Foreword
We all wish we live in a better world
Some believe war is the mighty way
Only to find victory sours to revenge
And misery, so we doubt
True peace can ever be
Awards and rewards we present
But greed and hatred seem more dominant
Let us return to the simple way
That people of all ages can obey
Our wish may yet come true
Such a simple thing to do
To close our eyes and relax through and through
To still your mind at the centre
Until cool brightness freshens you
Encircling with the best of happiness
Blessing others with love and kindness
Conflict and difference then dissolve
Tomorrow the world will evolve
Changing through this simple way
A secret I share with all of humanity.
Luang Phaw Dhammajayo
1 July 2006
Introduction
Peace.
This is a word all of us
know. We have heard
it spoken countless of times in the media by
politicians, but it is a word rarely uttered by
common people. It is as if the notion of peace is
far removed from our day to day existence. For
most people today, ‘peace’ conjures the image of
an international conference centre with hundreds
of national flags fluttering in orderly rows, with
sombre leaders and representatives of countries,
all dressed in formal attire, delivering impressive
speeches under a spotlight and shaking hands
on the world stage to reverberating applause.
We take for granted that the process of achieving
world peace must follow the channels of politics,
international compromises and signed treaties.
We think that peace is the responsibility of worldclass
organisations like the United Nations,
national governments and non-governmental
organisations. We have come to believe that
creating peace is not our duty but the domain of
someone else who has power, holds a governing
position, has budgets, and is somehow more
organised than the average citizen. So our home
is left to endure wars and political, economic and
religious conflicts. Establishing world peace seems
as unattainable as catching shadows in one’s
hand. The dream of global happiness seems to
deteriorate with the news of each bomb explosion,
each person senselessly killed, each hateful word
uttered.
Although peace is profoundly complex and
deeply important to all humanity, let us define it
simply for now as a sense of happiness and wellbeing.
Indeed, peace can exist everywhere – within
your heart, your family, your neighbourhood,
your society and nation; even encompassing the
entire world. The term ‘world peace’, then, can be
generalised as ‘the world’s happiness’ in which
everyone on the planet experiences and shares
this sense of contentment. We all long for it, yet
a vast majority of us have not realised that we
are the most significant and essential element in
which peace can flourish. Changing this world
into a place of true peace is the responsibility of all
of us. Born as intelligent beings who inhabit this
earth, are we then not responsible for world peace
– a happiness belonging to the world as well as to
ourselves? We cannot claim that peace-making is
the work of the others.
In concert with the efforts made by national
governments, organisations and dedicated
individuals who tirelessly seek ways to cure the
ills of wars and conflicts through technology
and strategies, Luang Phaw Dhammajayo, the
Most Venerable Phrarajbhavanavisudh, the
abbot of Dhammakaya Temple and president of
Dhammakaya Foundation, offers his distinctive
solution. Ordained since 1969, he is dedicated to
immersing himself in the study and practice of the
Buddha’s pure teachings. For almost 40 years, he
has always emphasised to the thousands of those
who follow his teachings at the Dhammakaya
Temple, branch centres and homes worldwide that
“world peace needs to stem from inner peace”.
“Everyone has an important role to play
in changing this world for the betterment of
humanity. Although the task is difficult, it can be
attained through a method so simple that it is
often overlooked”.
Luang Phaw Dhammajayo’s teachings are
not merely based on an ideal concept shaped by
philosophical thoughts. His teachings are truths of
life that he had experimented upon and proved to
be true by his own practice, and corroborated by
the experience of others. This path brings about
great willpower to abstain from bad deeds and
to practice good deeds, as well as to keep one’s
mind pure and energetic. He has been successful
in conveying these practices to his students so
that they may change and improve themselves.
Practitioners of his method, who attained inner
happiness, have themselves become beacons
of kindness and peace in their families and
communities. They are capable of banishing dark
thoughts that taint their minds and they share
their happiness with others. These testimonies
from people from all walks of life prove that
Luang Phaw Dhammajayo’s guidance is capable
of transforming lives for the better – for the
individual, the family and society and the world at
large – bringing about a movement towards peace
in a non-violent, non-political way.
On the occasion of Luang Phaw Dhammajayo’s
nomination for the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award
from the All Indian Gandhian Worker Society in
India in 2005, the Universal Peace Award from
World Buddhist Sangha Youth in Sri Lanka in 2006
and the Atish Dipankar Peace Gold Award from
the Bangladesh Bouddha Kristi Prachar Sangha in
2007, I, with dedicated students across the globe,
would like to take this opportunity to express our
delight in compiling his valuable teachings into
this book. Our hope is to share our pursuit of peace
with the countless peace-seekers of the world who
long to create better lives for themselves, their
families, society, nations and the whole world.
May the teachings in this book give you the
knowledge and strength to attain inner joy and to
become a champion of peace on earth. May peace
prevail on earth forever.
Chapter 1 The Mind as the Origin of Peace and War
The human experience is composed of two
important parts, the body and the mind.
These two elements communicate back and forth
with each other from the moment of birth until
death. We recognise the fact that the conscious
mind controls how we think, speak and act in
most situations. Sometimes these actions are
admirable, even noble, but at other times they
can be shameful. For this very reason, our minds
can be the starting point for both war and peace
in the world. If a person’s mind is infected by
greed, anger and ignorance, thoughts that lead to
conflicts arise. Like the flame of a tiny matchstick
that is capable of completely consuming houses
and even cities, all the wars and strife happeningacross the world, causing enormous suffering for
millions of people, are ignited by a flame within
the mind.
Just as the mind can be the source of suffering,
a calm and aware mind can be the wellspring
of wisdom, peace and infinite happiness that
will envelop the individual, his family, the
community, society and all the people of the
world. From this beginning, world peace can
happen – once we realise that the mind is an
important instrument that can spark wars or
perpetuate peace.
Throughout history, we have fought one
another, whether on a large scale like World War
I and World War II, on a smaller scale such as civil
wars, or as confrontation between individuals.
The human race has never once stopped fighting.
While we sleep at night, on the other side of the world where there is sunlight, conflicts are
constantly taking place between nations and
between individuals. When it is daylight for us
and the other side of the world is blanketed in
darkness, we reverse roles in a cycle of endless
killing and violence.
These never-ending wars and battles originate
from clouded and misguided minds of people.
In some instances, the people who initiated
war will reason that they are really fighting to
establish peace. The truth of the matter is that war
causes physical and psychological damage, more
suffering and death. To argue that war brings
peace is to argue that the best way to put out a fire
is to douse it with a bucket of gasoline. Wars only
serve to fuel the hostility and hatred between the
combatants and multiply the atrocities – moving
the possibility of peace even further away from
our grasp. Worldly conflicts have never been able to bring
lasting happiness to anyone. The victorious may
one day be defeated. The conquered, instead of
accepting defeat, allow resentment and revenge to
fester in their hearts. Mutual distrust and hatred
bind the conqueror and the conquered together in
misery long after the actual war is over, and both
sides will suffer the consequences of their hostility,
generation after generation.
In some countries, people live in dread under
the constant threat of terrorism. Never knowing
when the next attack may take place, they are
neither happy nor secure. To eliminate this constant
threat of attack, they strike preemptively at their
perceived enemies. Instead of reprieve, they find
themselves at the centre of a cycle of revenge, with
consequences that are more dire than they can
understand because what they fail to comprehend
is how long the hatred and malice, caused by their with a focused and clear mind. If we can train the
mind to its highest potential, we will see with clarity,
the true enemy – defilement – embedded deep
inside our minds, the source behind all suffering,
conflicts and strife in the world. Powerful and
ingrained as it is, you can eliminate this enemy just
by calming the mind. It is a technique to collect and
focus the purity of the mind in order to completely
eradicate what is impure.
When you are able to defeat the defilements,
you become a light that will guide your life and
those of others close to you to the final destination
in warmth and safety. When people from all corners
of the world are able to do this, it will be like a
million candles shining their light to banish the
darkness that currently overshadows us. When we
destroy the causes of war – greed, ignorance and
anger – we also eliminate their consequences. This
is the way to create true and enduring freedom
and world peace.
Chapter 2 The Common Human Goal
Our world does not consist of only those
who are warmongers; there are also those
who have a strong determination to create a peaceful
world. Some are working independently, but many
have joined and formed organisations to discuss and
exchange ideas on ways to promote world peace.
These discussions, with peace as a common goal,
have taken place numerous times among the world’s
different organisations. Such organisations have
invested great amounts of time, money and effort at
meetings and conferences to promote love and unity
between different nations. They have also awarded
annual peace prizes to raise awareness as well as to
acknowledge the efforts of those who continue to make world peace their life’s work.
While we must admire and applaud the
dedication of those who pursue peace, the truth
is that real world peace has not yet been attained.
Wars and battles continue to be waged without
end. True world peace has not taken place because
we have failed to tackle the cause at its deepest
roots. We still do not understand what peace really
is, where it can be found, and how to plant it and
encourage it to flourish.
Even though humankind comprise of people of
different races, languages, religions, cultures and
traditions, we have in common the long search for
true happiness and the meaning of life, which are
commendable aspirations. But what is peace and
happiness, and from where do they originate? If
we do not know the answer to these questions,
how then can we attain peace and happiness?
Since we do not know, we continue to pursue
these aspirations based on our own wisdom and insights. However, if our wisdom is not fully
developed, then our pursuit becomes random and
unorganised, making achievement of that peace
we are seeking haphazard at best. With such an
imperfect understanding of our goals, we may as
well seek water from rocks or fish in the desert.
We have to realise that while peace efforts
such as international conferences among national
leaders, award presentations and community
projects can help to create a peaceful world
partially, true world peace can only take place
when everyone takes part by following the path
to attaining inner peace. Every single person
who does so is a true hero deserving of the most
honourable peace award. If we can get every leader
of every nation to start practicing meditation so
that they too may experience and understand
inner peace, we can quickly change the course of
this world to a more peaceful one.
Chapter 3 Religions for Peace
Our global community is comprised of
people seeking refuge in various faiths.
For the most part, the founder of each religion – be
it Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Sikh or
other religions – has taught us to love our fellow
humankind. If we continue to exploit, kill, cheat
and injure one another, we are not adhering to the
teachings of our respective religions. We no longer
seek the peace that our religions have taught us
to pursue.
Throughout history, some have tried to use
religion as a tool to disunite humanity. These people
hold false understanding that people of other to be defeated. They propagate misunderstanding
and proclaim that religious differences have made
us unable to live together in harmony. All who love
their religion should study their original religious
teachings. Buddhists should study the original
teachings of Lord Buddha. Christians, Jews and
Muslims should study the original teachings of
their religion. Perhaps then, each will see that the
original message of each religion is that of love and
respect for all living things that they can correctly
practice in their everyday lives. If we all do so, we
close the path to grief and open the door to joy and
heaven. If we love our fellow humankind, we must
not kill or harm one another, but rather, dedicate
ourselves to living together peacefully.
We must remember that, although the path
to attaining peace differs according to one’s
knowledge, understanding, culture, tradition,
attitude and personal satisfaction, every religion was formed to guide people with a philosophy to
live happily. In reality the true common enemy for
all humankind is our defilement, which includes
greed, anger and ignorance. The defilement in our
minds is the true cause of conflicts, not religion.
Such defilements lead us to think, speak and act
in cruel, aggressive and intolerant ways that lead
to pain and suffering in this world. Reject your
defilements. Understand that regardless of your
religion, people of different faiths do not need to
despise or kill one another when what all of us
want fundamentally is to live in contentment and
peace.
faiths are enemies and are competitors that are
Chapter 4 World Peace through Inner Peace
Men who seek peace have long debated
how world peace should begin. They
examine diverse environmental factors such
as ecology, food supply, medicine access, laws,
nuclear weapons limitation, treaties, technology,
political stability, the economy, society and poverty.
Despite such close and detailed examination, they
fail to notice that the origin of peace is much
more intimate than any of those factors they
have studied. The starting point of peace is within
them.
The dream of world peace will never come true
if the dreamer is unable to find his or her own
inner contentment. Once everyone experiences inner happiness, true world peace will occur.
When the defilements in the hearts of humankind
are totally eliminated, things that were once
beyond our imagination, like world peace, are
suddenly possible and within reach. All it takes is
to accomplish that first step – which is to practice
meditation to experience the source of inner
happiness. This knowledge is as ancient as the
human race.
Happiness from within can be attained by
quietly stilling the mind at the centre of one’s
body. The deeper you sink into this peace and
calm found at the centre of each of us, the more
it expands outwards to our loved ones, family,
friends, society, and so forth without limits – like
the sun that radiates its brilliance throughout the
universe. If everyone meditated, the result will be
magnified; encircling entire countries and even
the whole world. Imagine a world of peace. The police, soldiers and criminal justice system will no
longer be necessary when all we feel towards one
another is joy and friendship. War, terrorism greed
and ignorance are eradicated.
World peace begins with us. It does not require
money, international scheme or treaties to execute
this plan of peace. It starts by first bringing our
mind to a standstill, then spreading it out to the
world. Every good thing begins with us when
we still our mind in the centre of the body at
the seventh base. When our minds are at peace,
the process of achieving world peace will not be
difficult.
Chapter 5 The Peace Position
To create world peace by allowing one’s
mind to reach inner happiness first,
according to the practice called meditation, is
what we ought to do. It is what each and every
single person should be concerned with. We
should not turn down the opportunity to learn
about meditation because of the differences in
cultures or beliefs. Although we are born into a
particular nationality, religion and race, we are all
companions sharing the inevitability of suffering
from birth to old age, ailment and death.
Meditation, too, is universal, a practice that
everyone can do, like breathing. It helps practitioners
improve the quality of their minds by reaching an
inner calm and happiness. Meditation relieves stress, giving practitioners mental clarity to tackle
problems wisely and allowing them to lead their
lives with happiness. These are just the preliminary
benefits. Beyond relaxation, there is a distinct
feeling of happiness when our minds are resting
at the centre. As we become more skilled, there is
purity in knowledge that comes from meditation
that will help every human being attain his or her
inner happiness. The result is wholesome thought,
speech and action.
The Most Venerable Phramongkolthepmuni’s
(Sodh Candasaro) encouragement to practice
meditation that teaches us about the seventh base
of the mind, along with our own experiences with
meditation, shows us how inner happiness can be
attained through meditation. The ‘Peace Position’ is
achieved by sitting cross-legged, with the right leg
on the left leg, and the right hand on the left hand.
While allowing the right index finger to touch the
left thumb, sit up straight and maintain awareness.
Then, gently close the eyes and gradually rest the
mind at the centre of the body.
Rest the mind at the centre of the body, at the
seventh base without analysing, contemplating,
or attempting to reason. With regular practice, it
will become increasingly easy to bring the mind
to the centre of the body or at the centre of the
stomach. Ultimately, the mind will become very
familiar with this position, which helps to prevent
the mind from wandering or drifting.
When the mind is at a standstill and is not
distracted or wandering, a deep calmness will be
experienced. As the calmness continues, a bright
sphere will arise at the centre of the body. This
bright sphere is perfectly rounded, translucent
and luminous like a crystal ball; like a rain drop.
It emerges naturally, representing the purest of
the stilled mind at the primary level. It is not a
hallucination and neither is it something that is visualised. It has characteristics that are similar to
a crystal ball – except that it is brighter and purer.
It seems alive. The smallest sphere is about the size
of the eye’s pupil. At mid-size, the sphere is the
size of a full moon; and that of the sun at midday
when it is at its largest.
This sphere that arises at the seventh base is
the gateway to true happiness and inner peace. It
will help us lead a life full of optimism, give us
an increasingly purer mind and body, a deeper
understanding of life, and ultimately allow us to
understand what we need to do in order to attain
the highest purpose of our life on earth. This
sphere is the initial state of purity that will lead
us to an increasing degree of purity that enables
us to experience happiness. The deeper we move
through each layer, the closer we reach true
happiness inside, which is then reflected on the
outside. There are so much wonderful possibilities
by simply bringing our minds to a standstill at the centre of our bodies. Through this universal
meditation practice, we will obtain the answers on
our own about the true meaning of peace, where
it is located and how we can attain it.
Once we acquire wisdom through meditation,
we will come to the same understanding about the
futility of wars and weapons of mass destruction.
Gone will be the need for hundreds of pages of
multilateral written agreements. There will only be
people who speak and act honestly. The need to
attend the various international peace conferences
will lessen, freeing valuable resources for other
worthy programmes. Are we ready to embark on
this journey together to attain all the benefits of
meditation?
As we deepen our inner happiness through
meditation, we will start to think, speak and act
in harmony because our level of understanding
and wisdom will increase. We will understand this when our minds are still. For that reason, a
peace prize should be awarded to everyone who
has attained inner peace, for they will feel only
love and kindness for humanity, and they can be
a source of peace for those around them – like a
candle illuminating the darkness in the night; like
the sun reflecting its warm radiance against other
stars, big or small, near or far.
Creating a world filled with happiness through
meditation is the noblest of all goals. We need to
encourage as many people as possible to practice
meditation in their lives, and then spread its
wondrous benefits to every corner of the earth.
The moment when all the people of the world
meditate in this special position – the Peace
Position – will be the moment humanity make
world peace happen.
Chapter 6 The Source of Happiness and Peace
The differences among beliefs, cultures,
customs, nationalities, religions or
languages are only superficial external differences.
Beneath these differences, there is a similarity
– the original pure nature that exists within
everyone. This universal element holds the hope
of humanity to bring true peace into the world.
The original pure nature, or the Body of
Enlightenment, is a natural state that we can
attain when we meditate. The true happiness
that we seek is concentrated in the state of
pure nature, the inner body that all humanity
possesses. It is the origin of happiness, purity
and wisdom. It is the centre of all virtues and the source of prosperity of all that is good.
Once attained, the Body of Enlightenment
will lead us to true happiness. Our minds will be
overflowing with so much happiness and positive
energy that one will not want anything else but to
remain in the happiness and completeness within.
It can be our refuge. It is a happiness that one can
experience without reliance on external things like
drugs or money. This happiness is different from
any mundane happiness obtained from material
indulgence.
The Body of Enlightenment, once attained, will
lead to justice. The term ‘just’ means righteous,
which is defined as the purest truth. In our pure
state, we are all just. Humankind will be united in
heart, thought, speech and action. Generosity and
fairness will replace greed and selfishness. All the
world’s limited natural resources will be shared honestly and justly, leading to the total elimination
of conflict, poverty and oppression.
Our pure inner nature is as universal as the sun,
moon and stars in the sky. If each of us attains a
Body of Enlightenment, superficial differences like
race, religion and nationality will no longer seem
significant or divisive. Brotherly love will blossom
and everyone will be a citizen of the world.
Chapter 7 A Treasure that Cannot Be Bought
World peace through inner happiness is
less costly than any war, and its result
is more effective and enduring. Fighting a war
requires an immense budget, equipment and the
sacrifice of human lives. Conversely, the attaining
of inner happiness does not cost us anything.
There are no weapons used. It only requires us
to defeat the true enemy: the defilements – the
root of all suffering, animosity and conflicts of the
world. By meditating and concentrating the pure
energy within our focused mind at the centre of
our body, we can eliminate the defilements. The
energy we create is powerful enough to wash
away mental blemishes and bring forth a clean,
clear and awakened mind. Once our minds are pure, our thoughts, speech and actions will be
pure too, and our inner happiness will radiate
outwards to our fellowmen and to the world.
We will have the strength to abstain from killing,
hurting others, stealing, infidelity, lying, drinking,
smoking and abusing drugs. When we find our
Body of Enlightenment, good moral behaviour will
come easily. When the good in us is magnified and
the defilements extinguished at the source, wars,
anger and hatred will no longer plague humanity.
We each have a role to play in saving the world.
Consider this as a very inexpensive investment
that requires minimum effort yet yields maximum
benefit. We do not have to expend any money.
Simply close the eyes gently and relax. Still the
mind and good things will come. It is time for us
now to join hand in hand to achieve world peace,
the most precious treasure of humanity.
Chapter 8 We Can Change the World
Peace cannot be achieved through the work
of one person or organisation. It requires
a concerted effort from everyone. To achieve peace,
we will need the participation of every single person.
We must share the same vision and work together
through a method that is economically realistic with
results that are the most beneficial and effective.
We just need to close our eyes gently and relax our
bodies. We begin by stilling our mind at the centre
of our body to generate and focus its strength. World
peace begins the moment we each close our eyes to
meditate. The strength of the purity from meditating
together will spread out and embrace the whole
world, destroying the impurities of humanity and
banishing the darkness in our minds.
Although we have long dreamed of world
peace and of people living together in happiness,
we still question whether this dream can ever be
a reality. Consider that just 250 years ago, most
people would have never imagined that ships
could be built from metal and still float; that we
could be passengers on planes that fly around the
world; that spacecrafts can take us to the moon;
or see images of another planet beamed to us
from a robot. With the right attempt, even the
impossible becomes a concrete reality. Doubts,
insecurities and suspicions cannot withstand the
sincere efforts of those who seek peace through
attaining inner peace. Such people should be our
role models in this global movement towards a
lasting, all-encompassing peace.
I believe that the dream of a world of
enlightenment can be realised in this lifetime. If
we do it today, it will happen today. If we do it tomorrow,it will happen tomorrow. If everyone in
the world is ready next year, then it will happen
next year. If we begin a thousand years from now,
it will happen a thousand years from now. When
we are committed to the path of enlightenment,
there is only a joyous end to our journey.