Peace must begin with us

Bamboo comes from the Malay word bambu.

Bamboo is a member of the grass family and originated from South East Asia. It is an evergreen perennial and grows well in full sunlight. Bamboo has spread to all the continents and has adapted well in Guyana.

There are approximately1,576 species of Bamboo with

September 21st was International Day of Peace. I would like to share with you some personal words and feelings on peace.

Pick up the newspaper, or watch the news on the TV or listen to it on the radio. What do you see and hear? 90 per cent of it is negative news; war here or fighting elsewhere; a murder here and a scandal there. Is this a world of peace? I ask myself why: Why do these things happen?

Whenever I hear of any terrible incidents of violence taking place, nothing comes through my mind except the horror of the incident. I feel sad and deeply disheartened – why my brothers and sisters do we punish ourselves and our Mother Earth?

Lives are lost. Innocent lives. The lives of loved ones. I remember losing a close friend in the July 7th, 2005 bombings in London. I remember numbness and disbelief. Who does one really put the blame on? And who does one really divulge the pain to?

We humans are gifted. We are unique and one of a kind. We have the good fortune of inhabiting this world. Of experiencing the goodness that this wondrous universe, in all its natural beauty, offers to us as part of our inheritance. All that we require to survive and to prosper is provided for from this earth. And for all of this we gift Mother Earth with injustice. We gift it with pain and anger. With malice and hatred. With harsh words and abuse. We pollute the environment. We pollute each other.

I ask all of you: Is this why we were brought into this world?

Instead of being angry, frustrated or resentful that others do not know peace, be thankful that you can give it. the Giant Bamboo attaining a height of some 40 ft, whilst the Dwarf Bamboo is 2 ft in height.

Bamboo is used as building material, to make furniture and as food among other things. The Bamboo has two general patterns: 1. Clumping - makes lovely hedges 2. Running - will cover up any open space. Bamboo grows well around ponds and fountains, especially the dwarf variety which likes a good drink of water.

Until next week, Happy Gardening.

It is a long walk and desired results often take a long time. But history is overflowing with examples of that one singular individual that took that walk and changed the world. If all of us decided to be that one individual, the world can change! Mahatma Gandhi said be the change you wish to see.

Ask yourselves: What kind of an environment are we leaving behind for our next generation? Or do we not concern ourselves with that? That, my brothers and sisters, is our responsibility–it is up to each one of us to promote peace. Today, as of now, bring peace to our peace-less world as for peace to prevail in the society we need first to realise it within ourselves.

I have faith that the force of peace is greater than the atomic bomb.

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 those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace. Peace is the original quality of the self. In its purest form, peace is inner silence. It consists of positive thoughts, pure feelings and good wishes. To have peace, you need patience. When you are peaceful, you create an atmosphere of peace. Peace can only be realised when there is peace in the mind of man. If the individual is not at peace then how can the village be at peace? If the village is not at peace, then how can the society be at peace? And so on.

Friends, peace must begin with each one of us. Through quiet and serious reflection on the meaning of peace, new and creative ways can be found to foster understanding, friendship and cooperation among all people.

We know that our world is busy, that it is rushing headlong into an uncertain future and in the turmoil of our daily lives we forget that we all share the same space. Families, communities and countries live with conflict, poverty and disease. We can make a difference by going beyond nationality, religion, beliefs and remember the still, silent presence where everything is united. That space is the same wherever you go—it belongs to us all.

The Brahma Kumaris encourages the view that within each of us there is an innate spiritual desire for peace that naturally evokes feelings of compassion, love and kindness. An individual can find peace within the self, not through meditation alone but also through peaceful actions. As we act peacefully, peace becomes a natural state of being that spreads through the world. As fellow travelers in a global world, we must take the responsibility to move on from our hates and fears so we can generate a greater understanding and release the ignorance that separates and divides us. Peace is a reflection of a spiritual consciousness that holds the promise of a holistic view of the future.

Text by Sr Usha. Prepared by the Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Centre.