What is Peace Essay #2

This week's essay comes from Nora Khouri, Middle East Peace Program Associate in AFSC's San Fransisco office:

Peace itself is a little more than a word, and a theory that begins to take hold in the mind of the individual, until the commitment is made by one, to begin to practice peace within their own life. Peace on earth can only be manifested when inner peace is practiced on a large scale. Inner peace is realized when the harmonious union of mind, body and spirit are aligned in one’s life through a purposeful and intentional practice. Harmonious union and alignment are only manifested when there is a willingness and commitment by the individual to take an honest look within and begin the process of unraveling the many contradictions that create disharmony or disease within human beings. Their may be many paths to attaining inner peace but in Buddhist principles, the path to inner peace is to be attained through a practice of mindfulness and silent meditation.

In an attempt to further the understanding of peace, Martin Luther King Jr. who was the embodiment of a harmonious mind, body and spirit taught us, that “Peace is not merely an absence of violence, rather the presence of justice.” Like peace, justice is a mental concept created based on moral rightness. Just as the concept of peace can not be fully realized when simply defined in the mind, peace without justice is incomplete.

It is the presence of inner peace, which effects the way we treat one another and translates into peace on earth. It is this grounding in of peace within, which makes us realize we are one with all living things, nature and the earth that makes us feel connected to the world around us. It is this practice in our daily lives which reminds us and gives us the strength to take action in the face of massive injustice and human suffering. It is this practice which also reminds us and gives us a deep innate understanding that, in the words of MLK ‘no one is free, unless we are all free.’ It is precisely the practice and commitment of peace with justice, which is the ultimate expression of harmony, love and compassion for humanity that will end all wars in the traditional sense of the word “peace.”




All essays on this theme are the work and opinion of their authors, even those who are staff for AFSC. The authors (including staff) are free to disagree with AFSC's positions, and therefore these essays should not be seen as statements by AFSC. We share them in the hope of sparking conversation about the true meanings of peace.