War No More

Samsara is very predictable. Through repetitive cycles of war, no wars have ever brought enduring peace. This is because the mind that thinks war is an answer to unhappiness is the source of all wars. If we do not deal with our inner conflicts we will continue to project them outward and engage the ‘enemy’ upon whom we have blamed our discontent.

Just look at any argument arising from some disagreement. The person with whom we disagree does not have any inherent disagreeable qualities (I know, some of you may disagree). Nor does any person have inherent agreeable qualities (again…). Whether someone or something is agreeable or not is a product of our perception, which can change at any moment.

To break the cycle from which war arises we must severe the roots of causation for our inner wars. This requires diligent practice to liberate our ego-grasping, our sense of separateness. The more we feel isolated from others, the more we will project upon them our own unhappiness and assign to them the blame. I saw a picture of Putin in a meeting with his advisors. He sat at the head of a very long table and the others were clustered far away at the other end. His isolation is obvious.

Ego reinforces isolation because the love inherent in connection requires we let go of ourselves and our  ideologies in favor of listening and honoring the ideas of others. Our original immeasurable nature always recognizes interconnection. This is what we must practice to break the cycle of war.