We are, by nature, non-violent creatures. We do not have fangs, or claws for grasping prey. We do not enjoy eating raw meat dripping with blood. We prefer the colors, smell and taste of fruits.
The human mind is capable of causing enormous harm. The human mind, the same mind, has enormous potential to do good, to benefit countless others.
It’s very important that we get to know our mind, how it functions, what are its constituent parts, what are the causes for happiness and inner peace, and what are the causes for suffering and violence. If we do not familiarize ourselves with our own mind, with how the wish to harm others arises in the mind, and with the importance of applying antidotes against harmful intent, against the wish to harm others, when it arises in the mind, we ourselves will not be happy. The wish to harm others is itself a moment of suffering.
The Public Health Model to Heal Violence explains how the wish to harm others arises in the mind. The model presents the mental causes for the wish to harm others. Breaking the model down into more steps shows how violence arises in the mind in finer detail.
Tibet was once a very violent society. The Tibetans internalized the importance of education for non-violence, and for 1300 years (with some gaps here and there, like during the reign of King Langdarma), the Tibetans created a compassionate society, a society that values virtues such as humility, patience, contentment, rejoicing in the joy of others, respect, kindness, honesty.
The different religions are precious precisely because they are treasuries of methods and ways to cultivate virtues, good qualities. Secular people also need practical knowledge in cultivating virtues and reducing violence.
It’s possible to overcome the wish to harm anyone. In Judaism, the person who overcomes the wish to harm anyone is called a hero (גיבור, gibor),
Peace Pilgrim on the true hero:
"It concerns me when I see a small child watching the hero shoot the villain on television. It is teaching the small child to believe that shooting people is heroic. The hero just did it and it was effective. It was acceptable and the hero was well thought of afterward.
"If enough of us find inner peace to affect the institution of television, the little child will see the hero transform the villain and bring him to a good life. He’ll see the hero do something significant to serve fellow human beings. So little children will get the idea that if you want to be a hero you must help people."
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The path to peace runs through the heart.
“Anything that softens the heart.”
A meaningful life is a life spent helping others with sincerity and kindness.
Dialogue is the path to peace.
The Middle Way Approach
http://mwa.tibet.net/
Public Health Model to Heal and Eradicate Violence
http://therealjannaweiss.blogspot.com/2014/08/getting-to-root-of-violence-integrative.html
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Translated from Hebrew http://cafe.themarker.com/post/3425779/
