Poetic Peace Pilgrimage – Year 9 – Day 312 – 10/24/2022

blessed be in this moment of eternity of a treasure trove of riches – it’s another moment to celebrate the astonishing light of our interbeing, Diwali – the Hindu Festival of Light, global oneness day and on this very day 77 years ago, the UN was founded and two years ago today Honduras became the 50th country to ratify the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons with 50 as the magic number for this treaty which is a huge milestone in the decades-long effort to eliminate nuclear weapons and it officially entered into force 90 days later in January 2021…

thanks be for more nations of the world adding their voices to the chorus demanding the elimination of nuclear weapons thus paving the way for a world of peace which is the future we want – a world free from threats of mass destruction – and is on the tip of our consciousness… as more and more people around the world take up the cause of delegitimizing the arsenals of the nuclear nations, we must hold nuclear-armed nations to account for these weapons are the most urgent existential threat to human and all other sentient beings’ security…

may we continue to stand together in love and hope re-membering ourstory is built on compassion, sacrifice, courage and loving kindness as we listen to the whispered wisdom of this prayer:

“Let our standing be a mindful gesture:  mindful of the ground on which we are standing, the one little plot of land on this earth not belonging to one nation, but to all nations united.  It is a very small piece of land, indeed, but it is a symbol of human concord, a symbol of the truth that this poor, mistreated earth belongs to all of us together.

As we stand, then, like plants standing on a good plot of ground, let us sink our roots deep into our hidden unity.  Allow yourself to feel what it means to stand and to extend your inner roots.

Rooted in the soil of the heart, let us expose ourselves to the wind of the Spirit, the one Spirit who moves all who let themselves be moved.  Let us breathe deeply the breath of the one Spirit.

Let our standing bear witness that we take a stand on common ground.

Let our standing be an expression of reverence for all those who before us have taken a stand for human unity.

Let us stand with reverence on the ground of our common human endeavor, joining all those who stood on this ground, from the first shaper of tools to the engineers of the most complex machines and institutions.

Let us stand with reverence on the common ground of the human quest for meaning, side by side with all who ever stood on this ground in their searching thought, in their celebration of beauty, in their dedicated service.

Let us stand in reverence before all those who on our common ground stood up to be counted, stood up – and were cut down.

Let us remember that to stand up as we have now stood up implies a readiness to lay down one’s life for that for which one stands.

Let us stand in awe before those thousands upon thousands – known and unknown – who have laid down their lives for the common cause of our human family.

Let us stand and bow our heads, because we stand under judgment.

We stand under judgment, for ‘One is the human Spirit.’  If we are one with the heroes and prophets, we are also one with those who persecuted and killed them.  One with the henchmen as we are one with the victims.  We all share the glory of human greatness and the shame of human failure.

Allow me to invite you now to focus your mind on the most inhuman act of destruction you can find in your memory.  And now take this, together with all human violence, all human greed, injustice, stupidity, hypocrisy, all human misery, and lift it all up, with all the strength of your heart, into the stream of compassion and healing that pulsates through the heart of the world – that center in which all our hearts are one.  This is not an easy gesture.  It may almost seem too difficult for some of us.  But until we can reach and tap with our deepest roots this common source of concord and compassion, we have not yet claimed within our own hearts that oneness that is our common human birthright.

Standing firm, then, in this oneness, let us close our eyes.

Let us close our eyes to bring home to ourselves our blindness as we face the future.

Let us close our eyes to focus our minds on the inner light, our one common light, in whose brightness we shall be able to walk together even in the dark.

Let us close our eyes as a gesture of trust in the guidance of the one Spirit who will move us if we open our hearts.

‘One is the human Spirit,’ but the human Spirit is more than human, because the human heart is unfathomable.  Into this depth let us silently sink our roots.  There lies our only source of peace.

In a moment, when I will invite you to open again your eyes, I will invite you also to turn in this Spirit to the person next to you with greeting of peace.  Let our celebration culminate and conclude in this gesture, by which we will send one another forth as messengers of peace.  Let us do this now.

Peace be with you all!”

amazingly, this prayer was not created for today’ but was led by Brother David Steindl-Rast at a gathering of spiritual leaders forty-eight years ago on the 30th Anniversary of the United Nations, October 24, 1975.

let us stand together in peace for peace re-membering our birthright is of  compassionate lovingkindness…

Poetic Peace Pilgrimage – Year 8 – Day 233 – 8/6/2021

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction. The splitting of the atom has changed everything except the way we think. Thus we drift toward unparalleled catastrophe. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive.”  ~ Albert Einstein ~

The Atomic Bomb Dome pictured here was the only structure left standing in the area 75 years ago when the first ever atomic bomb was detonated on Hiroshima, Japan Its marker reads: “As a historical witness that conveys the tragedy of suffering the first atomic bomb in human history and as a symbol that vows to faithfully seek the abolition of nuclear weapons and everlasting world peace.”

may we all join with Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui in calling for the total elimination of the world’s nuclear weapons…

heiwa, heiwa, heiwa…

here’s one more hibakusha’s cry for peace that began as a cry of revenge:

Koko Kondo had a secret mission as a girl: revenge… determined to find the person who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the person that caused the suffering and the terrible burns she saw on the faces of girls at her father’s church and then give them a punch,.she got her chance in 1955 as ten-year-old Kondo appeared on an American TV show called “This is Your Life” that featured her father, Rev. Kiyoshi Tanimoto, one of six survivors profiled in John Hersey’s book “Hiroshima.” Kondo stared in hatred at another guest: Capt. Robert Lewis, co-pilot of the B-29 bomber Enola Gay that dropped the bomb… while Kondo, who survived the bombing as an infant, wondered if she would act on her fantasy and punch him, the host asked Lewis how he felt after dropping the bomb… “Looking down from thousands of feet over Hiroshima, all I could think of was, ‘God, what have we done?’” he said. Kondo saw tears well in Lewis’ eyes, and her hatred melted away. “He was not a monster; he was just another human being… I knew that I should hate the war, not him.” she was grateful she met Lewis because it helped the hate go away… on the eve of Thursday’s memorial at the cenotaph of Hiroshima Peace Park, Kondo held a moment of silence praying for the victims including Lewis… Hiroshima has become a beautiful place, but atomic bombs still exist, she says, and another nuclear attack would destroy the world… “It’s time we human beings get together and abolish nuclear weapons,We have hope.”

 thank you for joining in and being a pulse of astonishing lights cataly-sing the world with prayers for harmony, conscious evolution and for peace prevailing on Earth… let us close this commemoration with the Nuclear Prayer…

The Beginning and the End are in your hands, O Creator of the Universe. And in our hands you have placed the fate of this planet. We, who are tested by having both creative and destructive power in our free will, turn to you in sober fear and in intoxicating hope. We ask for your guidance and to share in your imagination in our deliberations about the use of nuclear force. Help us to lift the fog of atomic darkness that hovers so pervasively over our Earth, Your Earth, so that soon all eyes may see life magnified by your pure light. Bless all of us who wait today for your Presence and who dedicate ourselves to achieve your intended peace and rightful equilibrium on Earth. In the Name of all that is holy and all that is hoped. Amen.”

hear our prayer and cry: Peace Prevails on Earth!

let’s close our sacred ceremony for today with the Essene Communion for Saturday dedicating ourselves to living in the unity of our interbeing… 

THE DEEPENING: Fasting is the first principle. Fast from negative thoughts, words and deeds. Fast from ego, pride and desire. Fast from all physical ills and Ye shall behold the strength and the wisdom of the spirit.

MORNING COMMUNION: The EARTHLY MOTHER and I are one. Blessed is the child who knoweth the Earthy Mother, for she is the provider and the sustainer of life. Her harvest becomes thy body, her waters become thy blood, her winds will carry thy spirit, and as each morning comes, I shall embrace her.

MEDITATION: The richness of the Mother’s garden surrounds us. The forces of nature toil unendingly for the benefit of all. For this we are blessed. The kingdom which guides and nurtures the plants and the forests is yet another manifestation of the Mother’s love for us, and we within this kingdom must return her blessings with respect, with caring, and with love.

NOON CONTEMPLATION: Peace with the HEAVENLY FATHER:
Ye that love thy Heavenly Father do Ye then his bidding; Walk Ye with his Holy Angels and you shall find peace within his Holy Law.


EVENING COMMUNION: Angel of ETERNAL LIFE I invoke thee; descend upon my soul and bless my spirit with the splendor and the knowledge of eternal life. And as each evening comes, I shall embrace thee. 

THE BLESSING: The food upon my table shares its life with me. And as this life nourishes my body, one day my body shall nourish this earth. And until that time shall pass, I shall return her blessings with kindness, with respect, and with my love.

Verily I say unto you, if in the daytime the Earthly Mother holds you in her arms, and in the night the Heavenly Father breathes his kiss upon you, then will the Sons of Men become the Sons of God. ~Gospel of Peace of Jesus Christ

Poetic Peace Pilgrimage – Year 7 – Day 233 – 8/5/2020

I was dead, then alive.
Weeping, then laughing.
The power of love came into me,
and I became fierce like a lion,
then tender like the evening star.

~ Rumi ~

The Atomic Bomb Dome pictured here was the only structure left standing in the area 75 years ago when the first ever atomic bomb was detonated on Hiroshima, Japan Its marker reads: “As a historical witness that conveys the tragedy of suffering the first atomic bomb in human history and as a symbol that vows to faithfully seek the abolition of nuclear weapons and everlasting world peace.”

the children of the earth have gathered on this day for 27 years in front of the Atomic Dome in the Hiroshima Memorial Park at exactly the time 75 years earlier that an explosion of atoms shattered the world… today, as millions come together across the world, we unite for an explosion of a vastly different sort… an explosion of love and peace, a chorus of voices with every country in the world represented in one unified prayer for peace… may peace prevail on earth…

yes, the one heart of all our relations choir is now unstoppable… yes, peace prevails on earth…

thousandfold thanks for standing together in love and peace for love and peace…

and, may we all join with Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui in calling for the total elimination of the world’s nuclear weapons…

heiwa, heiwa, heiwa…

typhoon francisco came roaring through Japan last year and still we stood in peace for peace… on this the 28th year of re-membering although the pandemic stops us from gathering in front of the dome, the gathering has gone viral and virtual… thank you for joining in and being a pulse that lights up the world with prayers for harmony, conscious evolution and for peace to prevail on Earth… let us close once again with the Nuclear Prayer…

The Beginning and the End are in your hands, O Creator of the Universe. And in our hands you have placed the fate of this planet. We, who are tested by having both creative and destructive power in our free will, turn to you in sober fear and in intoxicating hope. We ask for your guidance and to share in your imagination in our deliberations about the use of nuclear force. Help us to lift the fog of atomic darkness that hovers so pervasively over our Earth, Your Earth, so that soon all eyes may see life magnified by your pure light. Bless all of us who wait today for your Presence and who dedicate ourselves to achieve your intended peace and rightful equilibrium on Earth. In the Name of all that is holy and all that is hoped. Amen.”

hear our prayer and cry: Peace Prevails on Earth!

Poetic PEACE Pilgrimage – Year 6 – Day 232 – 8/5/2019

Named Awaken 5 PEACE in Hiroshima Atomic_Bomb_Dome_Aug_2016.

I was dead, then alive.
Weeping, then laughing.
The power of love came into me,
and I became fierce like a lion,
then tender like the evening star.

~ Rumi ~

~

The Atomic Bomb Dome pictured here
was the only structure left standing in the area 74 years ago when the first atomic bomb was detonated in Hiroshima, Japan
Its marker reads:

“As a historical witness that conveys the tragedy of suffering the first atomic bomb in human history and as a symbol that vows to faithfully seek the abolition of nuclear weapons and everlasting world peace.”

~

the children of the earth gather this day in front of the Atomic Dome in the Hiroshima Memorial Park at exactly the time 74 years earlier that an explosion of atoms shattered the world… today, as millions come together across the world, we unite for an explosion of a vastly different sort… an explosion of love and peace, a chorus of voices with every country in the world represented in one unified prayer for peace… may peace prevail on earth…

yes, the one heart of all our relations choir is now unstoppable… yes, peace prevails on earth…

thousandfold thanks for standing together in love and peace for love and peace…

and, may we all join with Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui in calling for the total elimination of the world’s nuclear weapons…

heiwa, heiwa, heiwa…

typhoon francisco came roaring through Japan today and still we stood in peace for peace… thank you for joining in and being a pulse that lights up the world with prayers for harmony, conscious evolution and for peace to prevail on Earth… let us close with the Nuclear Prayer…

~

The Beginning and the End are in your hands, O Creator of the Universe. And in our hands you have placed the fate of this planet. We, who are tested by having both creative and destructive power in our free will, turn to you in sober fear and in intoxicating hope. We ask for your guidance and to share in your imagination in our deliberations about the use of nuclear force. Help us to lift the fog of atomic darkness that hovers so pervasively over our Earth, Your Earth, so that soon all eyes may see life magnified by your pure light. Bless all of us who wait today for your Presence and who dedicate ourselves to achieve your intended peace and rightful equilibrium on Earth. In the Name of all that is holy and all that is hoped. Amen.

~

Thousandfold Peace, Thousandfold Peace, Thousand Thousandfold Peace in our one cosmic heart…

Peace Prevails on Earth!

Poetic PEACE Pilgrimage – Year 5 – Day 233 – 8/6/2018

Named Awesome August 6 PEACE in Hiroshima Atomic_Bomb_Dome_Aug_2016.

I was dead, then alive.
Weeping, then laughing.
The power of love came into me,
and I became fierce like a lion,
then tender like the evening star.

~ Rumi ~

the children of the earth gather this day in front of the Atomic Dome in the Hiroshima Memorial Park at exactly the time 73 years earlier that an explosion of atoms shattered the world… today, as millions come together across the world, we unite for an explosion of a vastly different sort… an explosion of love and peace, a chorus of voices with every country in the world represented in one unified prayer for peace… may peace prevail on earth…

yes, the one heart of all our relations choir is now unstoppable… yes, peace prevails on earth…

thousandfold thanks for standing together in love and peace for love and peace…

and, may we all join with Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui in calling for the total elimination of the world’s nuclear weapons…

heiwa, heiwa, heiwa…