Peace Happens with the Right Mind-set

@Shiva49 Oh my , i don't even like to think of a war .

@SIMPLYD The irony is no one wants war but few manipulate our minds for their selfish ends and lead us to our doom. Let us pause, ponder, and expose those who are behind such heinous acts - siva

Sadly, there is no consensus. After First World War, League of Nations was born, then the now forgotten and marginalized, United Nations after the Second. It is relevant to recall Einstein's words - I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones - siva

Thanks, I feel we all need constant reminding and that includes the leaders we elect! When we live without ego, we merge with the creative process and thereby feel the pulse of our Creator! Our heart beats in unison with the rhythm of creation - siva

@Shiva49 And some of my close fellows bemoan the lack of ego in me. Sometimes I even have to put up a false pretense of ego.

If they are really wise then we have nothing to worry, but the issue is the few who dictate our agenda are up to no good, fooling the majority! siva

Yes, that is the biggest challenge we face - greed of few casting its long shadow on humanity - siva

@Shiva49 Hi? Are you this siva I met at wiki?Just asking. Your comment is highly appreciated.

@cacay1 Yes Erly. I have been with Wikinut too - siva

Agreed Erly, but we have to press on as our survival is at stake if we allow few to run amok. The good have to bury their superficial differences to unite - siva

Agreed Ronald I may sound idealistic but I never lose hope. I recall a conversation with my colleague, a British man, more than thirty years ago. I was curious about the apartheid system, so I asked him how he sees and justifies it. We used to talk about everything under the sun and so I thought it was fine. Then his face contorted and said " Siva, I rather skip this". I told him "why Peter, you can just give your views" and he responded "It is tough to talk about this issue with an Indian, so I excuse myself. You may never understand where I come from". Why I state this now is every problem has a solution and with the right mindset. And hit when the iron is hot is never off the mark. Many intractable issues have been resolved and I recall many children in Europe telling at the height of the Cold War that they are doomed to perish in a nuclear holocaust but things have changed, but do we really want to live and let live? The choice is ours finally as humanity - siva

Agreed, the actions to inject doses of democracy on the unprepared have led to anarchy in place of dictatorship that their people were used to.It is time to wean away from oil that dictates our economies. If hundreds of billions of dollars are invested in oil industry, why not on renewable energy that are universal? The elite club is the nuclear club where few are members and those within say no new members allowed! Then can we blame others trying to gatecrash to see how it feels to be a member and enjoy the privileges that go with it? Let us bring down brick by brick the walls of hypocrisy. It is not like times we are blissfully unaware of life at every level like times when "if they don't have bread, let them eat cake". Another elite club is arms trade which end up in "wrong hands". The profits are irresistible to the greedy! The sad part is the big powers have their way, compete with each other, in areas that lead us to our doom. Live and let live - is overlooked when greed and ego blind what we do - siva

@Shiva49 Let's hope for world peace especially in the Middle East region and that the oil price will stop dropping - both of these are affecting the world's economy.

@artemeis Peace will happen when we mind our own business - treat others like we want to be treated. Other species practice this but we miss the plot! No one has seen God, so what use fighting over beliefs? Our Gods, if they are worth their salt, can take care of themselves. We have many leaders but they don't want to work together to benefit the 99% everywhere who yearn for peace - siva

I agree with you that America does not get it, or pretends not to hear the truth. Their actions seems more to foment trouble, sort of first setting fire, then make a hue and cry, and then put it out. There is human rights hypocrisy - clearly they too have a political agenda. They see human right violations in few countries while looking the other way when some are concerned. When they self-introspect they will find all are "sinners". I heard your former president Jiang Zemin telling that democracy has to wait till your people have food, work and shelter. Deng Xiaoping also was clear that the system has to work - "it does not matter whether the cat is black or white, it has to catch mice". He also stated that no point in arguing about political systems. I also feel it is like fighting whose religion is better - the reality is all are man made. Humanity should prevail above all - we need to be kind, considerate with live and let live attitude, compassionate. I have seen many who are pious for all purposes but leading a selfish life. The Arab Spring has been a disaster - for the people it is from the frying pan to the fire! Democracy cannot function in certain cultures where even their beliefs brook no questioning! Unsolicited advice should stop - first get your house in order and show by example and stop being a hypocrite and also don't allow unbridled greed of few to destroy humanity; sadly, it remains the boss and dictates our policies. Our leaders should keep the welfare of 99% close to their hearts; the rest are mere details - siva

Yes, we learn along the way and should not repeat mistakes. I am more aware of those who lay a trap, needle me to test me. I make it clear - been there, done that! siva

@Shiva49 I myself tend to be a selfish person, putting my own ideas first, unless I think the other person is going to cause me trouble, then I tend to help them, or do things that they want, so my living with them being around me will be easier for me. This is being more selfish, of course, by my putting myself first again, indirectly so. "Wisdom ceases to be wisdom when it becomes too proud to weep, too grave to laugh, and too selfish to seek other than itself." The much loved poet Lebanese poet, Khalil Gibran (1883 to 1931) said this Selfishness is simply being too self-directed. Instead of being intimately connected inwardly to oneness, you are outwardly connected more to your outer self within that oneness, as an individual. Oneness is the many in the one, and also the one in the many. You cannot have it in only the one way, or direction. Oneness to have you included within it, must be allowed to live in you, and you must allow yourself to live within it. When this is achieved, you will no longer be selfish.

@innertalks I feel as long as we don't deprive others it is okay to look after ourselves first. Sometimes there are wheels within wheels in terms of meaning and that goes for my attitude too. My leading an unselfish life can be interpreted that I am selfish as I stand to gain more in some ways especially at the "end of the day"! My whole life is just to chip in to help, not to upset others and even their apple carts, and to be left alone. I treat others as I like to be treated. I try to understand where others come from and if they have a helpful and happy countenance I will try to find more whether I too can adapt such an attitude. A smile even in times of adversity helps a lot to overcome them. My take is help where I can but stay away if I can't - better to mind own business is the best option in most times! We have the freedom to weave in and out of oneness than be trapped by it - siva

Attitude decides our altitude though we tend to work at cross purposes perpetually from time immemorial, democracy or otherwise. Democracy in some countries is taken as free for all - one can get away with murder even! We cannot go wrong if our actions benefit society. I don't want to sound "holier than thou", but I have never lived a selfish life. I make sure every action of mine benefit others more. Many are lost souls who yearn for attention and love, even an understanding glance. I know many who think for them to gain others should lose and that attitude is true even among countries. They prop up countries that are perennial bad fellows but they are strange bed-fellows in the bargain! I hope we all wise up to the realization that our true potential lies in unity in diversity and that is how the whole universe works and conceptualized - siva

@innertalks What is the answer here then? When good men say nothing, nothing changes. The good must speak up to rebalance the mix, and only then will the mix become not more mixed up, but more even in its distribution, instead of it just going ahead only in one way, it might consider other ways then too.

@innertalks Nice analogy Steve, thanks - the bureaucracy is a bigger behemoth, tougher to bring down than an elephant though! The majority are shackled in chains trying to make sense of how to release themselves as few tighten their grip like a python does every time the victim takes a breath! For our leaders, it is more to divert attention from pressing domestic issues to go after international adventures. There are so much of waste lands in countries that go to stake claim on lands faraway from their own. And then there are nuclear powers where the vast majority do not even have a square meal a day! Whose ego and greed is satiated by wars? Then the plot starts to unravel. We fall easy prey to emotions especially when it relates to beliefs. Unless we can cap such runaway emotions that are pointless, we will be forever going around in circles manipulated by few. The lament of Einstein is ever relevant - we need knock out blows to get back to our senses. I remember a cricket match in Indonesia of all places where, well, India played Rest of the World and I represented India, but don't sign off yet! My friend who was mostly cranky got a hit on his head and was knocked out and we expected the worst. Miraculously he survived and became a changed person and for the better! siva

Thanks Steve, other species show us the way though we think we are the lord of all we survey! Yasser Arafat said - "When I point to the moon, people look at my fingers". I think that is happening now. Despite the lessons from history and what is laid down in scriptures, we just don't get it, get our acts together! Live and let live - sounds great but we find it tough to put to practice. The irony is we have everything provided on a silver platter to meet all our needs but we put greed at the top of the agenda or allow few to set our agenda, irrespective of us living in democratic societies - siva

@Shiva49 We have some leaders here, who concoct stories to make themselves look good. Police tactics are often overplayed for the same reason, so they can be seen to be doing their "work" properly. The truth is never fully revealed. Truth brings peace, so whilst peace is being delayed by lack of a higher consciousness, truth too is often a victim here, as well. How is higher consciousness related to peace? Jesus said, "my peace I leave you", but what did he mean by that exactly, what is his peace? "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you." This quote is from the Christian bible book of John, from chapter 14, verse 27. Consciousness is built on a blanket of love, loving, but not often on a rock of fear, fearing. Consciousness is not built on fear, nor on a rock of fear fearing, but on a rock of peace being brought to love unconditionally so, peacefully and lovingly, with God's blanket of love lying upon it. This means that the blanket brings peace or comfort, whereas the rock brings hardness and inflexibility, but in the end the rock wins out because we find that the blanket of love is always being placed over the rock which is God's foundational stone of peace, but which can only be embraced as peace though when his love softens it. We all need to be softened by God's love, otherwise, our hearts will so often remain hardened, like a rock. A hardened heart can never find peace. A hard form of peace being forced onto people is like a dictatorship or overly strict police rule, or a nanny state, if you might call it that, instead. Yes, higher consciousness brings peace, because it always has been brought about by love. You cannot become more highly conscious then, unless you become more loving first, or more peaceful. Love, consciousness and love are all related intimately together.

@innertalks Well enunciated, thanks Steve. Love and truth should be omnipresent The irony is we all know what to do, how to behave, to live in peace but our big power leaders spit fire, threaten, and try to browbeat others to stoke their ego. Then it becomes a challenge for others to do the same and that has become international diplomacy fostered by our pea brained leaders that get elected. They play into the hands of those who benefit from wars and strife. The message and yearning of 99% remain a dream despite them being everywhere. Again we are easily manipulated that our beliefs have to compete with each other and we take up the cudgels on behalf of our various gods. The first step towards higher consciousness is to acknowledge we are from the same source and there can be only one creator - we share the same air, water and the rest. Our physical body is composed of the same material, even our thinking and potential. We should look at the oneness of humanity and appreciate the uniqueness in each of us than: " why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own?" The progress that we are supposed making comes at a heavy price - lack of time to forget our innate compassion, love and empathy. Yes, we need an over conquering and all encompassing love to survive. Einstein's words are ever relevant "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." siva

Thanks for your input. There should be a shift to higher consciousness to achieve peace or rather win the battle against hatred, greed and self-interest. We are now looking for peace with blood in our hands. Big powers are talking of more deadly nuclear weapons as the means towards peace! We need leaders who think others have also a right to exist. But then the leaders of countries and religions are promoting hatred and there by all out destruction. The irony is 99% suffer due to the present way of life and they want the change. Sadly, it is still the tyranny of 1% - siva