What would I give up for the promise of peace?

What would I give up for the promise of peace?

Peace, the end to war on the other life on the planet, as well as among humans…

The Red Road of NA Native Spirituality has many answers to the existential problems of survival in our time. So has the the wisdom of Gandhi, non-violence- the turning of the other cheek, permitting the enemy to see your suffering and so be shamed into peaceful co-existence.

But we each have our own idea of how to achieve peace. Some have proposed a prescription, gained a following. A group led by a wise teacher will not easily accept the teachings of another, even if it’s about co-existence, about peace. The leader is reluctant to become the led, the followers feel insecure without their own leader at the head. In the West we believe our own gurus of science and psychology are preeminent. Especially if they speak our language. Language is a potent barrier to accepting another’s wisdom as one’s own.

These differing groups professing peaceful intentions are nonetheless powerful in their fearful attacks on any who desert them. I know a young man, a First Nations aboriginal Canadian, imprisoned for many years, who first joined the Native Brotherhood in his prison, drummed and attended Sharing Circles, and Sweat Lodge ceremonies with them. Later, he heard about the Muslim Brotherhood there from a man he liked. Decided to join them in their teaching circles and daily prayer rituals. His First Nations friends were angry with him, threatened him for deserting them. Nevertheless he persisted, and achieved a measure of peace and calm in his daily life that he had not experienced before.

Later, he decided to return to the native Brotherhood and their spiritual practice. They welcomed him. But now the Muslim friends deserted him, became angry, threatened him. Being threatened by any group in Canada’s prisons is a dangerous situation... On top of that, his behaviour, switching to a Muslim organization, even for a short time, made him an object of of suspicion to the Prison Administration. His parole hearings often turned on questions of why he had done that, why would he ally himself with a known violent organization? His protests that the way of the Muslims was a peaceful way, that he had sought and found a peaceful route to go, were met with polite disbelief...

Could it be that we might achieve peace by the wholesale adoption of the other's creed, and thus, flooding them with love? Flooding them with the display of our willing sacrifice of our ideals, diluting their prescriptions for daily life with the addition of our own, even if somewhat modified?

Regardless, what I have learned from my friend’s experience in Canadian Prisons, is that to hold fast to one’s own choices, and to make them for one’s own reasons, not others, is the only way for me. Respecting each other’s choices, is the only sure Path to inner peace, which is the only real peace there is.

Donato Cianci May 9 2012

http://www.donatopoetry.com