'PEACE' By Swami Sivananda

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Dear Members,Peace is a divine attribute. It is a quality of thesoul. It cannot remain with greedy persons. It fillsthe pure heart. It desserts the lustful. It runs awayfrom selfish people. It is an ornament of a

Paramahamsa. --- " PEACE " A Summary ---1. Many are working today for the promotion of worldpeace without having peace in themselves. Their loudpropaganda, big talk and lectures cause more

confusion, conflict and discord. 2. A proper understanding of the essential unity ofreligions is the most effective and powerful factor inbringing about peace in this world. It will remove allsuperficial differences and conflicts, which create

restlessness, discord and quarrels. 3. If everyone turns to the Supreme peace within,there will be peace everywhere. A glorious new era ofpeace, amity, love and prosperity can be ushered in,only if the youth of the day is educated in the

methods of self-culture. Educate the moral conscienceof the public. This will bring lasting world-peace. 4. You can elevate others only if you have elevatedyourself. This world can be saved only by those who

have already saved themselves. A prisoner cannotliberate other prisoners. One realized sage can domore for the promotion of peace than a thousandmissionaries preaching and disputing, day in and dayout. 5.There will be no war, if all people practicetruthfulness, universal love, purity, mercy,contentment, self-sacrifice, self-restraint andtolerance. Ahimsa (Non-violence) is the key to peace. 6.Peace

is the happy, natural state of man. It is hisbirthright. War is his disgrace. 7.Peace is a state of quiet. It is freedom fromdisturbance, anxiety, agitation, riot or violence. Itis harmony, silence, calm, repose, rest. Specifically,

it is the absence or cessation of war. 8.All over the world, great conferences are held forbringing about universal peace, universal brotherhood,and universal religion. It is the vanity of man that

goads him to reform society without first reforminghimself. Vanity rules the world. When two vain peoplemeet, there is friction and quarrel. In the case of social reform, self-styled enlightenedmen started interfering with the customs and manners

of people, in an effort to civilize them. The peoplelost their old moorings, and the reformers could notoffer new, sound ones. Masses of people drifted awayinto chaos. How can blind men lead other blind men ? 9.No piece of paper called a treaty can establishpeace in this world. The way of peace is very simpleand straight; it is the way of Love and Truth. 10.Money cannot give you peace. You can purchase many

things, but you cannot purchase peace. You can buysoft beds, but you cannot buy sleep. You can buy goodfood, but you cannot buy good appetite. You can buygood tonics, but you cannot buy good health. You can

buy good books, but you cannot buy wisdom. 11.Perfect peace cannot be promoted by anybody whodoes not have perfect peace in himself. No political'ism' can ever solve the problem and bring about real

peace. Each new 'ism' creates only more problems andmore quarrels. 12.Love alone can bring peace to the world. Thereforelove all. Only if everyone practices the religion oflove, can there be peace in the world. 13.Ethics should be put into practice by all. Thisalone will contribute to peace, universal love, unity,proper understanding, world harmony and brotherhood ofmankind. 14.Everlasting Peace can be found only within your own

Atman or Self, or God. 15.World-peace is possible when all the people of theworld wake up to the facts governing universal lifeand when there is a heart-to-heart feeling ofgoodness, love and oneness among the inhabitants of

the world. 16.Peace, to be lasting and constructive, must beachieved through God. There can be no peace withoutthe Lord or God. God is Peace. Root yourself in Peaceor God. Now you are fit to radiate peace.