Today’s journey on the A-to-Z blogging challenge path leads us to the letter E, where we find eirenism.
Eirenism is defined as “a peaceful state of mind; tending to promote peace or reconciliation; peaceful or concillatory.”
Just thinking about that makes me want to slow down, take a deep breath, and settle into calmness.
While I think I have a natural tendency to be able to hold and anchor serenity more easily than some people can, I also think it’s important to understand and acknowledge the dynamic nature of all things, Life is really is a beautiful nuanced dance.
Peace is something I think a lot about. I do think there is much we can each do individually – we must certainly protect the vulnerable as best we can; we must model non-violent conflict resolution and compassionate action towards all beings; we must work towards strong peace. While it can be hard to believe that any individual action really makes a difference collectively, at the very least I believe I can be responsible for my life.
I also believe it’s entirely possible to bury your own needs, disregard you own desires, and diminish your own self, all in the name of maintaining peace or promoting reconciliation. This does not speak to me of eirenism, but rather contempt and negligience of one’s own sovereignty.
I believe true eirenism must come from a place of openness, non-judgment, and a commitment to unity consciousness – an energy field I like to call neutral beneficence. When we can be in that state of allowance peace becomes a real possibility.
I think deeply knowing who you are is actually key to everything.
I believe we’re all sparks of the divine, here, now, on this planet, as individuated points of focus. Dancing in a field of polarity, caught up in the illusion that we’re separate, but ever more increasingly opening to remembering we’re not.
When we know ourselves and we know we’re not truly separate from all that is, then there is no alternative but peace.
I love this invocation from the late Buddhist teacher Maylie Scott:
“May I be well, loving, and peaceful. May all beings be well, loving, and peaceful.
May I continually cultivate the ground of peace for myself and others and persist, mindful and dedicated to this work, independent of results.
May I know that my peace and the world’s peace are not separate; that our peace in the world is a result of our work for justice.
May all beings be well, happy and peaceful.”
I am committed to eirenism and helping create a world where all beings can live in harmony and peace.
What about you? What kind of world would you like to live in? Do tell – you know I’d love to hear.
A world where all beings can live in peace and harmony! Would that it could happen. Love your words!
Sometimes I like imagining each of us building our own corners of peace and harmony, and watching them all connect into something huge and unshakeable. May it be so!
Today, I’m looking for harmony. Peace. Answers. Love your posts, maybe by the end of the 26 posts, i’ll achieve my goal. Thank you!
Thanks for the kind words Yolanda, and may you find what you’re looking for!
Oh my! peace and harmony is good but I also want to have some fun?
Evalina, This and that…
LOL – yes indeed Evalina. Fun definitely belongs on the agenda.
And no sickness and no accidents. I want to live in a happy and healthy world?
Evalina, This and that…
I can certainly get behind that Evalina.
Hi Deborah – what a very interesting word – one I hadn’t come across … Eirenism … we coud all do with being in its state … promoting peace, being prepared to be at one with others … all so essential in this day and age. Lovely post – cheers Hilary
Yes – more and more of that please!
i love reading the words you are choosing! I love SAYING the words you are choosing. such beautiful energy.
“I think deeply knowing who you are is actually key to everything.”
and yes, yes, yes.
It’s a good thing we have a lifetime to explore isn’t it? Knowing ourselves deeply feels like an endless, but hopefully exciting task.
What an interesting word Deborah! Where did you find it? It’s not in my dictionary. I want to live in a world of peace, loving kindness, harmony and acceptance. I came across a Loving Kindness Meditation yesterday as I was clearing and getting rid of stuff for my upcoming move in May. Here’s a bit of it. “May you be at peace, may your heart be open, may you know the beauty of your own true nature, may you be healed.” Thanks for another uplifting post!
Part of the fun for me with this project is to use unusual words – some archaic, some from non-English languages, some made up – you get the drift. So there will probably be several you can’t find in your dictionary. On the other hand, it strikes me that now that so much of our life is online there is no good reason for dictionaries to be limited in size the way they once were. Wordnik is a perfect example. Their mission as a nonprofit organization, is to find and share as many words of English as possible with as many people as possible.
What a lovely excerpt from the loving kindness meditation – thank you sharing that!
Good morning, Deborah. I love your word for today. Last night, I went to an event where we were all gathered to discuss specific ways that we can help the Black Lives Matter movement. It was a room full of white people, lol. But we wanted to help. We discussed many things, but what occurred to me in our discussions is that people are often blind to their own biases, which makes peace impossible. If I can’t see how I am offending you, we have little chance of coming to a peaceful resolution. Similarly, if I am feeling judged by you for my ignorance, I will be defensive and not as open to hearing your side of the story. ( I think I feel a blog post coming on!) so, to make a long comment a bit shorter, your word has some big relevance to me as well today.
I’m not sure how successful your meeting was Amy, but truly it seems the only way into these things is with deep conversation and deep listening. I look forward to the day when we can all let go of the defensiveness, the judgment, the separation.
I look forward to your post(s) – I’m always interested in what you have to say.