Page 74 - Applied Buddhism

must therefore begin our journey of peace within the mind. It is also
within our minds that we will find the greatest weapons of mass
Peace is not possible if people destruction, i.e. greed, hatred, and delusion. Destroy these weapons
feel deprived or aggrieved. Most of mass destruction and peace will be within reach.

P eace
deprivations are rooted in man- We must always mind our mind in whatever we are doing. In
made structures or systems
among that perpetuate these problems. that way we can reduce much conflict and violence. Watch our
minds and ask ourselves, “Am I doing this with a pure mind of non-
When these problems, which
Religions are social in nature, take on the greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion? Or am I grounded in greed,
hatred and delusion?”
tone of religion, they become

problems of religion. Religionists Be true to ourselves. We can be followers of a particular religion
and politicians must therefore be and claim to be peace-loving, and yet we often, without watching
prepared to tackle and resolve our minds, act in unkind manners to others. Worst still, we try to
these problems. justify our unkindness to others in the name of our religion. We
suppress others and impose our will on them, thinking that this is
the way to promote our religion.

Much too often, we religionists gather and congratulate Sometimes, we think we act justly and kindly, even when we
ourselves on how wonderful and peaceful we are, or how wonderful snatch away the fundamental human rights of others or kill innocent
and peaceful our religions are. We would deliberate on a few abstract people, thinking that we are doing a great service to our religion.
concepts without relating to the real world and then go back to our If it has been an honest watch over the mind, one would come to
comfortable homes. This morning, I am not going to deal with those know that these are acts of greed and hatred under the delusion
wonderful concepts about peace, and I am not going to tell you how of promoting one’s religion. With this realisation, one would then
wonderful you are, but to put forth a few practical suggestions for mindfully discard these acts.
the deliberation of this august assembly of religious people.
There is no true peace unless and until we are prepared to watch
Mind Our Minds our minds and act with a pure mind.

In the preamble to the UN Charter, it is mentioned, “wars begin Believe in Our Beliefs
in the minds; and it is in the minds that the defences of peace must
be built.” Truly, violence and conflicts begin in the mind, and we As followers of religions, if we really believe in what we

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