TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE — Manifesto of Peace

is a life-giver, a stimulant of human capacities. Therefore, when an individual or a nation is able to maintain peace in every situation, infinite possibilities open up. This is when ‘minuses’ can be turned into ‘pluses’. The following two examples will illustrate this point. One is of a societal nature and the other is at the individual level. The Prophet of Islam provides us an excellent historical example. In his famous book The 100, Dr. Michael Hart has observed: “Muhammad was the only man in history who was supremely successful at both the religious and secular levels.” How was the Prophet of Islam able to achieve this supreme success? though he repeatedly faced moments of crisis in his mission, he never once lost his peace of mind. This made him respond positively, even in negative situations. By avoiding confrontation and availing of opportunities, it became possible for him to convert disadvantage into advantage. British writer, E.E. Kellett, describs this achievement of the Prophet: “He faced adversity with the determination to wring success out of failure.” The life of the Prophet was a practical example of this principle. Swami Vivekananda, an Indian saint, was once invited to the home of one of his friends who wanted to test his mettle. The Swamiji was ushered into a room where the sacred scriptures of all major religious traditions were placed on a table, one on top of the other. The arrangement was such that the Gita, the Hindu religious scripture, was placed at the bottom, and others placed on top of it. Swamiji’s friend was sure that he would be provoked by this arrangement. So he drew the Swamiji’s attention to the books placed on the table, and asked him to comment. Swamiji simply smiled and said: “The foundation is really good.” This beautiful response from the Swamiji was due to the fact that his peace of mind was not disturbed. The Way to Attain Peace Peace is essential for a better way of living—peace of mind, peace in the family and peace in nature. Today, in our modern, technological world, Take your share without usurping that of others. Satisfy your desires without thwarting others and fulfil your ambitions without denying others the right to do likewise.