Peace

"The time has come to accept that if we’re talking about peace in the world,
we have to consider peace within ourselves."
The Dalai Lama
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When we turn our attention toward being peaceful, it's all too easy to squash what feels disruptive or uncomfortable.

Peace doesn't come from being against anything, though. It comes with being present with whatever is happening with openness and choosing how to respond to it. I can, for example, be angry and turn away from that anger, pretending to myself that I'm fine. When I do that, it's likely to erupt the next time something annoying happens. I can be angry and act on the anger, venting my anger at a person who has done something that bothers me. This is not the same as feeling anger because instead of feeling it I'm dumping it on someone else.

Or I can notice it, feeling it in my body, emotions, and thoughts, and doing nothing about it. Maybe once I truly feel it, I'll feel moved to do something, and maybe the only thing that needs to be done is to care for it inwardly. Turning inward and feeling it, accepting the experience as it is without fighting, is like riding an intense wave. It can be a scary and unpredictable ride, and I end up in a calmer place.

So today, in these intense solar eclipse energies, let's cultivate peace by feeling everything, even the absence of peace. By doing this, we truly serve inner and outer peace. 

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