Hi, All,
I’m not going to be able to extend these diaries over as long a time as I had planned, though that doesn’t mean we can’t all continue the conversation in other ways, or later. But for now, I’m going to give you a quickie list of “the “fours'” from Peace Pilgrim’s pamphlet. What you will read in cursory form below is what it took her fifteen years to do. If you want to read about them in more detail, there’s a website link below. I will be happy to answer any questions about them, if I can.
One more thing I will do, I hope, is post a wrap-up diary where I’ll review what I set out to do with this series, and you can say what you got out of it, or not.
In the meantime, thanks, and. . .Peace. 🙂
kansas
SUMMARY
The Four Preparations
- Assume right attitude toward life.
- Live good beliefs
- Find your place in the Life Pattern
- Simplify life to bring inner and outer well-being into harmony.
The Four Purifications
- Purification of the body
- Purification of thoughts
- Purification of desires.
- Purification of motives
The Four Relinquishments
- Relinquishment of self-will
- Relinquishment of the feeling of separateness.
- Relinquishment of attachments
- Relinquishment of negative feelings.
“All people can be peace workers. Whenever you bring harmony into any unpeaceful situation,you contribute to the total peace picture. Insofar as you have peace in your life, you reflect it into your surroundings and into your world.”
Peace PilgrimFurther sources:
LINK: The pamphlet. (Scroll down)
LINK: Peace Pilgrim Website & other links
LINK: The Peace Pilgrim Book. (Different from the pamphlet, longer, with many PP quotes.)
Thanks Kansas.
I really appreciate your introduction to PP. I have come across quotes from her without knowing who Peace Pilgrm was.
I will explore the links you have so thoughtfully provided.
Your reminder that it took her fifteen years is valuable.
Much appreciated.
Your contributions have been much appreciated, tampopo. An entire diary could be done on that last one from yesterday alone–about the points at which we experience the “uneasy” spots where the way we live doesn’t look like the beliefs we say we hold.
To me, the struggle for peace always comes down to this moment, to my thoughts, desires, words, actions right now, since that’s all I ever have. It’s all the world ever has.
I nearly forgot to do this. I heard from somebody today who happened onto yesterday’s diary and then went back through the links and read the others, so I know I need to do this.
LINK: Introduction to Series
LINK: Day 1
LINK: Day 2
LINK: Day 3
I come back to something I said (well, more implied) earlier. I think what she did is not nearly as important as how other people react to her — what her actions engender in other people is the gift she has to give. So to me, Martin Luther King is not great because of what he did but because of what he caused other people to do.
Most of us can’t realistically be a Peace Pilgrim or a Martin Luther King or an Einstein or a Jonas Salk or a Monet or a John Muir but we can all strive for a better understanding of ourselves, our relationships, our place in the world, each of us finding our own way to be a part of the task of making the world more peaceful, more just, more healthy, more understood, more beautiful for everyone.
My thinking on this pretty much mirrors what you’ve written andi. Martin Luther King would have probably only been a footnote in history if he had not appealed to so many people who were willing to either change their racist ways of thinking or the many many that marched and followed him and tried to make the country a more just and equal place.
It takes regular people like us in our everyday lives to try and make a difference and have that radiate out to others…as the oft used analogy goes-ripples in the pond…we can start that ripple in our own pond.
Lucky thing that we’re frogs.
I think people get frustrated at the process because it’s not immediately achievable and that is one of the best things I think one can take from the Peace Pilgrim — the fact that slow, steady movement toward a goal is really the mostly likely way to achieve it.
One of the hardest things I’ve had to learn was not to plan for failure — not to set myself up by taking on things that I couldn’t achieve, not to want to do everything right away and have everything be perfect. I still do this but for the most part I have come to realize that taking small but consistent steps forward is true movement; constantly backing up so I can take another run at getting over fence that’s too high isn’t.
Nice point. Makes me think of her “relinquishments.”
In the pamphlet, Peace advises that when we have something to relinquish we do it quickly, but I think she says that mostly because it took her a long time to give some things up and she found that difficult and painful and wants to spare us that if she can.
It makes me think of katiebird’s new website, Just4Today. Although it’s mainly about eating issues, it really is at least half about “relinquishment,” and how to do it. On the one hand, somebody who uses her system gives things up “one day at a time,” but every day they give it up they’re doing it “quickly and completely,” just as Peace suggests, for that one day. And then the single days add up to weeks, etc.
I agree on katiebird’s approach except that I don’t see it as relinquishing, I see it as gaining. I don’t see the goal as giving things up; I see it as gaining control of one’s life. The giving up is just happens to be a part of that process.
And you could take kb’s same approach and apply to something like wanting to become better educated about philosophy — “just for today I’m going to read 5 pages of Kant.” Or a writer who was behind deadline could say “Just for today, I’m going to write 5 pages” 😉
Thanks KS. I like the bullet point format of information giving. I am pathetic. The key to enlightenment is, in my view, a good executive summary.
Thank you Kansas. Appreciate your wiliingness to help us determine our own worthiness in this horrible world of which we live nowadays.
I am here to learn, so I will shut up to learn..I will be reading with intensity. Hugs
It has been and is a wonderful journey you have brought to us. The comments from everyone have been so thoughtful and sincere. I have enjoyed the reminders and everyone’s input a great deal.
# Relinquishment of self-will-It’s not about me and it’s all about me.
# Relinquishment of the feeling of separateness-We are all connected, there is no difference between us.
# Relinquishment of attachments-There are many things I like and enjoy, but I am not dimmineshed if I don’t have them-I am not attached to them
# Relinquishment of negative feelings-there is always a different view, a different perspective to see things through. I get to choose whether it is positive or negative.
You have planted a lovely garden. Now it is up to us to nurture it, tend it and help it to grow.
Blessings and Hugs
Shirl
Andi’s comment to “be a part of the task of making the world more peaceful, more just, more healthy, more understood, more beautiful for everyone” just triggered a memory for me.
I think in many ways, peace is where you find it, and you can find it in many places. One such is a children’s book, Miss Rumphius.
So, through a long and productive life, Miss Rumphius did good in the world. At the end of her life, she scattered lupine seeds all over the coast of Maine, and you will see them blooming if you visit in late May or early June.
I discovered this book only a few years ago, as it was written sometime after I left the recommended age group of 4 through 8. But I think it’s an adult book, too, and very much in keeping with Peace Pilgrim’s approach.
In the best tradition of happy endings, the author did leave the world a more beautiful place. She gave a large amount of money to her local library.
There is so much ugliness and fear and hatred in the world, and especially in what is happening in our names, that if I let it infect me, I will become ugly and fearful and hateful. Now, I’m not about to sit around all day saying “Oooooommmm,” and I worry that even talking about this stuff will sound preachy. So Miss Rumphius reminds me to do something every day to make the world a more beautiful place. And thanks, Andi, for the reminder.
Thank you for this series, Kansas. It’s bookmarked, and I’ve a feeling I’m going to want it as a reference in the not too distant future. <gritting teeth, trying not to say anything negative about what’s going on this week in DC>
Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Mem. (And to everyone else, too. I don’t want to leave anyone out.)
On the subject of negative thoughts. . .
I think a lot of people balk at the idea of “never having a negative thought.” But I also think they may be misunderstanding the idea. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t tell the truth, as in, “The President lied,” but rather that we be able to tell it without ripping ourselves or other people apart with hatred. Truth is never “negative.” I’m not sure whether it’s neutral or positive, but it’s not negative.
In this vein, she especially counseled against worry, saying, “I want to mention just one negative feeling which the nicest people still experience, and that is worry. Worry is not ‘concern’ which would motivate you to do everything possible in a situation. Worry is a useless mulling over of things we cannot change.”
Etc.
Guess I should clarify. By not saying anything negative, what I meant is what you’re saying. I think. I’m just trying not to get myself all in a swivet snarling and shouting about the #!$%*&! liars and thieves and crooks and committers of crimes against humanity and . . .
See what I mean?
Truth-telling is one thing. Getting all fertootsed over things you can’t do anything about immediately is quite another, and counterproductive.
Fertootsed. Is that the clinical term?
It’s one of those wonderful words like tchochtkes that can be used, and misused, in so many creative ways.
Thanks for the memory…I used to read that to my kids when they were little.
Hey kansas…I had to go read the diary from yesterday…( yesterday was one of my off days)and there were so many good and thought provoking comments.
I did write to Kucinich by the way. As we haven’t heard from him either he’s not interested or his staff may have not even gotten to that email. I would still like to have him come here and talk about his Peace Department ideas and the bill he sponsored for that…and how we could get behind that and help it along.
Thanks, Choc. It will never be too late to hear from him.
What’s this “purification of desires” all about?? 🙂
I’m still dealing with my anger issues and still trying to be a good peace activist… NOW I have to give up my naughties??? 🙂
just kidding… I love this series. Haven’t commented too much because I’m in learning and absorb mode.
Hey, DJ!
The purification of desires thing is interesting. At the heart of what she says about it, it’s all about getting our desires in line with out best natures, so that we really desire peace in our own hearts, etc., and we really desire to practice the Golden Rule, etc. According to the way she addresses it, it’s all about focus. . .turning away from desires that don’t bring peace and turning toward the light of desires that do. Speaking of each person’s place in what she calls the “Life Pattern,” she says, “When you think about it, is there anything else as really important to desire?”
Aztually I’ve been involved in a “forced” simplification of my life via this monster called “moving”. We tossed out stuff, gave to hospice, goodwill… we as a family agree to live more simply. Want what we need instead of want what we don’t need.
Can we have inner and global peace WITH the selfish desire for REALLY REALLY good cheesecake and an awsome sound system for my dvds 🙂
See… this is why I suck as an activist. 🙂 I’d come to a hunger strike trying to make everyone happy by passing out chocolates and telling dirty jokes 🙂
But I’m not done yet. So let me tag along. I’m still learning.
lol! I’m not going to any revolution that doesn’t have chocolate and dirty jokes. And cheesecake. And good music. I think it was called the Sixties.
someone say cheesecake?
(i’m in sponge mode with this series, kansas, many thanks)
Then perhaps you should have spongecake, instead?
they make cheesecake-flavored spongecake? Cuz if not, then the deal’s off 🙂
substitute a joint and some cheap wine for the cheesecake and we’re there.
Don’t bogart that cheesecake my friend 🙂
For the not yet totally enlightened but still wanting to march during peace protests…
Cheseecake on a stick. 🙂
Sorry, I comment and look what happens. A ruckus. LOL and Hey!!! who let this wet dog in my houaldkjaf;aea….
We interrupt this posting to bring you an announcement from the Post Patrol Pool Dog:
All you silly folks out of the peace thread pronto!
“Jeebus H. Cripes, Janet, this here is a serious thread. We’re talking about peace, love and joy… and all sorts of spiritual shit. So get with the fucking program you doofus woofus. Cripes! Peace Out”
Holy cow, that dawg! lol.
And cheesecake on a stick.
The angriest people would have to laugh.
aside from cheesecake… the peace movement needs it’s healthy dose of humor 🙂
Laughter and friendship provides us all with courage and strength.
I remember how sad SuperSoling and others looked. Hell we all were somber. Then my mind would start spinning and all I could think of was how to take away some of his pain.. and please g-d please let me in some way bring a few dimples or maybe a crease near his sad eyes for a few seconds. Then and only then could I continue with my own footsteps and tears. And then my brother would make me smile and so on and so on …
The Wall was hard. But we did have both – smiles and tears.
People who met/knew her said Peace Pilgrim radiated good nature. Lots of big smiles and laughs. They say she was lots of fun. Hmm, sound like anybody we know with the initials D & J?
Moving always does seem to make you stop and think about why you’re keeping stuff in your closet/attic whatever that you haven’t thought about in maybe years and why you think you have to hang onto to it.
Having moved myself over 50 times in my life and without money or the money to move stuff I did have I found out that other than family pictures and personal things accruing things just because is something I had to learn to let go off…whether I wanted to or not.
On the other hand I see no reason why simplification means to completely get rid of normal things that make life go round..like dvd players or other modern conveniences. Having a dvd player for instance suits my lifestyle as I can rarely leave my apartment and also has expanded my knowledge of other countries through watching foreign films-so that’s a very good thing. It’s when I think you just have to go out and buy the latest of all these gadgets and put yourselves in hock to have them or keep up with the neighbors or what all the ads on tv say you need or should have where people get into trouble. Simplification will be a different process for everyone depending on their own families and lifestyle…because as always there is no one right way for everyone.
And there’s certainly nothing wrong with telling a dirty joke at a hunger strike..might be just the thing someone who is doing something serious like a hunger strike needs to hear to take their mind off their hunger pains. Now the chocolate part I don’t know about although I of course think even if you’re on a hunger strike you must break your fast occasionally and chocolate would be the only acceptable food in my opinion. After all chocolate is the universal language isn’t it?
She seems to have come to the same conclusions, developed the same ideas, that he did, though completely independently of him, as far as I know.
There doesn’t seem to be much indication that she had studied his life or teachings, yet the whole essence of her message is so similar to his.
I agree. So far I haven’t come across anything that even suggests she was familiar with him or his teachings, though of course that doesn’t mean she was not.
Although. . .apparently she never talked about such things as finally relinquishing even the desire for peace.
To free oneself from ALL temporal desires, which would include a recognition that war, like everything else, is as temporary as mandalas painted in sand, then blown away into the air.
That is the absolutely perfect note on which to close this series, by saying. . .
Peace out.