Psalm 46:10
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
John 14:27
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.
John 15:9
Last Sunday morning, we held an adult class on Relationships, and one topic that was mentioned was the need to be at peace with yourself in order to have healthy relationships. We need to love and value ourselves, otherwise we will end up depending on others in order to be loved and valued. This puts undue and often unknown expectations on others, and we end up being angry with them for not making us feel loved enough. When we are at peace with ourselves, then we can find peace in our relationships with others. We can know and enjoy others for who they are, rather than for the affirmation they give us. In continuing this idea, I turn to Thich Nhat Hanh, author of Living Buddha, Living Christ, in which he writes:
Mindfulness and the Holy Spirit
The Seed of the Holy Spirit
…In Buddhism, our effort is to practice mindfulness in each moment – to know what is going on within and all around us. When the Buddha was asked, “Sir, what do you and your monks practice?” he replied, “We sit, we walk, and we eat.” The questioner continued, “But sir, everyone sits, walks, and eats,” and the Buddha told him, “When we sit, we know we are sitting. When we walk, we know we are walking. When we eat, we know we are eating.” Most of the time, we are lost in the past or carried away by future projects and concerns. When we are mindful, touching deeply the present moment, we can see and listen deeply, and the fruits are always understand, acceptance, love, and the desire to relieve suffering and bring joy…
Making Peace
…There are many conflicting feelings and ideas within us, and it is important for us to look deeply and know what is going on. When there are wars within us, it will not be long before we are at war with others, even those we love…If we go back to ourselves and touch our feelings, we will see the ways that we furnish fuel for the wars going on inside…With the energy of mindfulness, we can calm things down, understand them, and bring harmony back to the conflicting elements inside us…
Thich Nhat Hanh
Living Buddha, Living Christ - p. 14-15, 19
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