Sowing seeds of peace

Sowing seeds of peace

If I can sow a seed of peace in your heart, it may grow and its seed my spread to other hearts. This is my goal. I believe that world peace is best achieved by having peace in the hearts of all mankind. How can we every hope to stop world conflict if there is conflict within families and how can we prevent conflict within families if we are not at peace within ourselves?

This is where I start; in my own soul. I must be at peace within myself. I cannot allow myself to commit any deed or entertain any thought that would cause conflict within my own being. From there I fit myself into my family setting and live at peace with my brothers and sisters, my parents and all my relatives. Now I expand to my community, to those I do business with and those I work with. All my actions, thoughts and speech must exude peace.

As I travel I come in contact with more and more people. I deal with each one in an attitude of peace and in the process I may sow a seed of peace within them or cultivate the peace that is already growing there. As I do this, the peace within me grows and blossoms and produces fruit that I offer to others. If it is accepted and consumed, its seed will begin to grow until it blossoms and produces more fruit to be passed on. Soon peace will envelop the whole earth. We need to first desire peace, and then it will grow in us and spread to others.

The process may be difficult at times. The weeds of envy, hate, greed and lust will have to be uprooted to make room for peace, and sometimes they are well rooted and difficult to dislodge. Yet, as we become the gardeners of our own souls it is up to us what we will allow to grow there. If we are diligent and seek divine guidance we will see this tree of peace grow within us. It will bear fruit and spread to others who, once they taste of its sweetness, will want it in the gardens their own souls.

It is my desire that you will eat of this fruit and pass it on. It is so sweet and desirable to all. Just give it a try, if you don’t like it you can always go back to the old ways of hatred and war, but at least lets at least try it.

'During these six thousand years there has been constant war, strife, bloodshed. We can see at a glance the results. Have we not a sufficient standard of experience in this direction? Let us now try peace for a while. If good results follow, let us adhere to it. If not let us throw it away and fight again. Nothing will be lost by the experiment.'

    (‘Abdu’l-Bahá  quoted by Marzieh Gail, Dawn Over Mount Hira, p. 189)

Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess. Through a word proceeding out of the mouth of God he was called into being; by one word more he was guided to recognize the Source of his education; by yet another word his station and destiny were safeguarded. The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. If any man were to meditate on that which the Scriptures, sent down from the heaven of God's holy Will, have revealed, he would readily recognize that their purpose is that all men shall be regarded as one soul, so that the seal bearing the words "The Kingdom shall be God's" may be stamped on every heart, and the light of Divine bounty, of grace, and mercy may envelop all mankind.

    (Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 259 - 260)