I have been writing about life, and the joys and sufferings that flow from it, for over 30 years. Following the conservative Roman Catholic tradition of my childhood well into my adulthood, I did not begin to explore the foundational text of other ethical traditions until I began a consistent practice of thought clearing meditation in 2014. The words that came out of the Eastern traditions of Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism, added significant clarity to my previous understandings of myself, the world, and all.
These words and the teachers who used them, helped me to accept that vulnerability, pain, and death are inherent in life and that we do not have the answers to each human question that is put before us. Those who attempt to deny these truths, or escape their own mortality through the domination and exploitation of others, not only distort the healthy symbiotic relationship that is necessary for sustaining life, but also blindly step over the gifted possibilities that only can be experienced in the present moment.
As my meditative practice continued and layers of self-defeating criticism and condemnation that had turned me against myself were removed, the dream of wholeness, that had laid dormant since my childhood, began to shine forth toward realization. Absent of the shackles that confined me to the social box that had been prepared for me since I was conceived, my unique creative potential became unlocked, and I spontaneously and immediately began expressing it to myself, the community, and the world. In the words of J. Krishnamurti, “Meditation is the explosion of intelligence.”
The mental nourishment that this mind exercise provides, strengthens the intrinsic integrity of the individual, encourages a healthy care and compassion for the self, and expands one’s charism, allowing them to walk with dignity and honesty toward human fulfillment while significantly lessening the feelings of isolation and loneliness. Meditation promotes healing of the psychic wounds from our past and frees the energy previously spent on unwarranted stress so it can be directed toward soothing current ailments. It hones one’s critical thinking ability; as a result, it enables the practitioner to cut through the illusions and confusions heaped upon us by those who operate the levers of power in their attempt to diminish the sanctity of the human individual, and sever the connective tissue that naturally bonds us to our communities, our global family, and the earth.
This space will be used as a framework to create a meditative literary space, that promotes peace, expresses people’s deepest longings, and exercises their passion to relieve any suffering they are causing in themselves. In turn, we can begin the creative work of lessening the human initiated suffering that has been retarding the positive development of humanity as a whole. In short, the aim is to discover ways to harmonize with the community of the earth.
In this framework, one comes to understand that there are two spheres where peace can be known. One is within us, and the other is contained in the environment that surrounds us. Within, peace and calm, are always available if one maintains a consistent and disciplined practice of stilling their thoughts. In this practice, the suffering caused by anxiety and depression becomes a choice, not an absolute. In our outer environment, peace is also always available, but this requires uncoerced cooperation between oneself and the many other unique forms of life that share this global space.
When creative involvement within these two spheres proceeds, peace becomes the highest value, and caring deeply for ourselves and others becomes the obvious course. In this context, the information provided in these pages will explore two important questions that allows us to perform a status check on our commitment to promoting peace. Looking in, we ask, “Who am I becoming as a person?” Looking out, the question becomes plural, and we ask: Who are we becoming, as a community, a nation, and a world?
Guy Schell © 2023