AOM Meditations: 122120

by Eyvind Earle

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“Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, 

and tends to produce ferocity toward those 

who are not regarded as members of the herd.”

~Bertrand Russell

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“We often think of peace as the absence of war, that if powerful countries would reduce their weapon arsenals, we could have peace. But if we look deeply into the weapons, we see our own minds- our own prejudices, fears and ignorance. Even if we transport all the bombs to the moon, the roots of war and the roots of bombs are still there, in our hearts and minds, and sooner or later we will make new bombs. To work for peace is to uproot war from ourselves and from the hearts of men and women. To prepare for war, to give millions of men and women the opportunity to practice killing day and night in their hearts, is to plant millions of seeds of violence, anger, frustration, and fear that will be passed on for generations to come. ”

~Thich Nhat Hanh

(Living Buddha, Living Christ)

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“All violence is the result of people tricking themselves 

into believing that their pain derives from other people 

and that consequently those people deserve to be punished.”

~Marshall B. Rosenberg

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“Violence is the method of ignorance, 

the weapon of the weak. 

The strong of heart and brain need no violence, 

for they are irresistible 

in their consciousness of being right.”

~Alexander Berkman