I Draw and I Write
John L. Waters
October 19, 2005
I draw and I write in peace, and I work in the garden in peace. When I am at peace, no one is hurrying me or making me feel anxious. My pet cat is romping playfully. He is at peace. The garden spider is spinning its web patiently, without any anxieties, tension, or awkwardness. Clouds glide over the verdant landscape silently. Wood smoke rises from the chimney in grace as I split log after log with my axe.
There is plenty of knowledge in a talkative naturalist, but I don't think or talk as I split logs. In silence my mind is at the cutting edge. The log breaks in two. When my cat meows at me, my swing doesn't falter. Each impact of the shining blade answers his call. Each firebrand talks for me.
Before I made peace in 1980 I often made a mistake and hurt myself. I was very active and impulsive. Now both my actions and my words are about the peace center where my hands, heart, and head are one with the universe. I am more powerful and effective now, when I do not speak at all. My garden, my cat, and my axe all teach peace. We speak for each other.
I've known children who dance in a daredevil's world. They are often playing a trick or trying to beat other people. A lot of their time and energy goes into fast competitive sports. In a week they work hard enough to build a house or cut and stack ten ricks of firewood! But for all their tricks, their trials, and their troubles, they make nothing, and they disturb the peace. They can't teach peace.
In 1980, once I was at peace, I could better understand peace. Today I share peace with persons who work with me and enjoy being at peace. We don't always speak. Sometimes we just look at each other or we just look at an object and sense its peace.
Children don't share peace at school. At school each child is made to feel hurried and anxious, and at school each child identifies with his or her name. School children are afraid of making a mistake. At school many children are made to feel shy and intimidated.
Peace is the path not taken, the trail not blazed. Understanding peace is not impossible. The Truth is not unknowable. One doesn't need to die or lose his or her mind to find The Answer. One doesn't need to use a special substance. One just needs to be free, as much as is possible.
Certain things everyone is bound to and one can't be freed from. With respect to these we're all equal. We're all the same. Fighting them is vain. To be at peace we accept these things as true and beyond denial. For example, only fools strive to annihilate or overcome a natural law. I live at peace with nature and the universe. I feel attuned to nature and the universe, and with people who do not strive to annihilate or overcome nature. On this universal accord we can meet and share at the same level, and be free without any tension or anxiety. Here at the peace center no one tries to intimidate or dominate another.
What makes children lose this sense of freedom? Well, children aren't really taught about nature and the universe. Instead, children are taught "manners" and "respect" for arbitrary rules. Certain people intimidate a child and the intimidated child doesn't learn peace and freedom. Peace remains the path not taken, the trail not blazed.
Peace is felt inside a person as the person integrates all parts and feels whole. No part of the person is suppressing negating, or challenging any other. For example, the art of peace makes illustrations showing the two hands drawing at the same time. The writings of peace are produced by both hands using a keyboard. The most sincere peace messages are songs, not words alone. School days are musical events. If this sounds far-fetched or crazy to you, that's because you were educated in a traditional school, and you were taught to develop mainly your dominant hand and your verbal talent.
Traditional families, nation-states, and other traditional groups exclude and deny certain persons on the basis of arbitrary rules that aren't natural laws. Nature and nature's laws consequently aren't regarded as important. These social groups struggle against one another, rather than study peace, teach peace, and feel at peace. This is why peace still is the path not taken, the trail not blazed.
Until the peace teacher appears, peace will be nothing but a mirage on the desert. A false sense of social security will remain, based on intimidation. The social authorities will be strong-armed men backed up with even more powerful weapons. The peace teacher won't come until there are enough people who realize that the revolution to peace is truly needed.
Copyright 2005 by John L. Waters. All Rights Reserved
LINKS
My website at Humboldt State University
My search for a publisher
My letters of recommendation
There is plenty of knowledge in a talkative naturalist, but I don't think or talk as I split logs. In silence my mind is at the cutting edge. The log breaks in two. When my cat meows at me, my swing doesn't falter. Each impact of the shining blade answers his call. Each firebrand talks for me.
Before I made peace in 1980 I often made a mistake and hurt myself. I was very active and impulsive. Now both my actions and my words are about the peace center where my hands, heart, and head are one with the universe. I am more powerful and effective now, when I do not speak at all. My garden, my cat, and my axe all teach peace. We speak for each other.
I've known children who dance in a daredevil's world. They are often playing a trick or trying to beat other people. A lot of their time and energy goes into fast competitive sports. In a week they work hard enough to build a house or cut and stack ten ricks of firewood! But for all their tricks, their trials, and their troubles, they make nothing, and they disturb the peace. They can't teach peace.
In 1980, once I was at peace, I could better understand peace. Today I share peace with persons who work with me and enjoy being at peace. We don't always speak. Sometimes we just look at each other or we just look at an object and sense its peace.
Children don't share peace at school. At school each child is made to feel hurried and anxious, and at school each child identifies with his or her name. School children are afraid of making a mistake. At school many children are made to feel shy and intimidated.
Peace is the path not taken, the trail not blazed. Understanding peace is not impossible. The Truth is not unknowable. One doesn't need to die or lose his or her mind to find The Answer. One doesn't need to use a special substance. One just needs to be free, as much as is possible.
Certain things everyone is bound to and one can't be freed from. With respect to these we're all equal. We're all the same. Fighting them is vain. To be at peace we accept these things as true and beyond denial. For example, only fools strive to annihilate or overcome a natural law. I live at peace with nature and the universe. I feel attuned to nature and the universe, and with people who do not strive to annihilate or overcome nature. On this universal accord we can meet and share at the same level, and be free without any tension or anxiety. Here at the peace center no one tries to intimidate or dominate another.
What makes children lose this sense of freedom? Well, children aren't really taught about nature and the universe. Instead, children are taught "manners" and "respect" for arbitrary rules. Certain people intimidate a child and the intimidated child doesn't learn peace and freedom. Peace remains the path not taken, the trail not blazed.
Peace is felt inside a person as the person integrates all parts and feels whole. No part of the person is suppressing negating, or challenging any other. For example, the art of peace makes illustrations showing the two hands drawing at the same time. The writings of peace are produced by both hands using a keyboard. The most sincere peace messages are songs, not words alone. School days are musical events. If this sounds far-fetched or crazy to you, that's because you were educated in a traditional school, and you were taught to develop mainly your dominant hand and your verbal talent.
Traditional families, nation-states, and other traditional groups exclude and deny certain persons on the basis of arbitrary rules that aren't natural laws. Nature and nature's laws consequently aren't regarded as important. These social groups struggle against one another, rather than study peace, teach peace, and feel at peace. This is why peace still is the path not taken, the trail not blazed.
Until the peace teacher appears, peace will be nothing but a mirage on the desert. A false sense of social security will remain, based on intimidation. The social authorities will be strong-armed men backed up with even more powerful weapons. The peace teacher won't come until there are enough people who realize that the revolution to peace is truly needed.
Copyright 2005 by John L. Waters. All Rights Reserved
LINKS
My website at Humboldt State University
My search for a publisher
My letters of recommendation
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