Conflict or Perfect Peace by Katie Davis, Author, Awake Joy

Question:

I am looking for some type of hope or some encouraging words. As this war continues, it is depressing and disheartening. I want to be hopeful, but there is so much suffering. Do you have any advice or encouragement about how to deal with war and the related discomfort? Any message at all would help.

Katie:

From your current reference point, that of the "dreaming I," you believe that you are limited to the body/mind. From that reference point, the world is but a mirror that is reflecting the delusions of the misidentified state of consciousness. "Dreaming I" is under the assumption that it is separated from the Heart; supreme intelligence and unconditional love. Within that unattainable separation is the pain gap. It may sound radical, but nonetheless, suffering is not in the world. The suffering is within you. Therefore, the only answer for enduring world peace is the awakening and to continue that journey to Self-realization. In this, we realize that we are perfect peace. With full embodiment, we are "our beautiful world" that is pure consciousness and free of suffering. The mirror can only clear by realizing the illumined mind and still heart.

Regarding your question, pointers can help you to be more present in the life situation and with this, the possibility of awakening draws near. Whether war in the world or the everyday conflict that you experience in relationships, the cause and effect are identical. In the world-mirror, we are currently noticing massive human suffering. We are able to look directly at the insanity and madness caused by ignorance and unconsciousness. Could the mirror be pointing it out and stating it any more clearly than it is?!

When we believe that the world appearance can "make" us suffer, we are not taking responsibility and we are giving away our true power. We are then hopelessly tossed about by the waves of emotion in constant reaction to the life situation. My first pointer is to continue self-observation. Based on the past, you will find that your own conditioned thoughts and judgments about the war are the cause of your depression. Watch your thoughts and notice that when you indentify with them, you suffer. If you watch thought, it is impossible to identify with it. Without identification, the emotional reaction does not occur. I am not asking you to get involved with the thoughts and process them. I am asking you to simply watch them and stand free. Thoughts are not the problem; identification with them causes suffering.

During this self-observation, you soon meet what Eckhart Tolle, author of A New Earth and Power of Now, calls the "pain body;" the apparent void of collective suffering. As Eckhart Tolle explains, when the collective pain body rises up, it uses us and feeds on more pain and therefore gains strength. Instead of fueling it, we can allow the emotion to be as it is, while resting as stillness. In this, a natural transmutation occurs as the pain is transformed into love. However, if you find yourself spiraling deeper and deeper into the suffering, invite it in to explore. I am not suggesting that you act it out, but find out whether the pain body ultimately exists in the core of your being or whether in the end, it is an illusion. Taking this as a concept is not the remedy. This discovery must be direct and the investigation is required. Otherwise, the pain body will resurface time and again to either be fueled or freed.

When you are ready to explore the absolute Truth that is prior to thought, emotion and form, we begin the exploration of what is prior to the "dreaming I" and its objects. We shift beyond awakening and enter the adventure of Self-realization. Through direct Self-inquiry, we realize who this "dreaming I" truly is. My new book, Awake Joy, guides beyond ego to the awakening, but it also completes the journey, as does Sundance's new book, Free Spirit. An Advaita expert and scholar of Advaita scriptures, Dennis Waite, shared that Sundance's presentation of Self-inquiry is the clearest and most complete guide that he has ever read.

In closing, you are not separate from that which is occurring. You are That within which the act of war or no war is occurring. By focusing on who you are, instead of taking sides, you are conscious freedom. Taking sides is part of the war. The concept of conditional peace is opposing the concept of war. In other words, hating war is the same hatred that is being acted out in the violence on the battlefield. Hate begets hate. We do not identify with either polarity. Perfect peace is transcendent of war and transcendent of relative peace. Resistance does not bring about change. Resistance perpetuates whatever you are resisting. Surrender is key.

You mentioned that you wanted to be hopeful. Honestly, hope is not required and this is the truth. Hope is a future endeavor; a better tomorrow. You do not need more time to be the perfect peace that you are right now. We have only to become conscious of what is within us now, but buried beyond all of the false ideas of the intellect. ~ Katie Davis, Author, Awake Joy