Conscious Awakening

Years ago, while travelling in London and in urgent need, I stumbled into an underground toilet at the University of London. There I read some graffiti that has stayed with me ever since. Chiselled into the wood of the booth were the words “Fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity”. This struck me forcibly at the time, and the sentiment still rings true. This journal entry is about trying to observe the processes related to peace within myself; its creation, maintenance and destruction. Today, we are faced with overwhelming and terrifying issues: climate change, species extinction, rising sea levels, refugee tides of humanity, drought and falling food production. In response, we often feel a massive cognitive dissonance, and so disconnect from our feeling nature, or feel angry and helpless. From this state, we may feel the need to ‘fight for peace’. This contradictory intention is clearly self-defeating. No amount of struggle, either inner or outer, can create peace. ...