Swami Muktananda (1908-1982) was the founder of Siddha Yoga, a spiritual path of discipline, of mastering the mind and senses through teachings and practices.  He wrote a number of books on the subjects of Kundalini Shakti, Vedanta, and Kashmir Shaivism, including an autobiography entitled The Play of Consciousness.  Baba Muktananda comes frequently in my monthly conversations with a dear friend in Delaware, USA, given her deep appreciation of his spiritual contribution.  Recently, my friend showed me Baba’s photograph, proudly placed in a special corner of her living room.  This photo displayed a sentence reflecting one of the Swami’s core beliefs about the power of love:

“Worship love….  Let your acts be full of love….
Love is the mighty nuclear energy that transforms a human being.”

     A dear friend from Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the USA, my hometown, shared an interesting depiction of the meaning of Peace and here it is for you!

“There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would create the best painting of peace.  Many artists tried.  The King looked at all the works, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.  One was of a calm lake.  The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering mountains were all around it.  Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.  All who saw this painting thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.  The other had mountains too, but they were rugged and bare.  Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played.  Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall.  This did not seem peaceful at all.  But when the King looked closer, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock.  In the bush a mother bird had built her nest.  There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest … perfect peace.

Which painting do you think won the prize?  The King chose the second.  Do you know why?

“Because,” explained the King, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work.  Peace means to be in the midst of all these things and still be calm in your heart.  That is the real meaning of peace.”

- Author Unknown

     Every once in a while I like to publish another of the poems written by a friend who made his transition a few years ago.  On this occasion, I am joyful to share with you another of his artistic expressions, now highlighting inner communion, in peace and unity.

In Touch

Silence, a communion with God
And those who share it.
In contemplation, peace flows,
Essence of the divine.
In fellowship, the practice
of brotherhood,
In the unity that is the All.

Jonas Mather
Pennsylvania U.S.A.

     During one of my recent trips, my husband and I spontaneously decided to attend a talk by Karen Armstrong at the Hall of Philosophy, erected in 1900, located on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution in the southwest corner of New York State, USA.

     Karen Armstrong is an original thinker on the role of religion in the modern world.  She is a former Roman Catholic nun who left a British convent to pursue a degree in modern literature at Oxford.  She has written more than 20 books about the common threads in Islam, Judaism and Christianity and shares her perspective about their effect on world events.  Karen founded the Charter for Compassion, a cooperative effort to restore compassionate thinking and compassionate action to the center of religious, moral and political life.

     The Charter for Compassion includes: “The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves.  Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honor the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.”

     Karen Armstrong’s talk at the Chautauqua Institution was: “Empowering the Future: An exploration of the World’s Religions – The Mystery of Compassion” and I was deeply touched by the intensity of her belief system:

• “Make a place for the other in your mind and your heart.”
• “You must accept death as part of life.”
• “Build a world society that embraces all religions, living in peace and harmony.”
• “Feel compassion for yourself – love your neighbor as yourself.  Then understand everyone feels the same compassion for themselves.  As you do so, you become concerned for everyone, embracing everyone.”
• “Reach out to each other to learn to live with each other!”

     Karen closed her presentation by saying, “Shalom!” – which for the Jews means Peace, Wholeness and Completion.

I invite you to see through the eyes of your soul a glorious place in the midst of Glastonbury in the United Kingdom.  Entering the Chalice Well Gardens can be a powerful experience in its manifestation of profound inner harmony.  It is a timeless and sacred place full of legend, symbolism and an atmosphere of unity.  The spring at the Chalice Well is considered a symbol of the continuous and unbounded nature of the life force.  Here, many are touched by the inner peace and joy of the Spirit — a celebration of universal peace.

The Earth energies around Glastonbury are experienced by many people to be very powerful.  In the gardens it is possible to feel these earth energies from the moment of entering the cobblestone path under the archway of plants.  In this extraordinary place it is possible to “appreciate the interconnected and vibrant forces that sustain life upon our Planet.”

Now and then it is my joy to share with you one of the poems of a dear friend and colleague in my philosophical study group who made his transition to spirit a few years ago.  His poems are a source of inspiration to me.  Hope you enjoy this one too.  I would love to see your own poems about peace!

Peace, Brother

Solitary Sunday.

Mist on muddy canal

Dances ever so slightly.

Crow caws,

A fish rises.

The splash widens in circularity,

Defining a serenity

To be absorbed and cherished.

Jonas Mather

Today I am reflecting about the times when it is better to speak or simply remain silent given the circumstances of the moment as we embrace wholeness in living.   Years ago I had a good conversation with a friend about discovering our inner beauty and he brought to our dialogue some key ideas from Eckhart Tolle in his book ‘Stillness Speaks’.  There, this famous author said, “True intelligence operates silently” and “Stillness is where creativity and solutions to problems are found”.

“Silence is the dignity of a seeking soul”, said Marc Edmund Jones.

I wish to share with you this day my current reflections:

I am Present.  You are Present.  Here and Now.

Slowing down pace in living contributes to the process.

Time of quiet Meditation enhances staying present.

Peaceful listening to music inspires stillness.

Be still and know that PEACE is here!

Be still and KNOW…

Be STILL…

BE.

Wisdom comes from within.

When I first encountered the Peace Pilgrim book many years ago I became inspired to share her teachings in Spanish and translated her book to my first-language — that became the beginning of my work for peace.  This day I would like to invite you to visit the Friends of Peace Pilgrim website, and explore at your own pace her teachings and expanded contribution to society.

From 1953 to 1981 Peace Pilgrim walked more than 25,000 miles on a personal pilgrimage for peace.  She vowed to “remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food.”  In the course of her 28-year pilgrimage she touched the hearts, minds, and lives of thousands of individuals all across North America.  Her message continues to inspire people all over the world: www.peacepilgrim.org

May you have an opportunity to do so, come to the home town where Peace Pilgrim was born, Egg Harbor City, New Jersey on the weekend of July 16-18 for our  annual Peace Pilgrim birthday celebration.  For more details please see: http://www.peacepilgrim100.org/index.htm

From Peace Pilgrim:

The power of thought. “Do you know that every moment of your life you’re creating through thought?”

Bringing our lives into harmony with the laws that govern the universe. As Peace said, to attain inner peace we need to align the way we live with our beliefs.

Finding our place in the life pattern. We are all cells in the body of humanity — all of us, all over the world.  Each one has a special contribution to make, and the guidance to find our mission in life comes from within.

My friend Janine Fafard, who lives in Costa Rica, has shared with me a lovely thought known to come from the Buddha as a prayer of loving kindness, and I wish to share it with you today as we continue exploring inner peace.

“May I be in peace.

May my heart remain open.

May I awaken to the light which is my true nature.

May I be healed.

May I be a source of healing for all beings.”

Charito Calvachi-Mateyko, as we join our efforts in exploring inner peace, asked me in a radio interview transmitted on ‘Radio Centro’; WLCH, 91.3 FM in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States, why is it important to give love to the world?

I would love to share with you some of my comments and would love to hear yours.

Peace Pilgrim, who walked more than 25,000 miles for peace, sharing her core values for an expansion of consciousness, said, “Love is the greatest force on earth. Love conquers all.” She was referring to the great potential each of us has to manage conflictive situations with love. Using the transformative power that love offers. (more…)