Creative Peace

The Peace Table

- A Table for Peace for each continent -

Peace, peace upon all the earth.
Not the peace of an inconscient sleep or a self-satisfied inertia;
Not the peace of a self-forgetful ignorance
And a dark, heavy indifference,
But the peace of the omnipotent force,
The peace of perfect communion,
The peace of integral awakening.

(The Mother)
George Nakashima

George Nakashima, renowned Master Woodworker who was born in the United States but worked in a Tokyo architectural firm prior to World War II, came to Pondicherry in 1937 to help design and build Golconde, Mother's beloved guest house in the Ashram. He was so touched by Sri Aurobindo and Mother that he gave up all pay and lived as an Ashramite for the two years he was in Pondy. Sri Aurobindo gave him the name Sundarananda, 'One who delights in Beauty', and Sundarananda continued as a devotee for the rest of his life. He died in 1990.
http://www.auroville.org/organisation/supp_peacetable_.htm

"UNREASONABLE WOMEN" EMBODY PEACE

Photo caption: Fifty women spell PEACE with their naked bodies to
protest war with Iraq. Photo: Art Rogers.

Wearing nothing but afternoon rain, fifty determined women lay down on
Love Field near Point Reyes Station, California to literally embody
PEACE. They asked local photographer, Art Rogers, to record the event,
which he did from atop an 18-foot ladder.

Women of all ages and walks of life took off their clothes not because
they are exhibitionists but because they felt it was imperative to shock

a seemingly indifferent nation and administration into breaking the
vicious cycle of war.

Making their bodies figures of speech, they allied themselves with the
"Unreasonable Women" group, whose credo is that reasonable behavior will

not get their point across to the men of war.

"We have voted, we have held rallies and marches, with little effect.
Now we have taken this bold step to convey our feelings of desperation
over war," said Donna Sheehan, one of the organizers.

Her inspiration for the naked demonstration was Helen Odeworitse, the
leader
of 600 Nigerian women who peacefully seized control of an oil terminal
in Africa.

"As Helen said, 'Our weapon is our nakedness'," said Sheehan. "We hope
to effect change as she did, without harming a soul."

http://www.indybay.org/news/2002/11/1543665.php

The Rainbow Bridge is an exciting global project whose goal is to facilitate the emergence of a global wisdom-based culture of peace. The Rainbow Bridge: Universal Book of Living, Dying and Dreaming is a book that illuminates the common ground in all of the world's major religions in less than 200 pages. It distills the heart of all religions into an easy to read, simple book that has been translated by volunteers into eighteen languages in addition to English, with more translations currently taking place.

http://www.therainbowbridge.org/

Jim Burklov the minister of Sausalito Presbyterian Church

She is with us now, in the gathering darkness of winter. Through her the hope of new life is born again within and among us. The dark Virgin whispers to us of a creative, peace-making, justice-serving Word that is about to emerge. A Word that energizes us to acts of compassion, to be willing to make sacrifices for the common good. A Word that seeks a justice beyond an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and a war for a war. A Word that shows a love beyond the easy warm and fuzzy. A love that goes the distance, right into the hearts of our enemies.

The dark Virgin whispers: You are my child. My precious child. And all those you know are my children. You are all brothers and sisters, flesh of my flesh, soul of my soul, so cherish each other as you cherish yourselves, and as I cherish you. Your pain is mine, in your victories I share. I am your Mother, and I need your love and your care, and more than all else I need your presence. I need to be with you, and you with me. So linger with me, let my heart be yours. Your gifts of compassion to each other, your acts of service, will be gifts to me. The respect you show to the earth and its living creatures will be respect you show to me. So may it be. Amen....

http://tcpc.blogs.com/musings/2005/12/the_dark_virgin.html