Peace.

“Be like bamboo. It bends but does not break. It is flexible, yet firmly rooted.”

— A Japanese proverb

In this short sentence, I find it to perfectly embody what I have come to believe peace to be.

Today, peace is a prevalent topic of discussion.

It can be argued that it has been for centuries, ever since such discord could be had.

And perhaps its prevalence is a direct reflection of the world with which the discourse is being had.

I can say that in March of twenty twenty-four, there is a great deal of conflict out there in the world.

My sense of it is, a large majority of people would agree with me.

Depending on where you are in the world, what you place your focus upon, what you find to be important, what piques your attention, and a myriad other factors, your mind may illuminate a variety of different images.

When it comes to conflicts, you may think about disputes fought between nations.

You may think about the strife within national borders.

Or it could be the fight for rights, freedom, or equality.

Maybe it’s a disagreement with a family member, friend, or colleague.

Perhaps the argument you had with your significant other.

All are types of conflict to varying degrees of impact and scale.

All are relevant, all to be diffused through different approaches and methods.

Or are they?

For me, the thing that immediately comes to mind is the perpetual conflict I have with myself.

The sense of internal unrest, inner turmoil, the battles waged within on a daily basis.

It could be as small as the mini-struggle I have to get myself out of bed in the morning, or as all-consuming as a crisis of identity or existentialism.

Over the past decade, I have spent my life coming to an understanding of what it means to be ‘at peace,’ without knowing it.

The last six months have been especially clarifying for me in this respect.

I finally feel like I can recognise what I’ve been searching for way back when I began on this seeker’s path.

As if the penny finally dropped, it became abundantly clear what it means to be ‘peaceful,’ what it means to uphold such a state of being, and how that might translate beyond my own experience of life.

I hate to speak for anyone, so instead I’ll make an assumption — that at almost every level, I imagine that most people, at the core, hope for some semblance of peace, no matter how one perceives conflict.

However, this can seem like a difficult task to approach, whether addressing a personal challenge or an event on a global scale.

Of course, good intentions are important, though one’s approach is equally so.

For me, it feels contradictory to “express or declare objection, disapproval, or dissent, often in opposition to something a person is powerless to prevent or avoid” — the definition of ‘protest’ — especially in a confrontational, violent manner, in the name of peace.

To digress just a little, it is interesting that this definition (found on dictionary.com) suggests that it is “often in opposition to something a person is powerless to prevent or avoid.” The avoidance of external circumstances, I grant, is outside of our control. However, the notion that one is ‘powerless’ to prevent something, thus will go into protest, reveals a bit about how we, in modern society, deal with and approach problem solving.

Anyway, back to the dialogue.

To me, it is in a sense, using fire in an attempt to extinguish a fire, which doesn’t seem like it would be overly effective. As the late, great, Martin Luther King, Jr. once said,

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr

So how does one combat conflict using that which they strive for; i.e. peace?

To go back to something I touched on earlier, it is my belief that the world we live in, experience, and are each a part of, is a direct reflection of who we are as a people.

That is to say, the outer world is a mirror of our collective inner worlds.

The world that exists today is a result of the actions we’ve taken as a people throughout the centuries, and how we act is largely influenced by how we feel.

Perhaps this all sounds overly general and wishy-washy, so I will frame it from an individual’s point of view.

Inner conflict for me, as an individual, could comprise a multitude of things — annoyance, irritation, anxiety, fear, anger, unrest, estrangement, etc.

And when I am annoyed, irritated, anxious, afraid, angry, restless, or feeling estranged, this will inevitably affect how I interact with the world.

I may be less able to think and act with compassion, empathy, sympathy, kindness, understanding, charitability, etc.

It could seem like the most negligible of circumstances.

For example, I feel stressed because I am late for an important appointment. Usually, I would dispose of my rubbish thoughtfully, but due to my internal emotional state, the level of concern I have for littering etiquette is reduced and will ease my own burden of having to locate a rubbish bin by simply dropping it onto the floor.

The degree to which our emotional states influence our actions will reflect how tumultuous it feels for each of us.

That is to say, the greater the sense of inner conflict, the greater the impact our actions will have.

You may think to yourself, “It’s just a piece of rubbish. No harm, no foul,” right?

But in the same way an individual acts according to their inner state of being, so too, will an individual, react, according to what is going on in their inner world.

An individual could very well just witness this scenario and simply rectify it by picking up the piece of garbage.

However, to use another example, imagine the individual who is employed to maintain and upkeep the public space which has been littered in. Perhaps it is the end of a hard working day, there is lingering anger from an argument had with the spouse, irritation from an unreasonable boss, and an overall sense of lack in one’s life.

Could the actions of this one errant litter bug, who could hardly notice whether his actions will impact another person or not, be the straw that breaks the proverbial camel’s back, setting off a chain of emotionally-driven acts that will greatly affect the lives of many?

Could this be a catalytic moment, setting off a chain reaction that carries forward the same confrontational energy with it?

Of course, these are hypothetical scenarios, yet also realistic possibilities.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is peace.

If the previous scenario has potentially dire consequences, how would the actions of an individual who is largely free from inner conflict affect those around them?

Perhaps you have been fortunate enough to experience something akin to this before.

When you interact with someone who has a peaceful disposition, it is difficult not to take notice. There is a lightness to their demeanour, like a freedom from any burden.

One of my favourite American poets, Charles Bukowski, captures the sentiment wonderfully here,

“The free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it ― basically because you feel good, very good when you are near or with them.”

― Charles Bukowski

One’s energetic temperament is contagious in this way.

Taking a step back, what might happen if we multiplied this by eight billion?

A quick scan of the current global landscape may reveal a little bit about those who live amidst it.

The collective often serves as a kind of echo chamber — an environment that repeats and amplifies thoughts, feelings, and ideas — for the individuals that constitute it.

How might the world change if instead of selfishness, we introduced a little bit more selflessness?

Instead of hate, we introduced a little bit more love?

Instead of judgement, we introduced a little bit more compassion?

Instead of conflict, we introduced a little bit more peace?

To conclude with the bamboo analogy I began with, to be wholly accepting, to bend and flex, yet not break, no matter the environmental conditions, and remain firmly rooted, is how I’ve been able to find, for myself, glimpses of inner peacefulness.

This is how, I believe, the individual can impact the collective.

For me, I will always aspire towards peace.

This is my sincere contribution, what I am able to control and am wholly responsible for.

Until next time, peace.