Peace thread

[tyreay]

I thought I would repost these quotes(from one of the closed threads) and give us a place to talk about the concept of peace.




Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned.
Buddha



Better than a thousand hollow words,
Is one word that brings peace.
Buddha



Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.
Buddha




Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part to us, do they?
George Carlin



We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children.
Jimmy Carter



There are three truths: my truth, your truth and the truth.
Chinese Proverb




Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
Winston Churchill




We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security.
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969)



I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.
Albert Einstein


While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.
St. Francis of Assisi


Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.
Sigmund Freud



Condemning class struggle does not mean condemning every possible form of social conflict. Such conflicts inevitably arise and Christians must often take a position in the "struggle for social justice." What is condemned is "total war," which has no respect for the dignity of others (and consequently of oneself). It excludes reasonable compromise, does not pursue the common good but the good of a group, and sets out to destroy whatever stands in its way.
Pope John Paul II, Centesimus Annus (The Hundredth Year) 1991



Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.
Martin Luther King, Jr.



Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.
Martin Luther King, Jr.



Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.
Martin Luther King, Jr.




If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness, and your chief legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos.
Martin Luther King Jr.




I plan to stand by nonviolence, because I have found it to be a philosophy of life that regulates not only my dealings in the struggle for racial justice, but also my dealings with people, and with my own self.
Martin Luther King Jr.



Peace with a club in hand is war.
Portuguese Proverb


Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace.
Luke 19:42


If you want peace, work for justice.
Pope Paul VI



If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who makes them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.
Proverbs 14:31



"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses." - MATTHEW 6:14-15


One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one."You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." - MATTHEW

[tadpole256]

I like that the first three are all teachings of the Buddha. I have been striving to expose more people to the Dharma. Several of my friends are gaining interest in Buddhism now that they see how much more peaceful I am since I have started studying it.

[hkbajwa]

Originally Posted by tadpole256

I like that the first three are all teachings of the Buddha. I have been striving to expose more people to the Dharma. Several of my friends are gaining interest in Buddhism now that they see how much more peaceful I am since I have started studying it.

I completely understand. In my mind Buddha was a prophet of God and his peace came from his communion with God.

Buddhism as practiced today is infinitely wiser than the Christianity, Islam, and Judaism practiced today.

My only contention is that it occasionally results in INaction where the opposite is required.

[Nightrider]

Nice quotes, man.

I especially like this one by Einstein:

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.

It kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

[tadpole256]

Originally Posted by hkbajwa

I completely understand. In my mind Buddha was a prophet of God and his peace came from his communion with God.

Buddhism as practiced today is infinitely wiser than the Christianity, Islam, and Judaism practiced today.

My only contention is that it occasionally results in INaction where the opposite is required.

I completely agree. It can be difficult to find a balance in many situations, and that frequently does lead to inaction. But the Dharma, as you said, is so much wiser, more open and tolerant than any other religious teachings. I don't see how anyone exposed to it could not embrace it.

[hkbajwa]

Originally Posted by tadpole256

I completely agree. It can be difficult to find a balance in many situations, and that frequently does lead to inaction. But the Dharma, as you said, is so much wiser, more open and tolerant than any other religious teachings. I don't see how anyone exposed to it could not embrace it.

Well i would go one step further. I happen to believe that the basic theology of Islam is "wiser". Perhaps that isn't the word i am looking for. I would say more "updated".

However on account of being introduced to mankind later than buddhism, it is yet immature in its practices.

Anyhow my contention is that Islam in its spiritual teaching is much the same as Buddism. There are a few things i would like to bring to people's atention which i think are cool aspects of the religion.

In Islam we are advised to say "asalaam aleikum" when greeting somebody. Many muslims and non-muslims misunderstand this and consider it to be a ritualistic greeting. It is actually not. The direct translation of the phrase is " Peace to you" (or in the vernacular "Peace out dude"

The interesting thing about this is that God isn't involved in this AT ALL. It is a statement of the peaceful intentions of one human to another. Basically when greeting another person griend as wellas stranger you are stating to him/her that you mean no harm.

The problem in implentation of this religion is that those tenets which are meant to ease interhuman interaction are mistaken are obligatory rituals.

Anyhow i dunno how much this really adds to the discussion on this thread, but i just wanted to put this out there.

As per my belief, Buddhism is just an earlier version of Islam. While buddhism is focused purely on the spiritual welfare of the believer, islam is a bit further along in terms of outlining administrative and practical principles as well. Sort of the counteract the potential inaction of the believer.

[Nightrider]

I would say that the majority of Muslims out there are peaceful people. . . it's only a small minority that are terrorists. . .

In all fairness, the same can be said about Christianity: just look at the Protestants vs. the Catholics in Ireland!

[chrisg967]

I like this quote: Emanate peace.