By Vincent N Arua
Peaceful living is a deep-rooted desire of every individual or nation. It is a state of balance and harmony that ensures happiness and imperturbability at the physical, emotional and spiritual levels.
From time immemorial, man has faced one form of strife or another. It is therefore unsurprising that far back in the 6th Century BC, a Chinese mystic philosopher and teacher – Confucius – taught that there are fifteen sources of trouble; when permitted to rule a person’s life, it “robs him of peace of mind, happiness and prosperity”.
The fifteen sources of trouble, according to this sage are:
- Selfishness
- Greed
- Uncontrolled appetites and desires
- False pride
- Hate
- Intolerance
- Envy
- Bad habits (such as smoking, alcoholism and dope addiction)
- Dishonesty
- Living in the future or the past
- Miserliness
- Extravagance (living beyond one’s means)
- Cruelty
- Injustice
- Materialism (i.e. lack of spirituality)
What Is A Culture Of Peace?
Culture is the way of life of a people. A culture of peace is therefore making peace an aspect of our conscious existence. It is beyond peacekeeping or peacemaking. It is peace-living – which means making peace an integral part of our lives.
Rosicrucians know that just as conflict is manufactured in the laboratory of our minds, so can peace be manifested. This is why we believe that attaining genuine peace and harmony is a realisable goal and an ideal towards which we should strive. Since” thought” is the ancestor of the “deed”, a culture of peace starts from our minds. Man can cultivate the attitudes or ways of life that he desires in the fertile garden of his mind. He may therefore choose to cultivate peace instead of wars, love instead of hate or truth instead of falsehood.
Rosicrucianism Teaches The Way Of Peace and Harmony
In the study and practice of the teachings of the Rosicrucian philosophy, Rosicrucians develop attitudes of mind pertinent to developing inner peace and harmony. The keys to this attainment are:
- The Rosicrucian adopts the right attitude to life. He is not a surface liver; instead, he faces life squarely and solves problems that life may pose before him being aware that every problem is a blessing in disguise. What he cannot change, he learns to live with.
- The Rosicrucian harmonises himself with the laws of nature. The Rosicrucian knows that natural laws are immutable, and instead of working against them, he works with them. This reduces stress and promotes inner and outer harmony.
- The Rosicrucian engages himself in doing the things he feels motivated to do. This is because he knows that real happiness does not depend on materialism or social position but rather on the inner satisfaction which comes from the realisation of our divine natures.
- The Rosicrucian simplifies his life. He does not clutter his life with unnecessary possessions and meaningful activities. He knows that unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens. He does not own more than is necessary for comfort and happiness.
- The Rosicrucian is kind. He treats everyone kindly and courteously and is always ready to help others.
- The Rosicrucian purifies his body and mind. He does this through eating rightly and thinking positively and creatively. He relinquishes all negative feelings, including hatred, envy, and jealousy. He enjoys nature’s beauty and uses mental alchemy principles to transmute adverse conditions into positive ones.
- The Rosicrucian knows to love another as himself. He knows that according to the law of Divine justice, you reap what you sow. He, therefore, goes about sowing good seeds and reaps good rewards.
Self Examination is Necessary For Peace
The Rosicrucian is said to be a “Living Question Mark”. He knows that “an unexamined life is not worth living”. Since his primary desire is to live in harmony with natural and spiritual laws, he often engages in self-assessment to assure himself that he is not slipping off the track.
As put forward by Confucius; the self-examination could take the following format:
“Am I really enjoying life? Do I build something of value each day that will endure? Have I put money and material things in their proper place? Am I living to give something of value to my family and the world? Am I enriching my life by enriching my mind with the spiritual treasures that will endure?
Do I give daily thanks to God, the source of all my blessings? Do I express love daily to my family and friends? Do I communicate with God through prayers and meditation, extolling His virtues and beneficent daily?”
This sort of self-examination and adjustment assures the Rosicrucian that he is on the path to peace profound.
Radiating Peace As A Duty
As a path of his daily prayers, the Rosicrucian radiates peace, love, harmony, kindliness and Health to all humanity; because he realises the measure you give is the measure you receive. To enjoy these spiritual treasures, he endeavours to provide of himself through thought energies that he wants to receive from the God of his understanding.
In Conclusion
The Rosicrucian mystic is positively disposed to peace.’’ He overcomes his enemies through kindness. He heaps no curses but the fiery coals of love upon their heads, knowing that his first and most important victory is the conquest of himself .“ As a principle, the Rosicrucian ensures that he overcomes Evil with Good, Falsehood with Truth and Hatred with Love. These are the secrets of the inner peace and harmony which most Rosicrucians enjoy.
