Rotary Peace & Conflict Studies Program: Reframing Peace?

One may feel the regular rhythm of the life pattern,
One may feel cooled in air conditioned comfort,
It leaves impressions that all is secure,
Yet Gaia is sending signals daily,
The homeless are struggling barely,
Yin and yang are not in equilibrium,
Homeostasis of the planet is unbalanced,
For the right questions are not being asked.

The peace maker is one who focuses on peace,
How can one focus on the intangible?
What is peace to the uninformed?
Is peace the lullaby that brings the feeling that all will be taken care of?
Is peace the moment when the fighting stops?
Is peace the moment in meditation when one loses oneself?
Or is it the height of great accomplishment?

Peace is the first glance into the eyes of a child,
For in that moment the future is seen,
The future is pristine,
The future is then shaped by attitudes, conditions and the persona,
For the world is shaped by the vision of the future,
And the shape of the world is molded by what is perceived.

For to imagine the future one must have hope,
To nurture the future one must have love,
To create the future one must have freedom,
To sustain the future one must minimize wants,
Focusing on what is needed,
For greed is over consumption.

It is the simple retreat,
That focuses on what is necessary,
That seeks balance in simple living,
That returns to homeostasis,
For you are indeed the planet,
And the planet is you,
An interconnected system of relationships,
That is designed for harmony,
For in truth peace is who you are.

Yet many have been distracted,
The manufacture of consent,
The wishing well that is unlimited,
Is not the road to happiness.

The smiling Buddha is no longer smiling,
For as he left the palace of capitalism,
He saw the poverty his walls created,
For he was blinded by his comforts,
He was numbed by his status,
He had forgotten the pain of the people,
Who are left wanting,
And this cannot be ignored.

Therefore: the wise student learns well the lessons of the world,
Yet copies it not,
For the world is in confusion,
And more order is not the solution to chaos.

One must seek stillness from busyness,
Develop relationship to all others,
Convey the true face,
For in gentle eyes peace can be seen,
Without ambition and detachment,
But warmth and a genuine embrace,
For each is a diamond in this quandary,
Each represents a piece of the puzzle,
Indeed a rubrics cube.

The jester proposes the riddle: