PEACE ELDER
What a wonderful privilege to have such a title bestowed upon you.
Ah Peace! What a simple sounding word!
How smoothly it rolls from the tongue!
How easily we men can employ that wonderful sweet word into almost any context that we could wish to sway others!
BUT! What does the word PEACE truly mean?
I have the feeling that if I were to ask a hundred different people to give their honest heartfelt definition of that dear sweet word, that I would end up dazed and confused by the variety of emotions that the question would arouse.
Perhaps thirty of those hundred would answer from their hearts and conjure up thirty variations of definitions which would concur with what they felt would bring contentment to their heart and souls.
Another thirty would perhaps give it little thought and rattle off what ever definition they had heard or read during their brief stay here. Just to to give the impression that they were intelligent if nothing else.
Twenty would go to the dictionary or other great book to look up the definition given by someone other then themselves, if for no other reason than to give an answer that could be proven in writing and not arbitrarily be showing them up as a fool if the definition turned up wrong.
And sadly there would be that twenty who would just shrug their shoulders, so caught up in their own self inflicted woe and regrets, and say, "Who the hell cares?"
So what is peace? Once my Great-Grandmother took me out into a deep creek bed and pointed to the bank of earth by its side. She pointed down to the bed rock where the water flowed and showed me how the rock was being slowly broken up into pebbles that were surrounded by a slurry of blue clay. Then pointed to the different colored layers that rose above it. The white clays, the yellows and to the mottled tans, the light browns up to the rich dark soil near the top. Then she showed me the loam rich with roots and living things and with a smile, said, "See Tulpe! The Earth is at peace!"
Yes that was peace in its way. Peace brought about by the coexistance and inter-dependency of the soils upon one another. But can man learn from such a thing?
Then there were the times when my Great-Grandfather took me into the woods to sit for hours just watching the life around us. Through all the small conflicts of that life there existed a tranquil peace, that of acceptance, giving and the appreciations. But can man learn from this?
What is this great thing called PEACE? That great legacy that each and every person feels deep within their soul must be ordained unto our progeny?
Oh how much easier it would be for this old man to explain the lack of peace! The first ten years of my young adulthood was spent in service. From Korea to Viet Nam seeing the lack of peace brought about by terror, hate, greed, envy and egotism. Even here in this beautiful nation I call home I see peace defeated by the pettiness of racism, greed, hate, and bigotry. Is it any wonder that the word "PEACE" can become such an exasperating puzzle?
I recently saw a small witicism that stated that there was no option to growing old, only growing up!
It would seem to me that knowledge and wisdom can be used in the same context.
I am a peacekeeper! It is not within me to condemn or be critical of the actions of others so as to trample their sacred space. I may only speak to their conscience and allow them to guide themselves along their paths in this life. Yet to give voice to what flows through me, I must undoubtably step on the toes of many of the discordant in this dance of peace. Yet this has nothing to do with my popularity or myself. I am but the drum, Not the Drummer!
Before me I see a vision of a mountain reflected in a clear, calm pool of water. And it sees PEACE!
Before me I see a vision of a forest reflected in a clear, calm pool of water. And it too sees Peace!
Before me I see a vision of many animals and birds reflected in those waters. And they see Peace!
Before me I see a vision of human beings reflected in those clear, calm waters. And they view the enemy of PEACE!
Where else would you find such perversity of nature than the acts of human beings. Where they would battle each other to the death just to prove which one loved the other more? Sounds silly doesn't it, but just think about it.
And for all those who are so consumed by bigotry, racism, greed and hate. As a matter of fact for all people who read this. I offer you this simple challenge.
Ready?
Pick up a hand full of Earth.
Go ahead pick it up! It's not dirty, unless you think of it that way! Besides you can always wash your hands later.
Now look at that dust in your hands and point out to me, which is the dust of insect, tree, animal or man. Then tell me which is black, white, red, or tan. Whether they were rich or poor. How they believed or what they believed in. When you can make out that differentiation in those dusts, then and only then can you as an individual blame any but yourselves for your actions. For the sad, irrefutable fact is that the body that life inhabits right now is of that dust and shall return back there amongst the other dust after life departs from it, whether you like it or not. If it has become dirt to you, maybe its because you have made it dirty.
As we share in common that beautiful dust, we too all share this earth in our walk here. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out! If our bodies are all one, then who is to say which is superior. We are all related and dependent upon the other. We human beings who walk with such smugness with our superior intellect, how long shall we allow ego to rule over reason? There can be no peace without it.
Finally I come to the touchy subject of religon. And I will offend no one with logic. A human being's beliefs are entirely their own business. It is a wonderful thing to exult our teachers and follow those teachings. Yet I shall ask this of each and every religion. Did you ever hear of one of those teachers stating that they were above their teacher, or to be more precise the author of their precepts? I never have. Yet all those teachers taught basically the same thing in their own way. Love, Peace and appreciation. Do we extol ourselves above our teachers by placing them in that higher position, by neglecting their teachings and worshiping their teaching? Perhaps it is time for human beings to start paying more attention to what they were teaching. Perhaps it has all come down to the invention of a new word. In the world today we have all kinds of -acracies. There is theocracy, democracy, even bureaucracy. Perhaps someone should invent the word appreciacracy. The common practice of appreciation, replacing such words as religion, Race, and differences. Perhaps it should become a required subject from pre-school through college. Maybe then our children shall inherite that which has so long been denied them. True Peace. But then this is only how I see it in my own mind. It is all I can offer. It is all I have to say.
Da Naho!
Blue Turtle
It is my great privilege to dedicate this page to elan michaels for his encouraging words and inspiring music.
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