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I think that one of many words to describe peace is non-violence. I think that peace can only be achieved when everyone agrees on the same solution to solve a problem and there is no fighting involved. Also, when I think of peace, I think of calmness. Peace is when you can get along with the people around you without getting into arguments. (Komal Ravani, 15, Troy, MI)
• The dictionary defines peace as the "The state of not being in war." I disagree with that statement. I look at peace as a Utopia, or perfect world. I believe that peace is the state of Moksha, which is essentially a Utopia. When a being is on earth there is opportunity for them to have peace because there is always some kind of war going on whether it is internal of external. However, when in the state of Moksha and out of the cycle of life and death, one is always granted the opportunity to have peace. There is no other way to explain one of the most controversial words ever created. (Anshul Mehta, 15, Ann Arbor, MI)
• What is peace? Peace to me requires the absence of several traits in today's average human being. The first is pride. How many simple fights have been started because a person thinks their child, idea, house or status is better than someone else's? Now imagine these fights ballooning onto an international scale, with one prideful person becoming thousands of prideful men, and a black eye or scratch becoming thousands killed. Pride puts a blind side on reason for many people.
The second is greed. Again, how many brawls began over a bit of gum, a bit of money, a bit of a country? Most of us do not realize that we get by just fine with what we have. Society and our purported common sense tell us that there is always more, and that more should be our ultimate goal. If we could strip away the layers of brainwashing to find what we really need, chances are we would discover that we already have.
The last, most important, is ego. The reason our world is so materialistic is not only that we want things, but we have the audacity to believe that we deserve them. People saying that their actions are in the right because they are "acting for the good of the people" or "just doing their duty" need to deflate their heads. Who said they spoke for all mankind? Who told them to get involved in wars with people completely unconnected to themselves? Who gave them this supposed right? Their egos. As long as man continues to listen to that master of flattery, he will fall every single time. But there is one piece that needs to be introduced, because eradicating the items above is just the first step. To truly achieve peace, we must relearn the art of communication. How many of the aforementioned situations could have been prevented if words had been used instead of might? Words can be used to heal; fighting can only hurt. Peace does not mean the absence of conflict, because conflict is necessary to change. Rather, peace is defined by how we work to solve that conflict.
14th Biennial JAINA Convention 2007
Jain Education International
202
For Private & Personal Use Only
How many of the aforementioned situations could have
been prevented if words had been used instead of might? words can be used. to heal; fighting can
only hurt. Peace does not mean the absence of conflict, because conflict is necessary to change. Rather, peace is defined by
how we work to solve that conflict.
PEACE THROUGH DIALOGUE
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