TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

If we fail to establish peace, then we must face destruction in every field of life. The option for us is not between peace and no peace, but between peace and annihilation. Without peace, there is no hope for the survival of humankind. What disturbs the peaceful plan of nature is mainly traceable to the fact that people have become excessively materialistic. It is this thinking that leads to the exploitation of nature. If people opted for a path of moderation, they would soon discover that, if earlier they were comfortable physically, now they are comfortable spiritually. And without doubt, spiritual comfort is far better than material comfort. The perpetrator of violence invariably suffers from remorse, while the peacemaker derives great satisfaction from his efforts. If one were to think of the end result, one would never indulge in violence. One should bear in mind that peace is in consonance with humanity, whereas violence means a descent to the animal level. Peaceful minds make for a peaceful world. A peaceful society is a result of peaceful persons. Therefore, peace can be established only when every single unit of society is ready to live in peace. Only those persons can live in peace who are ready to remain patient regardless of the circumstances. The fact is that everyone is born with different tendencies and everyone is free to follow their preferences. That is the law of nature, due to which it is impossible to establish uniformity in society. In such a situation, the question arises as to how peace is to be established in society? The only answer is the magic word: sabr (patience). Sabr is the key to having a peaceful society. A peaceful society requires tolerance, positive thinking, the ability to retain one’s emotional equilibrium, even when provoked and avoidance of friction. Peace is the only religion for both man and the universe. In a peaceful environment, all good things are possible, whereas in the absence of peace, we cannot achieve anything of a positive nature, either as individuals, or as a community, or even at a national or international level. o Without peace, there can be neither development nor progress. No excuse whatsoever justifies the use of violence, in individual or national life.