...for goodness sake don't imply that you have to "market" peace as a concept - is this what it's come to in a consumerist society that you have to flog it like a commodity? - for people to buy stuff to buy peace ???...like a T Shirt which says "Peace..at all costs"...

..forget it...when I hear the term "branding" I cringe...

I second Ravi Swami's views.

Cheers!
Navin

How do we make peace cool? Is that even a necessary goal?
How do we brand peace as something we all strive for in our life?
What does peace mean in the context of the turmoil and violence that kill and hurt people every day?
Must we find personal peace to find peace on a social level?
Do such conversations even make a difference or is it just a coping mechanism? A way to feel like we care? What conversations need to take place?
What are the action steps to take such conversations to the next level?

Mallika,

Hi. Making peace is a goal for everyone… I do not think there is one person on this earth that does not want peace. However, everyone’s interpretation of peace is VERY different. Our goal to a peaceful place is often long and arduous. It does not have to be that way. Rather than marketing peace, I think the objective should be to educate and remind people what peace feels like. Giving the world a taste of this sweet destination will make them want to be there and it involves letting go and surrendering. I had a friend recently tell me he wants some of what is in side of me but is not sure how to get there. He like my outlook on life but is not sure about the global implications.

I can already see the portrayal of small and large struggles, then showing surrender and then freedom, that is the metamorphous. This would include war but so many other things, too. Illustrating compassion, reduction of fear and forgiveness is necessary in this process.

On a social level, peace can occur but rather than showing the world singing in harmony. It would be more powerful to show everyone embracing our differences. I do not want the world to loose it authenticity and that includes differences. Alfonso X managed to do this for part of his era in Spain with music, theater, art and other modes for the jews, Christians and the Muslims… all living in harmony.

A bridge needs to take place and education and a portal for peace. Society and the world as a whole can not get their head completely around peace on a global or universal level; however, I think they can on a daily level and then on a community level from there the bridges will connect and snowball.

Action steps--- the focus and mode of communication needs to be determined. Then a tangible illustration and story needs to be developed on an individual, community, national, global and universal level. Each story would be told depending on the audience or a series of seeds that have a ripple effect one from the next.

Ravi—as for branding peace--- do not let the business buzz words turn you off—I know you have some good ideas please share.

Love and peace,
suzanne

Mallika, bery interesting post. Bery interesting questions. Below are the answers. Thanks for giving opportunity to Papa Answers.

what does peace actually mean?
No war is peace.

What does it mean to individuals?
Not fighting with each other.

What does it mean to society?
To live in peace.

How do we make peace cool?
Not making it hot.

Is that even a necessary goal?
Yes.

How do we brand peace as something we all strive for in our life?
Peace For Life.

What does peace mean in the context of the turmoil and violence that kill and hurt people every day?

That there is no NO NEW HUMANITY. People are still barbaric, like animals.

Must we find personal peace to find peace on a social level?
Sure, by all means.

Do such conversations even make a difference or is it just a coping mechanism?
A coping mechanism. To entertain idle minds.

A way to feel like we care?
All cheap talk. No action.

What conversations need to take place?
Conversations of love, peace, spirituality, 5 layers of soul, 7 spiritual paths, New Humanity, Secrets of Kabala, Kama Sutra for Love, quantum leaps for peace, critical mass about to explode etc etc.

What are the action steps to take such conversations to the next level?
First go back to the previous level. Then go to the next level. Then again go back to previous level. Keep on going back and forth. Keep on talking ad lib, like everybody else here, including the teachers of peace.

Sacrifice for the children is how we acheive peace one day, and not by a few by everybody. But it starts at the top, someone with a voice has to stick his neck out there the way Martin Luther King did. He wanted to make a difference even if it killed him and he wanted to do that for his people, when people see that kind of commitment they will follow and they'll make sacrifices too. It's no secret what's going on in this world and especially in America but the people are just so complacent that it's next to impossible to get them off the couch, the attitude seems to be ah screw it we're all going to hell anyway! Like the human race as a whole has given up. The rich people like being rich and living rich and don't want to give that up and the poor people have no voice which makes it really easy to give up. It's Frustrating because the solution is an easy one, Therapy! But mental illness remains the last great stigma in the world and nobody seems to like talking about anxiety and manipulation and how the two are destroying us. If you want to start changing the world then you all have to write books about anxiety disorders and how jackasses use them to manipulate the retards, you got to make people understand and never quit having things like seminars, and make videos and t.v. programs and fight to have it taught in schools, and your Alliance for a New Humanity, who is chummy with politicians, has to be the ones to start it! But why will that never happen Mallika? Money? Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Deepak chopra, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, you don't think people would listen to them and ones like them if they all decided one day that yes the soul is more important then money and I need to make sacrifices for the children even if that means giving up the opportunity to make millions more off of all the retards? I can't beleive that you all don't know the answer- Manipulation, Anxiety -How can you possibly have peace when people's anxieties are being abused by their leaders, it doesn't work and it never will!

Dear Mallika....Your Dear Father has given us the anwers. Daughter of the Great father...how can u not know the answers Mallika? Maybe you already know. His one book "htkg" is Enough to give you All the answers for the questions you asked. What the Dalai lama had agreed with your Father's insight of where that change has to take place in order to see a change in the world, and they both agreed that is the Only way and no other way. I cannot but simply bow down to that profound truth in what they said, and also I'm ever so Grateful to both of them, especially Deepak sir in providing me the answers for those vexing questions of how&why of the world, which I cudn't find answers then. Go back to the old theories(Eternal truth though) and lectures of your Father Deepak...and you will find answers clearly.

Love...Sachin

The way I see things... everyone wants a better standard of living, a better life.

Never before in the his/herstory of humanity has over 6 billion people, and counting, wanted the same thing. Places a great strain on Planet Earth, especially when you consider projected population levels to reach over 9 billion before too long.....

Tolerance more than peace is perhaps the more realistic goal...?

Jesus said, "It's easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God"

That's pretty cut and dried isn't it? If you give up your riches and follow Jesus, you'll garantee yourself a place in heaven, over and over again Jesus talks about the rich having to make sacrifices but the rich ignore that part of the bible. Why do you think he does that? He doesn't say that once everybody is filthy rich than we'll all go to heaven! Rich people have to give up the ego and unfortunately that means money and the system people use to manipulate people for more money. You can't serve both God and Money, and the day rich people figure that out and start helping the poor, mentally, and financially, creating equality and we go back to making relationships the priority is the day we'll have peace.

Lets all Fight AGAIN..GET THE NEW WORLD WAR STARTED ...KILL ALL THE BAD PEOPLE AND LOTS OF INNOCENTS..THEN THE CHANGE ..PEACE WHT WE CALL WILL COME..hhmmmm.. That wht ISRAEL THINKS.
"wht goes around comes around"

somehow this topic opens up a series of syncronistic events that happened this week ...

I advertised for a cottage to let ... an event which usually means that in one day it is gone as it is a very popular area...

the first person I showed to was a young couple ...

who fell in love with the place ...

the young woman working with children with special needs ...

a pattern that vibrates deep within me ..

trusting my intution I decided to let it to this couple ..

even if knowing that Papa would help them with the deposit ...

then I got call after call ... a process that I never enjoy ... till one woman captured me ...

she was hijacked 3 weeks ago and was lookign for a safe place ... (I created 24 hours security in front of my house ) ...

as an unusual move I told her about my sanctuary (a big house) where I would consider letting a section of it to someone like her ..

when she saw the house she loved teh space and yet felt overwhelmed by it ...

would you stay sleep here ???

no ...

as we engaged she decided to see me as a client to help her deal with her state of terror ...

I saw her yesterday for 2 hours ...

first of all she is a PHD in antropolagy and works with fossils ...

realising how the hijacking at gun point brought up old intense fears she had buried long ago ...

she is only 30 years old and yet in many ways has been buried under layers of concrete ...

a lack of emotional availability from generation to generation ...

a checking out pattern I keep finding ...

as the common denominator in human's torment ...

how strange that you work with fossils ... I told her ... where you feel so very happy ... and you are very good at ...

and yet so much in terror when someone alive threatens your life ...

yes she says ... and yet this is what happened ...

as I pulled out of my cottage yesterday i saw the man who hijacked me ...

he was looking at the rubish bins ... for the chargers of cell phones ... after taking mine 3 weeks ago ...

we looked each other in the eye and I felt so strong in that moment he backed off ...

as I had the dog from the landlord with me he asked me "will he bite me?"

depends on your actions ...

we held each others look and then he walked away ...

I followed him and realized that he looked so very different now .. without the gun ...his shoulders collapsed ... a poor man looking at rubbish bins ...

is n't this interisting ??? I asked her .. what have you learned ???

that in my terror I forgot he was just another human being ...

how my safety is so very narrow and shallow ...

as mostly I live for my work and for my little world ...

which I saw collapsing before me .. in one single moment ...

do you live alone ???

yes .. except my parrot...

your parrot???

oh yes ... I have him for 8 years and he is my companion ... very much in tune with his emotional needs ...

tell me more ... I asked her

"for example he does not like cold water so she will ask "water ... water ... water..." till I give him warm water to drink ...

or he wil say "up up up" wanting to come to my shoulder ...

or toy toy toy ... looking for a toy to play with ...

tell me more about this parrot .. I asked her

I got him in Liverpool and at one point he flew away .. I got him back one year and 4 months afterwards ... someone found him in a window so weak he just wanted someone to pick him up ...

when I got him back I realised he had become wild ... in such bad condition I could not recognize him...

except that his core likes and dislikes remained the same ... he hates bananas ... he likes warm water to drink ... etc and it took me a while to rebuild his strenght and his connection with me and with life ...

just like I see you doing with yourself now ... I told her

yes .. I relaize that I love fossils because I feel safe with the dead ...

leading to a depth of discussion and Victor Frankel theme "in search of meaning "

suddenly in touch with the depth of her inner violence and disconnecting ways that leave her isolated and afraid ...

a reminder of a need I see in this world...

where separation remains ... "I versus they "...

living in our small little worlds ...

looking for safety somehow ...

rather than expanding in full engagement with what life brings ...

a vision I always had was to be able to walk on the shoes of each different face of humanity and expand in each of his divine vibrations ... in its agony and ecstasy ...

so that in oneness ...

I remain ...

last week a violent shoot out occured ... 4 young policeman were killed as well as 8 criminals ...

question is : what do we know about their worlds??? of what drives their human condition to do what they do ... the criminals trapping themselves inside a house and the 4 policemen risking it all and going straight into an ambush ...

what can we do to make a difference ???

when I look at my life I just know ... it radiates from within ... as fear attracts more violence ...

which takes me to "what fears do I have that i keep projecting into the universe and adding to this imbalance of forces???"

watching the phenomenal transformation of this young woman .. so terrified when she phoned me I literally offered her my home ...

and yet when she faced the hijacker for what it was she simply lost her fear and then we were able to go so much deeoer inside herself ...

a new beginning where I know she will never look back ...

we need more schools of high voltage education for those who, in apathy and ignorance become easy prey ...

we need to restore human values beyond creeds and prejudices that brings us together ...

as one...

my deepest sense of humilation and shock happened when I went to USA for the first time ...

so very afraid because I had heard some horror stories of how people were treated in NY airport ...

a fear that manifested rigth before my eyes ...

being treated as if I was inside a concentration camp ...a paradox in such high civilised country ...

what happened was the official kept avoiding looking at me and telling someone helping in the queue " this form is not correct ... tell her to do it again ..."

a process that went on and on until I stood up and simply said " I will not touch this form again ... "

noticing how the assistant kept shaking her head in disgust for this man's attitude and yet said nothing ...

except offering to do the form for me as I stood up like a rock ..."NO MORE"

after this incident i have travelled many times over and yet will not allow myself to be intimidated by whoever I attract ...

the beginning of change ...

towards this peace that once captured it simply vibrates inside out...

where I see Ghandi as my mentor ...

"BECOME THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD"

running thoughts in this early morning of a new day ...

OH YES ..

a funny ...

when I told this young woman I had cappucins ...she reacted in wonder land ...

you have cappucins??? ohhhhhhhhhhh...I allways wanted to have a capuccin ... will you show them to me ...

yes I will ... specially my babay Ananda ...and in exchange I want to meet your parrot...as he sounds pretty neat ... and has travelled very far to come home ... and to you ..

I can hear him asking "water .. water ... water ..."

oh yes .. the miracle water ...
words that bring me to my knees ...

as I see Jesus offreing water to BenHur.. and Benhur offering it back to Jesus ...

then she asks me " what is your surname ?"

I tell her

oh it is really you ...

I look at her startled ...

oh yes this is what happened ...

I was telling my landlord of my encounter with you and how excited I was to work with you ...

she then asked me if your surname was so and so ...

I told her I did not know ...

she told me then that she knew of you .. that you are in her list people to interview ... as she is a journalist and knows you work with archetypes ...

then I went to my chiro... he also knows about you ...

that's all very strange as I have not advertised ...

and yet ..

between parrots and cappucins what do we know ???

except that this week was so so so so ...

a gift I was given ...

so much so I can barely stay in my skin ...

but then I am breathing it all in ...

slowooooly ...

focusing in this stillness ...

where I am at peace ...

beyond all these illusions of my ego ...

knowing that ultimately my heart lives in those torn places...

beyond the cruelty and ignorance of human kind...

as we learn...

to meet ...

in this field ...

"beyond wrongdoing and rightdoing..."

Dear baba, can you give a brief commentary of what you said in so many words in your two comments? I am at loss and may be dumb to understand your prose (or poetry?) and comprehend your creative depths. I generlly understand what others write here to an extend. An explanation by you in plain words will help me and others to a great extend.Thank you.

Kumar

Dear Sachin, to quote you:

"Dear Mallika....Your Dear Father has given us the anwers. Daughter of the Great father...how can u not know the answers Mallika? Maybe you already know. His one book "htkg" is Enough to give you All the answers for the questions you asked."

Perhaps one might take into account that Deepak is a man and mainly writing from a male viewpoint, as are most of our dear spiritual leaders at this moment.

Could it be possible that women already carry(the other part of) the truth in themselves?

I believe you are a bit too judgemental on women in general :)

Wednesday, 28 June 2006
Rainbow Children Detained in the name of Homeland Security
 
'Since 1972 people from all over the US and the world make a trek to the National Forests for something called "The Gathering Of The Tribes" to express activism mixed with alternative spiritual practices and prayer.

The Bush Administration has spent millions of dollars trying to stop the Rainbow Gatherings. 500 people who have been issued citations, are then being herded into "trials" like none anyone has seen before in America.'

Wednesday, 28 June 2006
Man Who Exposed The Financial Plundering Of America Is Now On the Brink Of Becoming A Felon
 
'The jailing of freedom fighter Walter Burien for 45 days and his subsequent plea bargain agreement to accept a felony conviction without more jail time is another example of America's fascist system jailing innocent Americans.

Burien, another in the long list of America's political prisoners being nailed to the wall, has been a major thorn in the side of the "powers that be," being one of the first who decided to take on Washington where it hurts most -- in its corrupt pocket book.'

Wednesday, 28 June 2006
Terror Expert: London Bomber Was Working For MI5

'Charles Shoebridge is a 12-year veteran detective of the London Metropolitan Police, a former graduate of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, and now a broadcaster and writer on terrorism in the UK.

Shoebridge told the BBC Newshour program that from the evidence little else can be assumed other than that Khan was working for British intelligence.'
Read more ...
......................................
 

The same old story over and over ...
 
Posada's CIA ties uncovered in papers 
 
'Posada has been accused of blowing up a Cuban airliner in the Caribbean in 1976, bombing hotels in Cuba in 1997 and 1998, and conspiring to kill Cuban President Fidel Castro in Panama in 2000.'

Wednesday, 28 June 2006
Cellphones cook an egg

'During the first 15 minutes, nothing changed. After 25 minutes, however, the egg shell started to become hot and at 40 minutes, the surface of the egg became hard and bristled. Researchers found the protein in the egg had become solid although the egg yolk was still in liquid form. After 65 minutes, the whole egg was well cooked.'
 

Read more ...  http://www.davidicke.com/content/blogcategory/30/48/

It is the constant looking outward, and refusing to accept what is which fuels the chaos inside and then outside. Peace for the world is a idealic thought manufactured by the mind. Taking time to be still, to watch, weakens the chaos...the "desire" for world peace is a collective idealic thought....can it be possible to have a collective time for stillness, real stillness, to just stop, drop everything and be still and wait, listen? Maybe, maybe not.

Dear Kumar ...

a few words ????

that's hard ..

but there I go ...

I love the parrot story ...

water .. water .. water ...

up.. up ... up ...

what else is there ???

oh yeah ...

still smiling...

aha ha

baba, please never stop your writings here. man, you are different, someone who can enter heads of others, a philosopher, a thinker, a prose-poem writer.

people here are not getting your British slang and your English syntax.

I loved your posts. please never stop...

bring us more real stories of your life...

the anthropologist,

the couple...

the parrot loving warm water,

the inner fears,

the hijacker....

your travels to USA...

your landlord must be very happy with you...

and his dog must be terrifying...

you weave stories like in real life...

as your stories are real...

now I'll be going to your earlier posts...

raining in Liverpool?

how are the strawberry fields there?

and your pm, buddy of bush...

and baba, your humour is typically English....

man, were your born there or got your self exported from India/Kenya?

OH Dear Mieke....Ur a sweet woman. Don't get me wrong on that one as most do and apparently it is. The Image is so black here and such negative mindsets that when I write something with a positive connotation it is read as negative. I love Mallika! To me...She's a Daughter of The Great man Deepak, after being an individual.

I'm not sure if you've read some of my posts where I worship femininity. Some women do understand me on that front very well.

As always, they are my perspecs...each one has their own. It's best not to meddle. If it can discussed in a nice way then most welcome. Like you've asked me.

What a coincidence though Mieke, I didn't even read ur post and at the other one, I just expresed my admiration for the woman..saying that they are the best ones when it comes to peace. It's the Man who is into violence really relatively speaking...not a blanket statement. ok? That's the way nature has designed and you can see it as fact from the history. That's why I adore the feminine so much!!!

Love..Sachin

"Could it be possible that women already carry(the other part of) the truth in themselves?"

~Mieke

*****

does spirituality have sex?

do women's spirituality differ from men's?

you chauvinist male spirituals...

what about gentle, soft, loving female spirituality...

males dominating females everywhere...

be careful, we'll be soon catching you....

come sit near us....

we will look into your eyes....

your souls...

and lips upon lips, with gentle, soft touch, to pour in spirituality in you...

"It's the Man who is into violence really relatively speaking...not a blanket statement. ok? That's the way nature has designed and you can see it as fact from the history."

then why some women are called," bitches"?

What did Indra Gandhi do? Killing Sikhs?

What does Hindu goddess Kali do? Killing anyone in sight? Giving small pox and chicken pox to those who do not worship her? Why should she be adored?

The Kali power....

The black power...

The magic power....

what about the step-mother of Cinderella?

what about saas-bahu daily fights in India? Pulling each other's head hair out and bitching at each other, day in and day out?

what about the wife who cut-off her husband's penis, and threw it under a bush by the road side?

what about the woman who pushed her car with her children inside into the lake?

and other one who drowned her children in the bath tub?

and yet another one who hired red necks to kill her husband...

and that one who....

why should women be adored by men?

for the round soft things and the things like that?

for the sake of oneness when in loneliness?

PS: Dear Sachin, the questions are not directed to you in particular. This is for general discussion. The answers have to be thought over by the readers here. Please wait to answer. Let me see what the gentler halves or the harsher halves have to say first.

Dear Sachin and Anon,

Thank you both for your response. Perhaps i still am a bit naive, even at my age, but being at the life-giving (giving birth) side of the medal can make perhaps that little difference in women´s spirituality and sex. The gift of giving birth also provides you with much responsibility but it contains the gift of unconditional love too, something that i cannot explain and can we really understand?

Sometimes I think we're mesmerized by war, even to the extent that we define peace as lack of war.

We can't seem to get our gaze off our own squabble.

My wife & I just saw The Inconvenient Truth. Graphs outlining CO2 presence in the atmosphere were terrifying when correlated to the temperature changes that have historically followed CO2 content.

But the movie closes optimistically, stating unequivocally that this can be changed: the combination of automobile innovation, public transportation, CO2 sequestration can not only curb the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, but dramatically reduce it to pre-1970 levels.

So how come we can't do this? Would such measures yield peace? Would the diminish our dependence on oil? Would they produce diverse, healthy economies? Would they lessen the inremitting demand on the earth's resources?

I keep saying on this blog that before we can settle our karmic debt, we have to settle it in its physical form in kind.

Otherwise we're just hallucinating about war and peace.

"The gift of giving birth also provides you with much responsibility but it contains the gift of unconditional love too, something that i cannot explain and can we really understand?" ~Mieke

*****

The gift…
Tell us something new. This all old nonsense. All female species give birth to the offspring. It is in the Nature.

Responsibility…
Yes, true. It goes to the male too. Do not tell me now females love their off spring more than males do.

Unconditional love...
Same old nonsense. We have heard this phrase millions of times. Do males not give unconditional love? Is it the prerogative of females only?

If you cannot explain, then please try not to confuse others. We do not want to be confused more than we already have been here with the New Humanity, with singing of Aresnio in his bath tub, with his conversations with his dog on morning walks, with 5 layers of souls, with 7 spiritual paths, with peace and love and with so many blessings, huggings, virtual birthday and weekend parties, with prices of hogs and hog hocks, with the speed of delivery of pizzas and their prices, with the shitting of baby daughters in their diapers, with movie moguls shouting at new movie makers, with keeping charity money for your own use and advocating it is all right, and last but not the least, the Kama Sutra - the ancient manual of Love Making the Indian Way, when there was no Viagra and stuff like that in the market.

But peace be your way. How is Pyara Harb doing? Usko dil se Sat Sri Akal.

Mallika, please read the following to my comment in this thread:

"Your comment has been received and held for approval by the blog owner."

If you do not approve, please tell me why.

Kind regards
Anon

Sharka: I so resonate with your earlier post (no.5). Your frustrations echo around my head. Like you say, we need another Martin Luther King. Someone who is prepared to die for the cause. But there’s the rub. All intelligent candidates realise this sad reality. They realise they will probably die in the cause or be destroyed. The evil media undermines any real attempt to change the status quo. Look what they did to Clinton. They put him back into his little box. They did the same thing early on with Blair over an illusory dispute about road tax. They did it with Rajneesh, they have tried to do it with Deepak. And if they cannot stop the popular support they will find a way to kill our saviours. During the early days of the Iraq war unsubstantiated claims were made against many a peace advocate. George Galloway the British MP is a notable example where all sorts of manufactured evidence was produced to discredit him only for it to remain unproven. But mud sticks, you know.

I think what we are up against today is much more powerful, sinister and dangerous than what Martin Luther faced. Ignorance can be educated, but denial is psychological and conditioned. It takes years, or an awakening shock.

There is a lot of airy fairy talk about just “being”. “Be the change you want to see in the world”.
But such statements have been misinterpreted and continue to be misinterpreted by the ego, which is always a coward. You cannot just think peace and it happens. People like me have tried that and it don’t work. I can influence my personal space, sure. But for me to have a wider impact I must act. I must get out of my comfort zone and take my peaceful intent out there with some meaningful plan of action. Like Martin Luther King did. However, matters are very urgent. Much too urgent for me to build up the profile of a Martin Luther King. That takes time. We don’t have time. We need the finished article. People like me are prepared to act, but we are toothless. So we are desperately waiting for someone with some clout and presence to stand up and lead, and we will support that person.

This site is called “intent” blog. But intent has to have more than thought energy behind it. I can have the intent of getting a job, but unless I go through the process of looking for one, applying and interviewing I am not going to get one sitting on my ass in my living room. This requires our Will to be put into action.

My feeling is, though, that someone like Deepak working alone would be too easy a target for the media and the lone assassin. We need an organising group of figureheads. Deepak, the Dali Lama, Jed Bartlet, et al. We also need something more effective but less confrontational than organised marches. We need many co-ordinated assaults of direct action on the big corporations so that people sit up and listen. Deepak and his associates have the financial muscle to circulate publicity and advertising to help heighten public awareness and coordinate campaigns. A campaign should be designed to target a specific corporation’s finances. Hit them where it hurts. For example a worldwide boycott of Shell Oil or a world wide boycott of Coca Cola. Such campaigns can last for a day, a week, a month or indefinitely. The details can be worked out by strategy groups. These should be sustained and supported with public awareness campaigns until governments start to take the movement seriously. It would also not involve any violent action or confrontation. It could be fuelled on the internet and through word of mouth. I would volunteer to work for such an organisation full time. What Bill Gates is doing is great, but it doesn’t tackle the root of the problem. It only indirectly fuels it by funding pharmaceuticals and charities.

Some of these direct actions will have detrimental effects on economies and jobs, but there has to be some sacrifice. These are minor considerations compared to what is going on in places like Palestine.

Talking of which, year on year, week on week, I am horrified and deeply deeply saddened at what Israel is doing to these poor people with the backing of our governments. There is no greater crime on this planet than the Israeli repression of Palestine. It is racist and barbaric to the extreme. It has no sophistication. One soldier has been kidnapped and Israel is collectively punishing tens of thousands of innocent people who have absolutely nothing to do with. It is a disgrace. I am not an Arab. I am not a Muslim. I am not a citizen of the Middle East. I am a westerner. And I am so disgusted with Israel and with the passive cowardly spineless reaction of all western governments to these atrocities and crimes against humanity. It is time to act. It is time for Israel to publicly and demonstrably agree that the Palestinian people have a right to exist in peace and with all the civil rights and social privileges enjoyed by Israelis and people the world over. Otherwise President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may become my popular hero and many others, and that would be a shame because he’s just another jerk with another agenda.

Dear toastmaster,

Remember, a tunnel was dug, Palestinians moved through it to attack these Israeli soldiers, they killed two and kidnapped another. Now, the Palestinians know, by now, how the Israelis are going to respond, duh? Please there are no victims here anymore, just two sides the Israelis and Palestinians choosing to use weapons instead of their intelligence to solve a very difficult problem.

These are all grown men in love with the gun, in love with the bomb, in love with the fight. At any time they can make a different choice. They simply do not.

The only victims are the Israeli children and the Palestinian children the adults of both are choosing guns over their well-being. Frankly, I am tired of both of them.

Yeah exactly Taomaster. We need to wake up all the retards, there's nothing that hurts more than to have your awareness raised to that place when you realize how the people around you have been manipulating and stealing from you, betraying your trust! Not only do the one's who have been manipulating them suddenly feel like jackasses but the retards get mad and stand up for themselves for the first time in their lives. Peace is probably never going to happen but if it is that's the way it's going to happen.

Oh Anon....These things always happen man! I had written such a wonderful post to the one above of yours with questions, got lost in the cyberspace. Jesus Christ! Anyway..will try another one on similar lines.

You're Awesome man!! I'm awestruck at your observations!! When I was reading your post, it was like..yes true..yes true...yes true. I can't help myself but bow down with humbleness when I read that. That's why I said clearly not a blanket statement, there's another side too, which ur so good always to bring it out. Do I know that or no? Of course I do! But I prefer not to spend my life on that side, but it's Imperative to be aware of it or else one can get into deep trouble.

What answers will those closed heads will have. They are Masters in slander! At least they are masters in something. That's who they are, let them be. Wondered why there is not even an iota of reasoning and logic man. Honestly..I don't know if u remember a time at Intent, there were such good cerebral people mate. I used to read the posts not for the content, but just the way they reasoned it out. that was terrific. Gone now. Just BS'ing and blackening. Oh well...

Truly...Sachin

Uh . . .

This format rends the posts indistinguishable from one another

help

What has happened to Intentblog?

Sorry to say this but it looks like many of the cherished regulars have had it and decided to take a summer vacation. I'm about to join them, this site has become un-readable.

Good luck Mallika et al,

Amba

Anon...to some of ur questions in the end the answer is no, becoz there is more to it...I may explain it here to Mieke. But Anon mate....ur too good in bringing out the dark side always. I agree with you 99% times...but I cannot really go on that track.

Dear Mieke...Spot on!!! It has to be reason no:1 why femininity has to be worshipped. For mothers. It almost sounds silly to write how beautiful mothers are. There isn't any purer rel of Love, especially unconditional love than that. Love at its ultimate level is unconditional... which I can never reach, I've experienced what that is though in my heart, so that I've an idea how mothers feel. But women are light yrs ahead when it comes to love. That's why I adore them.

I've written quite a lot of posts earlier on this Mieke, some of the lovelier hearty women have instantly caught that in me. The physical part as Anon was talking is not to be denied...but people generally take it as dirty. It can be taken to the sacred level when the hearts are pure. I can say that from my personal experience. Did you read the one post I had written to Kavita in her thread of rel a month back or so. If u can plz read that...you will know who I'm and will never have doubts on me.

Dear Deepak himself talked abt how femininity in all of us can get over this war thing amongst us, possible if it's a concerted effort.

Without Womanhood in all its beautiful forms...life is senseless and dry!!!

Good wishes&Love...Sachin

what is going on with the format???

it feels overwelming to me ...

a shut down to my senses for whatever reason...

Anon...to some of ur questions in the end the answer is no, becoz there is more to it...I may explain it here to Mieke. But Anon mate....ur too good in bringing out the dark side always. I agree with you 99% times...but I cannot really go on that track.

Dear Mieke...Spot on!!! It has to be reason no:1 why femininity has to be worshipped. For mothers. It almost sounds silly to write how beautiful mothers are. There isn't any purer rel of Love, especially unconditional love than that. Love at its ultimate level is unconditional... which I can never reach, I've experienced what that is though in my heart, so that I've an idea how mothers feel. But women are light yrs ahead when it comes to love. That's why I adore them.

I've written quite a lot of posts earlier on this Mieke, some of the lovelier hearty women have instantly caught that in me. The physical part as Anon was talking is not to be denied...but people generally take it as dirty. It can be taken to the sacred level when the hearts are pure. I can say that from my personal experience. Did you read the one post I had written to Kavita in her thread of rel a month back or so. If u can plz read that...you will know who I'm and will never have doubts on me.

Dear Deepak himself talked abt how femininity in all of us can get over this war thing amongst us, possible if it's a concerted effort.

Without Womanhood in all its beautiful forms...life is senseless and dry!!!

Good wishes&Love...Sachin

yes not a very good format, perhaps becoz of some tech problem. at posting it showed me some error in not receiving the post.

I am sure it will be back.....Sachin

Some rich people think they're the ones that are going to come up with the answers to fix the problems but the fact is they are the problem! (and they turn up their noses and storm off with their whiny voice, "But I want my Jaguar!")

Dear Sachin,

I have read Kavita´s article of 24th May and appreciated your comments in it very much:)

Guess the discussion going on on Arsenio´s latest thread was still in my head when i read your post to Mallika here :)

But your above post was full of humor, i can see that now lol, my excuses.

In the end: love makes the world go round.

Thanks for your good wishes and same to you.

With love..

you chauvinist male spirituals...

what about gentle, soft, loving female spirituality...

males dominating females everywhere...

be careful, we'll be soon catching you....

come sit near us....

we will look into your eyes....

your souls...

and lips upon lips, with gentle, soft touch, to pour in spirituality in you...

Anon....Was reading your post...Mate, cudn't help myself laughing. Only you can write that way. So you think thru' lips they impart spirituality into you:))) What Ideas you get mate!!LOL! Their Beauty has that power though mate, shud generously acknowledge. The real Feminine shud always be kept above us...I think that's the way it has to be.

Yeah Thanks Mieke....without a doubt love makes the world go round. Anon wud say money makes the world go round. Got to agree with that part too. But yes I believe the feminine motherly force plays a great role. Also know this...that the world has always been like this, without exception. Every century had wars, if not big.. small, just feuds. It's just natural, part of the human psyche. Without the dark side being taken care of there is no way really. The 2nd stage response/the egoistic, which Dear Deepak talks abt in htkg, the first response of course is the real one for wars. It's Just how the human brains are wired. As long as we don't see changes there....no external things are going to help in the long run. Education starting from the primary level, making it mandatory can help. But who cares? Job of the politicians really...we all know what those people do have done. Human nature!

Well....the human saga will continue...

Love..Sachin

Hello Everyone,

A collective group globally sponsored and hosted the Live Virtual Conference including IntentBlog.
during the World Peace Forum Event in Vancouver.

I believe that this new medium will inspire individuals like us and give an opportunity to get involved in dialogues.

we are excited to be part of Intentblog and creat
future events with Intent Blog

"Peace is the way" by Deepak Chopra
an outstanding book that helped me understand
the meaning of peace.

Something I would like to share:

I came to a realization when I was working on
creating the Virtual Conference, I asked the World Peace Forum why were they not getting the support of Government to fund for the 3 day event for the Vancouver WPF.

They answered they did get a very very very couple of hundred $$ small budget compared to the UN Habitat got about 3 or 5 millions.

the reason was simple... "Peace does not make money"

Why would they stop wars, why would they support this event .... most of the
funding does go into millitary.. they destroy
the structure of a country and they go back and build it guess who gets the large contracts it's a game.

I am in full agreement with Mallika if one really cared and would take action and get involved
to take the next step and got into action we could just about make peace become a huge success in the world of business.

Dialogues are so important and we have the power
to change I sincerely believe it.

The politicians are making a mess see it all around and we are trusting them to make choices
for us wow lets all wake-up and smell the earth

We as individuals do have the power to make a difference....

Join us all for the next Virtual Conference
information will be posted on the "Virtual IntentBlog"

in peace
Ashie

Ruth: A million Palestinians are now without electricity. The power station will take months to fix. On top of this the oil which is used for fuel and is piped into Gaza was switched off a few days ago. Without power and fuel the water system doesn't work. The sanitation and sewage fails. It is a frightening catastrophe. A million people punished and tortured Ruth, for the sake of one soldier who is already doing the work of the devil. Say something intelligent Ruth. Where is your compassion? Where is your heart. It is a Jewish one, no doubt. Exclusive.
No ruth, there is no comparison from one side to the other. Go to Israel. Go to Telavivi and Jerusalem. then go to Gaza and the west Bank and compare the conditions. You are ignorant, Ruth and brainwashed. Otherwise you would not make such stupid statements. Open your eyes. If you have a heart, awaken it.

taomaster.

A toast. God's chosen are acting like they are the chosen ones to kill whoever they want.

The British, and then the Americans, doing a make-up call for the Huns . . .

Saxon Germans or Saxon British, the next holocaust is promising to look very very evil . . .

God working in mysterious ways and all . . .

If God created the Chananites just for the Isrealites to kill,

I have to find another God

Thank God I am the chosen One (damn Northern barbarians) to bring peace to this world!

If you people want peace this generation . . .

papa, momma, anon, baba, bhagwan, and the others you presume

the neos must be hooking you up good baby

do you feel like you are doing God's work . . .

But then again you probably think you are a God-fearing patriot right . . .

or you just like the money . . .

fu***** moron

has it ever occurred to you that Jesus went to the poor, suffering, and hungry,

and not to the Roman Senate, Pilate, or Herod (until he was in chains of course) . . .

or are you just another 'compassionate conservative' who invokes God only when there is a profit to be made . . .

or ridicules God when it suits your purpose . . .

war

Taomaster

Your blog has wisdom and a point.

One would wonder if this is all now targeting
towards Iran a plan a game... lets not forget "uranium" in Iran any excuse to creat
conflict.

If we were to give power to "Peace" peace will
eventually win it may take time but we will win
getting critical mass involved can make a difference..

Internet has the power.

in peace
Ashie

Craig, Aren't we all Chosen Ones? Even "them"?

Some choose not to choose, that is their choice.

They'll get more chances, more lives, more pain!

We should just get it done this time around.

I believe we agree on that. Why wait till a better day?

I saw your post on cruelty, meanness in general.

But can you teach the proud and haughty?

Whatever happened to letting Nature take it's course?

We don't need everyone to help.

Believe not in the wisdom of men,

believe in the power of God!

You need strong faith to go with that strong will of yours.

Solemnity, poise and a calm pre-sense pre-sents

the image of peace. Know, and know well that

what you ask will come to pass thru the fulfillment

of time, like a thief in the night, Craig.

Hold that thought and none other allow!

Peace works back-words and inside-out! Me2

I hear you brother Keith.

My time is growing very short, and my patience seems to be following suit. My bad . . .

I just wanted to see . . .

But no, I do see that my heart has grown ever so cold, aye, cut off even from anybody else . . .

self-inflicted even, ain't that a bi**h

I am trying to think of a way to go out 'in style' though, instead of suffocating on the undigested alcohol my liver can no longer take . . .

tired brother . . .

peace

Brother Craig, Our chant was Peace and Love,

Peace and what? What's that second one?

Wish you could find, at least,

the Hope of Love,

if not, Hope for Life

is not worth the pursuit!

Trust what little light you see,

Reach out and let it pull you through!

If you can't do it by yourself, you know who to ask.

Aren't you tired of holding that wall up, you know which one.

Let it go flop, smash, crash to the ground and

the winds will rush in and fill your empty soul.

Just an attempt to lift your Spirit, bro.

Hate to see a good man down.

Peace AND Love, Me2

Yes dear Sachin and Anon too, of course you are right :)

But, from deep ground there always arises hope, hope, in faith and love. Hereunder a poem about love that can be found in the bible:

"Love will never die:

Love is patient and
full of goodness

She is not jealous
not vain
not arrogant

Love is not ambitious
She does not seek her advantage
She does not let herself exasperate

She does not hold evil against someone

She is not delighted with injustice

But rejoices at the truth

She endures everything

She believes everything
She hopes everything

Love will never die"

And the aquarian conspiracy is unfolding...

Go and read Jasjit´s story on "The Sound of the Running Water":

http://www.ifsha.org/

Hey Mieke...nice link! I got to see aachi and anusheh who used to be here. It looked very neat, with all the punjabi stuff too. Was curious though, if the Jasjit there is the one who used to write here long time back? Any idea? Becoz there too I saw articles on Zen, and he was into zen...but the Jasjit is a beautiful She. Maybe the two are different. Let me know if you know. Oh btw I'm an aquarian...typical humanitarian mindset and very open and liberal minded. Anyway, there are some wonderful blogs nowadays really!
My main reason though is Dear Deepak, my anchor. Without him wudn't have been here I think.

Plz answer my questions. thx. Love..Sachin

Dear toastmaster,

The extent of the Israeli response is no surprise to anyone, ESPECIALLY the men who chose to dig the tunnel from GAZA into ISRAEL and attack the soldiers. MEANING, they knew exactly what kinds of hardships they were going to cause their innocent women and children as a result of the actions they CHOSE that day and they did not care, they did not care about putting their people through an Israeli retaliation.

My heart goes out to the innocent victims that now have to suffer because a FEW men chose to use their guns instead of their intelligence.

The only victims here are the children of these two peoples.

These incidents are like someone constantly pinching themselves and wondering why they are hurting. They haven't realized they are the ones doing the pinching and if they simply stopped they would not be hurting.

We can call each other ignorant and brainwased endlessly, but it will not stop the fighting, the only thing that will do that is when the guns are put away and a desire for the use of a weapon called intelligence takes it's place.

Also, feeding into the drama of it all is only fuel for the fires of destruction, when it comes to drama, I yawn, and repeat. PUT DOWN THE GUNS.

Hi Sachin, to me Jasjit is one and the same and she is an amazing woman with a very clear vision on things about sex and spirituality. I remember one of the first blogs of Deepak was about this subject. I was not commenting at that time, i joined in a little later. Perhaps you have mistaken her for a he? This happened to me once when i started programming games and became member of a computerclub that was filled with only men lol They all thought i was a man..

As Deepak wants us to join as as an alliance for a "New" Humanity, see the video Ashie mentioned on Arsenio´s thread, i definitely think Ifsha is one site to include.

Love to you :)

Guns have the power to destroy
we now have access to Peace
each person, our community coming in union
to lay down the heavy burden of fear and hate
and embrace our brothers and sisters and be empowered by Love

Love to all

Mallika, thank you for posting this article and facilitating this discussion. I don't think framing the issue as peace will help move us in the direction of peace, it is simply too big of a frame.

First we must punish the Republican party for their support of the neo-con adgenda of preemptive war and turn them out of office. This is the only thing they understand, power, punishment and profit. Electoral defeat gets at all three. The November midterm elections are key here, at least one house of congress must return to Democratic control. The DailyKOS is a good site to participate in and see what you can do to support some of the key races around the country where Democratic candidates could replace Republicans.

Cultural change is a longer term key to creating a less war prone world. An article recently published in Foreign Affairs, A Natural History of Peace demonstrates that culture plays a significant role in determening the levels of violent behavior of male troop members. One of the interesting elements in the research was that the behavior of the female troop members played a significant role in creating and maintaining a more peaceful culture. If the apes can do it so can we. This weakens the arguement of the foreign policy "realists" who promote the "it's a jungle out there, you have to take what you want by force, or someone else will take what's yours by force".

We must establish a great positive goal for human cooperation. We can promote the idea that we must start protecting ourselves through rapidly converting our economy from an oil based to a sustainable energy economy. This is important for survival of humanity and it is an inherently cooperative and benign form of self protection.

We should promote the idea that we can fund this grand effort by eliminating offensive military spending. If the U.S. were to cut it’s military budget by 1/2 it would still spend 1.6 times more than Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. With U.S. military spending reduced by 1/2, and strong U.S. ally military spending remaining stable, the military resources available in defense of the U.S. is still 3.29 times greater than the combined military spending of potential threat countries.

Promote the idea that military defense is legitimate, military offense is not. Our current war in Iraq is clearly a war of economic offense. The Bush administration has been particularly agressive and departed from the strategy of previous U.S. administrations which have primarily used economic leverage and assination in support of economic expansion of U.S. companies. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, by John Perkins, is a great book if you want more information about U.S. foreign policy and economic strategy over the last 40 years.

In the long run we need to change our economic an political system so that it is more reflective and responsive to the needs and aspirations of all people, but that is too much to take on in this post. Check my website for my thoughts in this area if you are interested.

I haven't mentioned one spiritual principal. Spiritual growth has been very important in my life since I was a teenager, but that alone won't address the issues that threaten our collective welfare at this point in our history. People of spiritual depth taking practical and intelligent action on many fronts can improve our chances of turning toward a more peacefull future.

There is hope. If the monkey's can do, so can we.

Yeah thanks Mieke....I'll find it out myself from her, best way to confirm it. I read one article there, the style looked a little different. The Jasjit who used to write here was a Brilliant writer, there is a chance it cud be same. Strange your name too is such that, I thought you were a man as in Mike. Is that your full name or short of the real name...Yeah, will check on those. You seem to live in love as Heather wud say, live in love...Sachin

Hi Sachin, my longer name is Annemieke, but when i was younger i thought it too long, so choose Mieke :)

I live in love and peace Sachin, i had a wonderful experience when i was 34, but in that time you could not talk about such things. I have written about it on Deepak´s thread about a spiritual catch-22. I have since made many 3D games, mazes and labyrinths and read many esoteric books, including a lot of Deepak´s and he always has been a great companion to me in his books.

In fact i even made a 3D Virtual Peace Labyrinth based on two of his books.

If you have the time and would like to virtually walk through it, you can download it at

http://lightbeacon.net/~mvanderpoll/

I donated this to the Chopra Center, the Alliance for the New Humanity and Ifsha.

Do not forget to also download the Dear User.txt because it has a little guide in it on how to handle the files and to move around in the labyrinth.

Love, Mieke

Oh Earlier when I posted, I got the 500 error, checked in after couple of min..wasn't there, then reposted...came out twice.LOL! Who is that "nonentity" who keeps posting gibberish one old threads? Can the admin do something abt it?

Dear Mieke...Wow! that's good work!! hmm..so you're a fan of Dear Deepak eh? Yes, will check all that u said. Good work. Keep it up! Yes, it's true the world we live in.....expression of love is very poor. Think abt it, when a woman like u cudn't....what wud be the state of men? It's a very thin section of human population Dear Mieke who have really been blessed to experience Love. It's a sad state of affairs of the world, when you know that Love is just a necessity like food and shelter. Personally I've always felt though, it's the woman mostly who shud show the way of love to the man. With me, at lot of times, it's been other way round of late. I've enjoyed that femininity in me. It's the Most beautiful thing in life for sure! That's what hurts when you know that a majority of them have not even felt what it is like.

Love..Sachin

Chemical city isn't all that you need but it's all that your getting and they've hidden the key.

Where all the fat cats are hissing at your pity.

The gate is gone now, so you better Run!

Ruth, just listen to your own warped inverted logic. You are essentially saying that the Palestinian resistance fighters should know better than to fight against their occupiers because they should know what monstrous pigs the Israelis are?

So your logic then is that we should all lie down and give up resisting brutes and tyrants and let them have what they want, take what they want, kill whom they will, destroy our homes, our property etc., etc.,

Oh no wait! if you are an American, and an American Jew at that, then hell, not only should the resistance fighter's know better, but they should also realize that "you" will continue to support, fund, arm and turn a blind eye to the brutes and tyrants so they should understand THEY CAN NEVER WIN!???

Is that your logic? It's the Palestinians fault his own people are suffering because he dares to fight for his rights?!!!

Let me tell you something, Ruth. Long before this tunnel was built by these poor rats fighting to regain their rights, their homes and their lives, Israeli GUNS and TANKS and BOMBERS and TERRORISTS drove an entire indigenous population from their homes. That came first. That came long before the suicide bomber. Long before the Arab terrorist.

But you only see the one side, don't you? For you it is the Arab who is the aggressor. So the Palestinian has to first put down his stone, his water pistol his pathetic weapons, before the Israeli puts away his war machine. Only Americans and Jews see it this way. Everyone I speak to shakes their head in dismay and disbelief. And only because of the unhealthy power of the U.S and the constant warped arguments about Hitler and the Holocaust do the western powers keep turning a blind eye to this ongoing annihilation of the Palestinians.

The Israeli leadership did not need to react in this way. Can you imagine if the British had reacted this way to Irish terrorism? Can you imagine if they reacted like the Americans to the recent attacks by Pakistanis in London? But for Israel and America such barbarity is so casually excused by you as the fault of the real victims.

Your new post only confirms what was clear to me after your first.

Let me tell you the dangerous place this may all lead, Ruth. I have never been anti-Semitic. However, year on year my views are being swayed, and I am not alone. A huge Tsunami of opinion is surging across the globe, and the Israeli's worst fear of being persecuted for his race and beliefs is going to come right round again one day, and it will be much worse than it was under Hitler. It will be worse because it will not be the perverse idea of a few extremists but the popular belief of mankind. And then your End of Days will surely come true, for the Jew.

I would like to avoid that wouldn't you?

Just ignore Taomaster Ruth, he has shown his true colors and it's a waste of time arguing with him.

Amba

hummm

strange dream ...

being in a prison with the highest security ...

no wings to fly anywhere ...

"where do I belong???" I kept asking ...

aware of the depth of my agony ...

deserted lands everywhere ...

with no hope in sight ...

a young girl under my protection ...

stay with me ... I told her

we will do what it takes to be free from this prison ...

I managed to cut through the barbed wire ... jumping into tunnels that seemed to have not end ...

we came across poor villages ...

simplicity and down to earth living present everywhere ...

seeing the persecutors right behind ...

choosing consciously to let go of any fear ...

in touch with faith...

guiding me each time I was in high danger of being captured ...

sometimes so near I could hear their breath ...

and yet I kept telling the young woman ...

DO NOT FEAR ... ALL IS WELL ...

they are very near but soon we will be able to fly ...as I am determined ... we will never go back to prison ...

as I looked in front of me I saw the path leading me out of the village towards the unknown ...

which I knew ...

was my HOME...

Can you see ??? I told the young girl

that's where we belong ...

we belong there ...

in that field ...

where we are everything ...

we belong nowhere...

we are freedom ...

we fly everywhere...

whereever we are needed ...

all we need is courage... trust ... and faith ...

we are never alone ....

so come with me and I will take you there ...

I will teach you to fly ...

and then you will know ...

somehow it reminds me of the movie "102 dalmatians " and the story of the parrot that would not fly because he thought he was a dog ...

till he saw the little puppie that fell under the track of a train ...

taking flight hazardly at first till he finally got it ...

look at this ... I have got wings ... they flap ... I can fly .. I can fly ...

a memory that shows up in so many of my dreams ...

in search of freedom ...

in manifestation of peace ...

in myself and those I attract ...

I was born to serve ...

realizing how easy I forget ...

dear Mallika

making peace desirable would be more effective than making it cool. i'm using cool in the sense of a gestalt, and desirability in the sense of something that's innately important to many, many individuals over a long period of time. courageous leaders who can show how to live in, with and through peace would create long-lasting sense of desirability for a life of peace.

regarding how to make peace a reality: each event that becomes a non-peaceful event, whether it's emotional, social or physical violence on the individual level, or war on the global level, is started by a single act committed by a single individual with a character that needs to express itself by dominating and bullying other people. when the individually-violent person makes liaisons with others who have the same need to bully and dominate, the number and power of violent events grows. many who aren't violent find it hard to counter the violence, either because it's not in their nature or training to fight back, or because they're intimidated. there's also a delay in acting to fight back that allows violence to grow initially -- those who prefer peace simply do not want to fight for any reason -- it takes a lot for them to realize that the only way to restore peace is to become temporarily unpeaceful! if the number of initial episodes of violence can be reduced, by treating the mental and emotional illnesses that make individuals violent, it's possible that more peace can come to be. some illnesses are primarily organic, while others are the result of tramatic processes and events in people's lives, and others combine both effects. certainly, trauma creates organic states that are not natural for us. whatever the causes, they need to be identified and fixed, and individuals need compassionate and effective treatement.

it may be that life is too variable for complete peace to ever come to be. the effort for peace has to be made on an individual level, every single day, in a conscious and purposeful way, and it should encompass each of our individual acts. we are all so imperfect. it's hard to do. we can't keep our focus and our commitments as well as we'd like to. but the effort needs to be made, even though it's virtually impossible to achieve, for most of us. it's such a daunting task. the only way to be even partially successful at this effort is to use prayer and meditation. both states help us increase our focus and conscious intent, and reduce stresses that might otherwise lead to violent behavior generated by our own internal and external conflicts and traumas.

live in love, heather

Dear Toastmaster,

What you write in your last paragraph in comment #60 is terribly sad to read.

The Israeli's are not pigs, the Palestinians are not pigs. There WILL be two States living side by side, one day, because that is the only conclusion to this problem. There are those who would rather dig tunnels to commit murder than dig tunnels to build schools, homes, hospitals, but the people are getting tired of suffering for a few men who love the guns more than peace.

Peace will come.

Last week, Jann & I went to the theater to see "Over the Hedge", a kids film that doesn't screw around in portraying its premise that we've buried ourselves in our addictions the convenience popular culture that tells us that gives us immediate gratification and overstimulates our senses.

Kids films are great. Please go see this film!

In the week sense, I happened across an article that describes the US government's subsidy programs that are paying $10 billion annually to farmers so that THEY WON'T PLANT ANYTHING.

And I think about Over the Hedge, and another special I saw about Yellowstone's bears who were fed garbage they trucked in for over thirty years.

The bears had lost their hunting instinct and had become mere clowns and beggars, having lost entirely their instinct to hunt and gather.

When a more conscious generation decided to discontinued trucking in trash in order to encourage the bears to become self-sufficient, the population was nearly decimated.

The same goes for bees. Did you know that the same mites that are overcoming the bee populations here in the US are in China. Yet its bees are unaffected.

Why?

Because they groom. American bees lost their grooming instinct because of overuse of antibiotics. Non-groomers flourished. But now that the mites have become immune to the antibiotic, bees are being devastated.

So what's happening to us? We have lost not only the wisdom of making stuff, but--even more tragically--the slightest inclination to do so.

And the final twist? Whenever someone suggests getting back to the self-sufficiency our forebears possessed, we're labelled kooks for wandering from the two paths suggested:

1. engage in modern hedonism and its overstimulation and instant gratification.

2. escape into spiritual pursuits of modern religion or spirituality.

How about a third path that insists that our true spiritual condition is measured in our ability to create things that feed ourselves and others.

Again, I'll say it: solving our spiritual karmic debt requires us to grow stuff in the physical world to overcome our physical debt.

DANA!! Excellent Post!!!!
Just a few days ago a GrapeSeed started to sprout!!!!!!!!!!!
From the many(All seeds in stores, almost) seeds that are rendered infertile by whoevers choice, one started to grow :) it's seed shell was hard as a rock and it seemed the leaves wouldnt be able to break out of it but i got half of it off and it went well :):)

"...The day after the exchange was published, the grudging truce between the Government and me was broken. Blair gave a press conference, in which he attacked media exaggeration, and the then Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, weighed in with a speech at the London School of Economics naming me and two other journalists and complaining about "the pernicious and even dangerous poison" in the media.
So, I guess this column comes with a health warning from the British Government, but please don't pay it any mind. When governments attack the media, it is often a sign that the media have for once gotten something right. I might add that this column also comes with the more serious warning that, if rights have been eroded in the land once called "the Mother of Parliaments", it can happen in any country where a government actively promotes the fear of terrorism and crime and uses it to persuade people that they must exchange their freedom for security. ..."

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article1129827.ece <v^

""What is assured as being harmless when it is introduced gets used more and more in a way which is sometimes alarming," he says. His colleague David Davis, the shadow Home Secretary, is astonished by Blair's Labour Party: "If I had gone on the radio 15 years ago and said that a Labour government would limit your right to trial by jury, would limit - in some cases eradicate - habeas corpus, constrain your right of freedom of speech, they would have locked me up."
Indeed they would. But there's more, so much in fact that it is difficult to grasp the scope of the campaign against British freedoms. But here goes.

Do these tiny cuts to British freedom amount to much more than a few people being told to be more considerate? Shami Chakrabarti, the petite whirlwind who runs Liberty believes that "the small measures of increasing ferocity add up over time to a society of a completely different flavour". That is exactly the phrase I was looking for. Britain is not a police state - the fact that Tony Blair felt it necessary to answer me by e-mail proves that - but it is becoming a very different place under his rule, and all sides of the House of Commons agree. The Liberal Democrats' spokesman on human rights and civil liberties, David Heath, is sceptical about Blair's use of the terrorist threat. "The age-old technique of any authoritarian or repressive government has always been to exaggerate the terrorist threat to justify their actions," he says. "I am not one to underestimate the threat of terrorism, but I think it has been used to justify measures which have no relevance to attacking terrorism effectively." And Bob Marshall-Andrews - a Labour MP who, like quite a number of others on Blair's side of the House of Commons, is deeply worried about the tone of government - says of his boss, "Underneath, there is an unstable authoritarianism which has seeped into the [Labour] Party."

"The point about the Human Rights Act," he declared, "is that it does allow the courts to strike down the act of our 'sovereign Parliament'." As Marcel Berlins, the legal columnist of The Guardian, remarked, "It does no such thing."
How can the Prime Minister get such a fundamentally important principle concerning human rights so utterly wrong, especially when it so exercised both sides of the House of Commons? The answer is that he is probably not a man for detail, "

Ruth, my expressions were hyperbolic. The only sad thing about them is that you chose to twist one of them and ignore the remainder.

This is not about the israeli soldier. This is not about tunnels and renegade kidnappers. That's all a smoke screen. Right now, the USA and some of its allies are using the sledgehammer of Israeli politics to destroy the democratically elected government of the Palestinian people. Israeli war planes and helicopters have bombed the Palestinian parliamentary building and the offices of the Palestinian Prime Minister. They have deeply damaged the infrastructure of Palestine while having already starved it of funds.

When Arafat was in charge they bombed and destroyed all the police stations, killing scores of policeman to boot, destroyed the telecommunications and then complained that Arafat and his security forces were not doing their job.

Same old tactics.

On post No 2 Suzanne tells Malika "I do not think there is one person on this earth that does not want peace".

Oh boy. There are thousands of peole who do notwant peace. People whose business is war. People who profit from war. The arms industry, arms dealers and all the contractors who become a feeder industry to support war efforts, like Haliburton, Brown & Root.

Heather in post no 63 tells us it is all a psychological escalation of two sides mirroring each other's anger.

When will you people wake up and smell the money?

And Apostle Torch: The answer is, he is following an agenda other than the truth and much closer to Orwell's nightmares.

Happy 4th of July Palestinians! You are captives, aye even, 'terrorists' on your own land!

I quite apologize that the fireworks have only death for thee;

and I would dearly love to give you a cup of cool fresh water, o trarily, the devil is indeed having his day.

Godspeed fair children, Godspeed . . .

Heaven awaits you.

O blessed Israel to what cavernous depths hast thou fallen,
call on Christ your Redeemer thou race most fair.

All the Lord’s Spirit into your souls.

Your charity freeing humankind . . .

Amen

yes master
it's really funny

dear taomaster

in my 63, i didn't say "it is all a psychological escalation of two sides mirroring each other's anger".

i said that individuals with violent tendencies act in such a way as to break peace, and when several such individuals get together, those who are for peace and live in peace have a tough time opposing or stopping them at first.

my main point was that the tendency in individuals for violence, which comes from organic and trauma-induced mental illness, is the source of violence and war. by treating those things, we will have less violence and war.

a second point was: this is extremely hard to do, and only by committing to it, and making regular use of non-logical processes that strengthen internal resolve and focus -- meditation and prayer, in other words -- can we even start to hope to achieve such a goal.

live in love, heather

Someone wrote:"..for goodness sake don't imply that you have to "market" peace as a concept - is this what it's come to in a consumerist society that you have to flog it like a commodity? - for people to buy stuff to buy peace ???...like a T Shirt which says "Peace..at all costs"..."

I answer of course!!! Half the country voted for Bush and still not enough protest the war, that is a very staggering and grim reality. You will not enlighten all of these people and have peace; you'll have to sell it to them one t-shirt and one bumper sticker at a time, it's all they understand (and barely at that). So instead of complaining, start designing the shirts and make a little cash for the hurricane & Tsunami victims while your at it.

As a woman don't want some guy to worship my femininity, unless I'm dating him. From strangers I'd prefer respect as a person, an entity with thoughts and ideas, a human being. Some men should learn to share their ideas without making it sound like they have all the answers or like they are somehow higher up giving advice to women as if they are small children. If I had stumbled onto Mallika's blog online I'd still read it if there was a topic of interest to me, regardless of who her father is. On a related note:I think it was Dr. Takahashi when soloing with an orchestra would try to get autographs from all the members, not just the conductor.

acrystal...I liked that point of yours with respect. Can u talk to me with that? It wud be nice to talk to you to clarify on somethings. It becomes so much easier to clarify and be in peace when you have that.

Mallika, Gotham, and "those other guys" who are the Intentblog Founders--Happy Fourth!

Watched about three hours of documentaries this a.m., about the lives, loves, and personalities of that original rag-tag group known as the Founding Founders of the U.S.--thanks for keeping "their spirit" soooo......alive, in all of your endeavors--Much Love to you, and all of the "Intentblog family of Spirits," Patzi and Dave