World Peace – Through Inner Peace

We all want World peace don’t we?

By Altair de Almeida. This document was published by Weekender Magazine, December 2004.

OK, rather than jumping to any conclusions, let me ask you-would you like World Peace?

Assuming you’re not a terrorist-and even they, in their own peculiar way are trying to create Peace using forceful means- the answer is most likely to be ‘Yes!’ If so many people want World Peace, why don’t we have it?

If you think about it the answer is very simple:
We believe that the politicians will make World Peace and we put that responsibility onto them.
We then get angry when they don’t and blame them for creating wars!
We have huge debates as to whether Bush and Blair did the right thing in attacking Iraq or perhaps whether they can stop terrorism by terrorising people elsewhere.

Here is a sad fact:
Since the 1800’s there hasn’t been one single day when there hasn’t been a war going on somewhere in the World.

In the West the politicians have created the fallacy that Nuclear weapons have helped to keep World Peace.
Just because no major Western power has been invaded by another country since the Second World War we assume that there is Peace.

We need to think again.

The US, Britain and France in that order are the largest sellers of Military weapons in the World.
It is a huge business.In fact it is one of the Worlds largest industries.
For all three countries, creating wars makes them rich!

I was on holiday in Greece not long ago when on the CNN news they showed an American missile clearly pass through one building to explode in another – the correct target – in Baghdad.This was applauded as amazing technology by the Americans, which I guess it is, but with horror and disbelief by the Greeks in the shop I was in.

To them, and I guess to any humane being, for one huge country to create mayhem in another just because they can get away with it is barbarous.

However, that was one free World wide advertisement for the US military.
All the military personnel-and dictators- the World over would be sitting up to take notice!
The US and Britain would be happy to sell them these weapons of mass destruction.
After all they helped Saddam into power when it suited them, then a few years later decided he wasn’t suitable anymore, and proceeded to remove him by force. Now they’re attempting to put someone else to take over, but no doubt that will backfire in some years, or even months to come.
I’m only mentioning Iraq because it is in the current news- yet this manipulation goes on all the time. The US and Britain amongst others have engineered changes in government in countries where they have vested interests the World over.

Mark Thatcher (Maggie’s son) was only recently caught in the act, in South Africa, but this happens all the time – Haiti, Colombia… the list is endless.

The film, ‘The Matrix’, enthralled many of us.
If you haven’t watched it get down to that video store!
In my opinion the first one is worth watching, because it is the most potent; the following ones are glamourised and lose the Truth of what is actually happening.
The important point is that it is portrayed as happening in the future – the fact is it is already happening!
OK, not the robotic machines that look like humans, because they aren’t required!
The majority of people are already hypnotised by the popular media. We’re fed what mis-information is required by the powers that be (and I don’t necessarily mean the politicians, but the people behind them, the faceless ones that have the real control and money) to keep us in our places, usually by INDUCING FEAR, OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER. That induced fear could be about the lack of money by hiking up interest rates or whatever.
Until recently it used to be the USSR.
When that collapsed something else had to be found to replace it. Terrorism has been used to replace it.
It has been said that 9-11 was deliberately induced by the powers behind the scenes. Certainly the invasion of Iraq (to find and destroy the non-existent weapons of mass destruction) is now known to have devious motives. Some say it was the US greed for Oil. Others point out the not very well known fact that Saddam Hussein was threatening to change his oil prices to the Euro instead of the hated Dollar. That would have devastating effects on the US economy.
Now that Iran is saying similar things it could be that they’re next!

Maybe re-read the book 1984, by George Orwell.
He makes this change of vacillating goodies and baddies so clear.
If you think I’m exaggerating have a read of ‘Positive News’ a free news paper (see www.positivenews.org.uk to have a read and to find where they can be obtained) This just shows how much good news is actually happening…that the newspapers neglect to tell you.

To demonstrate how powerful your hypnosis is – the proof of the pudding – try giving up reading the papers / listening to the news or watching telly, for just one week.
Can you ‘unplug’ yourself from the Matrix?
Most likely you’ll make some excuse, like it’s good to be informed.

In fact all us are being informed with someone else’s version of what is going on, not the reality.
The Truth is you can’t do it, unless you’re very disciplined. Most people fear being considered odd or un-informed.
The measure of how plugged (addicted) into the Matrix you are is how easy or difficult you find letting go of the daily ‘fix’ of media fodder.
I’m encouraged that there’s a growing trend amongst some younger adults to ignore the media.
Great, they won’t be tainted by the political slant, and will be able to make decisions without other people’s vested interest.

Back to the Matrix film angle:
In the film, Neo (meaning New) played by Keanu Reaves is made out to be the ‘One’.
The Truth is that there is no one person to do the job of healing the world to achieve world peace.
The One is you and I.. the Hero who chooses to break free.
We’re all created in the image of the Divine (not in looks) but in potential. We all have infinite potential to create what we want to. This may sound contraversial: we have created everything in our lives, mostly unconsciously.
It is possible to change and create what we want to.
Most people are too ‘plugged’ into the Matrix, living in the past or future. Most are too fearful of breaking free. A cage after all has a certain safety!
When we choose to live in the Now, by reducing the chatter of the mind (and that takes practice and a lot of persistence) the real Magic happens. We become like a child (not childish), in awe of the Earth and it’s gifts.
When we make the decision to be Present, we start to live authentically. We become true to ‘our inner selves’.
We become Innocent, Honest and Courageous.
We all inwardly aspire to be like that.
That’s why films like the Matrix, Braveheart, Dead Poets Society inspire us…we too would like to be like that!
It takes great courage to keep coming back to the Present and the awareness of our Being, the Beauty and Power that wants to express itself.
However, let’s not jump too far ahead and trip up!
The first step is to decide if you really want to let go of the cage you’re in.
Do you want to change?
It’s OK; the fear of doing so is normal.
After all you’re stepping into the unknown.
The unknown is often frightening!
As young children we lived much more in the Present. We lived life to the hilt! No wonder we were full of energy, until we later took on the drudgery of Society and it’s rules.

If you sincerely want to change from living a stagnant life and have consciously decided to do so, Life itself will step in and help you along.
You may fall a few times, like you did before you learned to walk!
Useful books to guide you on your journey are: Conversations with God (Book one), by Neale Walsch. Sounds religious, but that it ain’t!
You can then progress to the ‘Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle.
A set of 3 CD’s by Eckhart called ‘Practicing the power of Now’ is the best I’ve come across to help us to understand and make the jump to Being Present.
If you want on-going support and most do when we start, I delve into this in my Tai Chi classes.
If you’re happy with your life as it is that’s great-keep on trucking!
If we expect our politicians to create World Peace, we’re being naïve.
We need to look much closer to home to find solutions.
In fact to you and I!
Inner Peace is the rarest occurrence in the world amongst adults. In some remote societies this quality still exists. Think about it- do you know anyone with a deep sense of inner Peace?
You may do, but they are few and far between.
We all want World Peace, yet ‘we live lives of quiet desperation’ to quote a philosopher.
Instead we’re all rushing around stressed to the eyeballs… for what?
The major killers in Western society are Heart attacks, Cancer and Strokes in that order. All are linked to stress levels. The more stressed you are the more likely you are to ‘attract’ one of these diseases. Even the word dis-ease gives the game away (out of ease).
Yet inner Peace is our birthright. We all were born with that quality, assuming our bodily needs were taken care of, and we weren’t ill.
That’s why adults love to gaze at babies – even ugly ones – because they have something that mesmerises us. We often don’t label it as Peace, but that is what it is…innocence (inner sense), quietness of Mind, Joy etc.
This is often short lived, as we excite the baby, tickle them etc.
We had this done to us too. We got ‘programmed’ away from Peacefulness into excitement.
We then began to link excitement and attention from others as ‘love’ (which it mostly isn’t) and for the rest of our lives we look for love through other people’s attention towards us.
It may fulfil us for a short while, for example when we first fall in love, but it quickly fades as you know, and the problems start again.
Some people even make a regular habit of it, falling in and out of love – it’s like a drug – that has a ‘high’ but the ‘low’ is guaranteed to follow.
Does this sound depressing?
Is the Truth of this hitting home?
We’re all in the same boat!
Don’t worry; there is a way out!
Divine Wisdom put Peace, Joy, Love where it is always accessible within each of us.
Wasn’t that smart?
‘Oh yeah,’ you may say,’ if that’s true how do we access it?’
Putting it at it’s simplest these qualities we all seek are only really present when our Minds calm down… when the constant chattering of the mind is reduced.
That’s very rare these days as our whole society is designed to do the opposite – create excitement through adverts, films, sit-coms, newspapers etc.
Everything is sensationalised.
Society in the media is portrayed as being at least ten times as violent as it really is.
No wonder we get scared.
All this gets the mind churning, the emotions flare up and away we go on the merry-go-round of excitement, depression, and excitement…
There are many simple things that will return you to your Inner Self, Inner Sense, Innocence.
Walking in the countryside, looking at nature, taking it easy are some simple steps.
Looking, really looking at the splendour of a flower, or the magnificence of a starlit sky, help us re-awaken the awe, the wonder of Life.
For many our minds are so sped up and we’re so stressed that to take that time to observe nature in itself is difficult.
For me learning Tai Chi helped a great deal in this process of calming the mind.
When the mind quietens Peace automatically is present.
I often use the analogy of the Sun.
The Sun is always shining. The clouds, which hide the Sun, are like our thoughts. When the clouds (thoughts) lighten up and disappear, the Sun (Inner Peace) reappears.
The Inner Peace is always there, but is usually masked by our incessant thinking patterns.
When we delve into the Inner Peace, we get in touch with what I call our ‘Inner Dance’ or Spiritual Way, which is unique and subtly different for each person.
When we’re connected to this ‘Inner Being’, Humility is a natural spin-off. We realise that to deliberately harm someone else is to harm ourselves, so we refrain from such things, and replace it with helping others.
The original or Inner Teaching of all the Masters that walked this Earth said the same thing, in different ways, for example, ‘ Be still and know that I am God.’
However in time those teachings are dogmatised, the Mind sets in making rules that will create fear and the religions and religious wars are born… the Matrix
The way to Inner Peace and Joy is simple.
Live in the moment.
Yes, I know it’s easier said then done; yet it can be done.
It takes great discipline.
It gets easier the more we practice.
The rewards are enormous- Joy, Peace, Love, Beauty, Wisdom, Grace…
The mistake most of us make is to look for love, joy, and peace through being with someone or something else.
The Truth is that all those qualities lies within us.
The other person is only a reflection of your own love. The more we connect with our own Peace, Joy, Love the greater will the reflection be from others, it is self-perpetuating.
By the same token the more we indulge in the incessant chatter of the Mind the more we will find anger, guilt, shame, jealousy and the rest keeping us company.
There is a saying, ‘If we spent as much time looking at ourselves (i.e. keeping our mind calm) as we do looking at others, the whole world would be looking at us’.
When we decide to switch habits – and that’s all it is – from seeking excitement and mind chattering to centering ourselves, becoming fully aware of where we are, what we’re doing, Inner Peace happens.
This then spreads to our loved ones, our community etc.
When enough of us switch habits, World Peace will automatically happen.
The politicians themselves would have no choice but to follow the lead of the Peaceful society.
Is this just a pipe dream?
No, it’s already happening yet it also depends on you and me.
So don’t hold your breath waiting for World Peace, create it for yourself.
I guarantee you one thing, when you change, the world changes (or your perception of it, and it won’t trouble you as it does now).
All it takes is a decision followed by persistence…. The depth of Inner Peace is limitless!!!
Good Luck!

Altair de Almeida has been involved in Natural Medicine since 1975.
He is a registered Acupuncturist, Shiatsu Teacher / Practitioner, Tai Chi and Biodanza Teacher. He founded the Inner Dance school of Tai Chi and Qigong in 1988 and teaches in Malvern and Worcester.
Further details: Contact Altair
© 2003