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Escalation of Peace

17 November 2015
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Excerpt from Creating True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community, and the World by Thich Nhat Hanh

Escalation of Peace – page 91 to 92, read during Afternoon of Mindfulness 14.11.2015

(also pages 103-109 was read but it hasn’t been written up)

Suffering, unhappiness, violence, and war escalate when we are overcome with anger and try to punish and inflict suffering on the other side. We act this way because we believe that as a result we will suffer less, but of course this action only leads to the other side desiring revenge. This is the surest course of destruction. Deep down, we know this is childish, unintelligent behavior, but still most of us act this way. When we suffer, we blame the other person or group. We hope that is we can punish them and make them suffer, we will feel better and gain some relief. We know the disastrous effects of such behavior, yet we continue to follow this course. The result is more unhappiness, more terrorism, more violence, and more war.

Sometimes, people who cannot find any way to resolve a problem with someone else are tempted to eliminate the problem by eliminating the other person. They wish the other person would just go away, die, or disappear. That desire may be strong enough to lead them to kill. Killing another person is not an act of freedom but an act of despair and great ignorance; it will not bring freedom or peace.

Let us train ourselves to act with Right Understanding and compassion and move in the opposite direction. We can live our lives in such a way that we cause an escalation of peace to occur within our family, our school, and our society. Offering a calm and gentle smile – this is an act of peace. Looking with the eyes of compassion, making a peaceful step – these are gestures of peace and nonviolence that you can offer every day. Speak peacefully, walk peacefully, think peacefully, and your peace will radiate out in all directions.

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by wakeuplondon
News & EventsPeace SitWake Up London

Meditation Gathering for Climate Action

13 November 2015

Wake Up London and Dharma Action Network for Climate Engagement are coming together to organize a meditation gathering prior to the People’s March on Sunday 29th November, the eve of the beginning of the Paris Climate Summit and where people around the world will be taking to the streets to show our love for the planet, and our solidarity as a globally conscious and connected movement at this pivotal time.

When: Sunday 29 November, 12-12.30pm
Where: Joy of Life Fountain, located next to Aldford Street North Gate, alongside Park Lane, London W1K
Nearest tube stations: Hyde Park Corner, Green Park, Marble Arch
Map to location: https://goo.gl/maps/q6coRRHQ32P2

Join the Facebook event page here and please share and invite your friends and family.

“When we meditate together and walk mindfully together, we amplify the power of our mindfulness, concentration and compassion. This strong energy of collective awareness will be felt in the world. It has the power to re-establish the Earth’s equilibrium and restore balance, since we are nothing less than Mother Earth herself. Our actions will lead to collective insight, collective awakening, and collective change.”

Check out these recent links for inspiration:

Climate-March-webflyer

by wakeuplondon
ActionPlum VillageReading

Plum Village’s Call to Action: People’s Climate Prayer

13 November 2015
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Plum Village released a letter yesterday calling our international community of mindfulness practitioners to come together to engage in awakened action from Nov. 29 to Dec.11 during the Paris Climate Summit.

Please read the letter here.

“When we meditate together and walk mindfully together, we amplify the power of our mindfulness, concentration and compassion. This strong energy of collective awareness will be felt in the world. It has the power to re-establish the Earth’s equilibrium and restore balance, since we are nothing less than Mother Earth herself. Our actions will lead to collective insight, collective awakening, and collective change.”

Wake Up London members are organizing a Meditation Gathering for Climate Action in Hyde Park before joining the People’s March on Sunday 29th November. All are welcome!

A few other recent links for inspiration on climate action:

With peaceful steps on the Earth,
Wake Up UK friends

by wakeuplondon
Plum VillagePoliticsPress

Buddhist Climate Change Statement to World Leaders 2015

12 November 2015

http://plumvillage.org/buddhist-insights-climate-quotes/

http://plumvillage.org/buddhist-insights-climate-quotes/

On 29th October, Thich Nhat Hanh, together with fourteen other most senior Buddhist leaders including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, have issued a landmark international Buddhist Statement on Climate Change announced to world leaders. The statement calls upon these leaders to adopt an effective climate change agreement at the upcoming UN negotiations in Paris (COP21) starting 30 November. This is the first time so many Buddhist luminaries have come together on any global issue to speak with one voice.

Read the statement here where you are also invited to add you name to endorse it. Read the news article coming from the Plum Village website.

Please also see the ‘Time to Act is Now: A Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change’ which the GBCCC statement endorses as well.

by wakeuplondon
ActionCommunity

Calais collection at Saturday Wake Up this week (12th September)

10 September 2015

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In response to the news of the refugee struggle we would like to invite you to bring
1 or 2 items to Sangha next week that we will then transport to a pickup point on Sunday.
Please see this notice for what is asked for.
Due to carriage (Joe on his bike!) we are limiting this collection –
here are the London drop off points in this Guardian article.
When you arrive on Saturday please add your items to the centrepiece.
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by joeholtaway
ActionPeace SitWake Up London

Peace Sit at the DSEI Arms Fair, London Saturday September 12th 11.30am

5 September 2015

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Meditation flash mob for peace at the DSEI arms fair, ExCel Centre as part of the Stop the Arms Fair week of action.

Saturday 12th September 11:30am.
All welcome.

The DSEI arms fair in London is connected to torture, war and repression around the world. It is one of the world’s biggest arms fair, where governments including repressive regimes with poor human rights records come to buy weapons.

At 11.30am, we will sit together as a community in meditation connecting with our peace, stability and compassion. We seek to make the link between peace in ourselves and peace in the world, highlighting the damage caused by the arms trade, while recognising the humanity of those involved.

LOCATION: The centre of the Sandstone Lane / Royal Albert way roundabout. Two minutes from Prince Regents DLR station and the nearest public land to the ExCel centre where the arms fair will be held.

Optional pre-meet in Cundy Park (next to Prince Regent DLR) from 10.45am. Come and make a placard. We will walk down to the roundabout together at 11.15am. (You may also like to consider bringing something to sit on.)

We will finish just after mid-day as the day of action begins (including art, music, poems, performances, people stories and tasty food!).

This flash mob is organised by Wake Up London, a meditation group practising in the style of Zen Buddhist and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh. It is part of the Stop the Arms Fair week of action to challenge the arms fair before it begins on the 15th Sept. People of all backgrounds, ages, practices, faiths or of none welcome.

http://www.stopthearmsfair.org.uk/events/stop-the-arms-fair-big-day-of-action/

by joeholtaway
Peace WalkWake Up London

Peace Walk St James Park this Friday 4th – 7pm

2 September 2015

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Join us for half an hour of led walking meditation in St James’s Park on Friday 10th July.

We will meet from 7pm outside the Park Cafe.
From there after a short introduction we’ll walk peacefully and quietly together around the park returning to the cafe for 8.

Read more on waling meditation here:
http://plumvillage.org/mindfulness-practice/walking-meditation/

for more events see
http://wakeuplondon.org/summer-of-love-2015/

https://www.facebook.com/events/138178689856306/

by joeholtaway
Peace WalkWake Up London

Peace Walk – Oxford Street/Summer of Love 2015 – Friday 21st August 7pm

11 August 2015

 Wake Up Oxford St

Join us as we bring our next Summer of Love event to Oxford Street on Friday 21st August.

We will meet at 7pm in Cavendish Square Gardens.
From there after a short introduction we’ll walk peacefully and quietly together down Oxford Street toward Soho Gardens – the walk will take around 30-40 minutes.

All very welcome

Walking in peace and walking for peace.

Read more on waling meditation here:
http://plumvillage.org/mindfulness-practice/walking-meditation/

for more events see
http://wakeuplondon.org/summer-of-love-2015/

by joeholtaway
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Wake Up London is a community of individuals practicing together to promote peace and reconciliation within ourselves and for our planet. We’d love to highlight what’s happening within our community, and how the practice is positively impacting our society.

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