacramental life of the Christian, when she mentions that some of our Indian Youth have also already begun to give up church-going and religious behaviour in their attitudes and ways of acting and started to learn Yogi and Buddhist ways of entering within, I think that the author supports the meditation only as a means which can replace the sacraments and the religious expressions of faith. I can agree only to the point that peace between the religions should be at the cost of the other religion, forced conversions may hinder this peace between the religions, but the freedom to preach religion and to live according to their faith should be given to all. But now in India Anti-conversion bill passed by some states are violating the freedom of the man by hindering him from his faith proclamation. These political tricks may do only harm to the peace process between the religions.

The article presents the idea of peace which can be achieved by meditation, in the same place where anti-peace incidents are happening. ‘One should be in peace with oneself’, it is an important fact which now a days we forget to accomplish. We will be working very hard for the world peace or for the improvement of the community but in my family and within me I cannot maintain a life of peace. Every one has got the complaint that I am not getting care from my partner of from my parents or in my retired life from my children. I am abandoned in my house, when I had my health and when I was contributing to the lifting of financial balance, I was taken care of, and my opinions had ears to hear. But now I m abandoned, I m not having my inner peace. Getting the inner calmness is the most needed thing today for the world. Different types of mediation may help in this field to achieve it.

Main Attractions from the Course

I had been going through a radical change in my thought patterns for the last two weeks. At first I could not accept some of Your ideas from the class. The way which I framed my thought patterns on Christianity, Christ and Kingdom of God has got a tremendous shaping which I think may lead me for a better understanding of everything. The session where You handled the “Christian Faith” and the Church documents which supported Your positions as same as the Church positions, gave me the strong insight that I need to study almost all the Church documents before I need to make my opinions about any related matters as the true representative of the Church.

By the end of the class I took a possibly executable decision that I will try my level best not to make “others” in my later life.

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