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How do you do peace? So I should do this and I should do that.
Well, yeah, I mean that's great. And I think if you can help one person with one situation,
that's a life you've helped.
I'd like to just tell a story of my understanding of society.
And I see these elements, how we regard ourselves, how we regard each other, and how we regard society.
And in terms of society, as I express, it's the network; but that network is very much a one-to-one relationship
in the sense that, all of us, when we're having a conversation, can only really have a conversation one at a time.
And those abilities to express the human heart start at birth in terms of our childhood, relating to our parents.
So, in a sense, society is a vast network of "one-to one". And as a one-to-one situation occurs, then that multiplies.
If that one-to-one relationship isn't based upon mutual respect and respecting one's self and one's worthiness
and respecting another, then I think society itself begins to break down.
I was invited again this afternoon by CeaseFire to visit their center on the West Side and
hear the stories about what they're going through and their direct interface with violence
and with violence prevention. And again it becomes a very human story
about people's own personal identity and the notion of how we can maintain
a sense of human dignity and pride and what we live for as human beings.
And I think when that comes under attack, then obviously violence and other things occur.
And so it seems like it becomes very complicated and it becomes very multi-dimensional;
but that it comes back to human beings caring about human beings and
trying to figure out how to live life meaningfully
... giving people the ability to have some self-control, dignity; and it's a method of
just working with your mind because your mind can be your worst enemy.
And how do you make it your ally? How do you make it your friend? How do you
when all the things that are going on... I mean all of us do things that we don't like
but meditation is coming from the point of view that I'm okay and I have these thoughts and I have these actions;
but I'm okay deep inside and not to react right away and to give that just a few moments.
The point of sitting and meditating is so that you get strong so you can go do something. I mean that's the point.
Everybody eventually has to get up. I mean, point in case even the Buddha got up.
You know, and the story is, he took seven steps. And even then, he took a lot more steps.
And he traveled for the next fifty years talking about this.
But it is... meditation itself is deep concentration and deep nurturing;
but it is looking at the personal and social ills and then figuring out an antidote.
So peace is innately connected with violence. It is innately connected with struggle.
At its core, that's what it is.
Just like meditation is innately connected with the notion of unhealthy mind, in a sense.
So, it's completely connected.
And one way my father would talk about it is that people asked him, "Is enlightened society possible?".
And he said that... and I think when they were asking the question is, "Are we creating some kind of utopia?".
And he goes, "Well, enlightened society and unenlightened society go hand-in-hand".
So the notion here is that: Is there going to be a time when things are totally perfect? Probably not.
But that should not mean that we don't give up on bettering the situation,
and that there is an inherent kind of strength that helps us continuously work with the challenge.
And that's really the notion of "warriorship".
It's that, we're not just looking for a place where we can retire;
but we're looking... what the notion of warriorship is is constantly engaging.
And this is what we call "living in the challenge".
Having the attitude of living in the challenge and as we know everyday it's a challenge just getting out of bed.
Getting up and facing our day and with what kind of attitude? How are we approaching ourselves and the world?
And I think the notion of warrior is that this kind of warrior is coming from a ground of
inherent strength and commitment to their own goodness, to their own well-being, and from that, strength.
[SMR:] Okay? [Photographer:] Thank you. So how do you say "thank you" in Tibetan?
[SMR:] Thu-jhe-che [Photographer:] Thu-jhe-che? [SMR:] Thu-jhe-che.