Once I was in a meditation, and the monk leading it said, "Let's pray for world peace."
Being a doubting type of mind, I said to myself,
"There is NEVER going to be world peace. The point is that the world is meant for suffering,
and for that we need friction, not peace."
I resolved to ask him after the meditation why we pray for something that isn't going to ever happen.
The meditation ended a bit after, and as we walked out, it happened that I was walking out last with him.
I wasn't in a talkative mood, but I looked over to him and whispered, "World peace?"
He knew exactly what I meant, and replied: "Peace in your world."
And that struck me like a lightning bolt: It's not about making the whole world peaceful, it's about our own little world:
peace in our relationships with others, peace in our actions with people we may not agree with, and especially peace within ourselves.
If we cannot get to a place where we are peaceful within our minds and emotions, the one place where we actually have control,
how are we to have any success outside in the world, where peoples words, thoughts and actions are not within our control?
We cannot. So we have to start within ourselves.
The easiest way is to develop an understanding mindset, to develop a habit of looking to give ourselves and others a break.
in other words, compassion, or as it is in sanskrit, karuna or daya. Usually these terms refer to a compassion for others,
but in my view, you cannot do for others what you cannot do for yourself.
Start this process today, by letting yourself and others off the hook, and who knows what peace lays before you!