| Conflict occurs when your mind has a thought about | | | | your religion is better than anyone else's you have just |
| something that happened and it did not agree with | | | | created conflict. |
| your belief about it. Conflicts occur at all levels of | | | | Defending against aggression requires more |
| perception. Conflicts can be very subtle. You cause | | | | awareness and can be met with understanding. If |
| conflict any time you use "would, should or could" as a | | | | someone is attacking you in any way, verbal or |
| prefix to your thoughts. For example, if you think you | | | | physical, you have choices on how to meet aggression |
| should have gotten up earlier this morning so you | | | | with awareness. One response is to move away, |
| would not be late for work. This is minor conflict with | | | | leave the environment as soon as you can. If you can |
| the reality of what actually happened. The reality is | | | | bring a high level of awareness to the situation, you |
| that you got up at a certain time and you got to work | | | | can meet them with acceptance and compassion. If |
| late. Any other belief about the sequence of events | | | | you can talk to the aggressor in a peaceful and loving |
| causes conflicts with reality. | | | | way, sometimes you can discover what stressful |
| Major conflicts are the same process only they involve | | | | belief is causing the aggression in the first place. |
| more emotions and complex beliefs. Anytime the | | | | Eastern martial arts were created as a way to |
| reality of an event is filtered through a belief, conflict is | | | | physically defend yourself in a mindful way. Kung-fu |
| the result. When you experience an event that the | | | | uses the force of the attacker and turns it into a |
| mind has a preconceived belief about then the event | | | | defensive movement. You can do the same thing with |
| can be expressed as conflict. When events are | | | | verbal force, by turning the verbal attack back to the |
| experienced and welcomed by the mind with | | | | attacker with inquiry You always have the right to |
| acceptance, then there is no conflict. Reality is | | | | defend yourself form physical and verbal abuse. You |
| welcomed because you recognize the positive effects | | | | can defend yourself and at the same time be aware |
| of living in harmony. The mind has a choice at every | | | | of the other person's point of view. If you can't |
| moment to accept reality as it is. Look at your | | | | remove yourself or stop the aggression, then you |
| thoughts throughout the day, watch and see how | | | | always have the option to accept the situation in a |
| many judgments you make about your life's | | | | state of acceptance and surrender. This state of |
| experience. What percentage of your thoughts are | | | | surrender is a supreme level of awareness, because in |
| judgmental "would, should or could" thoughts? By | | | | this state no one can move you from your center of |
| paying attention, awareness rises to meet your | | | | being at one with the unified energy field. |
| thoughts. You can resolve the minor conflicts quickly; | | | | The ego hates criticism and loves agreement. The role |
| major conflicts that involve denser beliefs will take | | | | of the ego is to protect the individual from death. Fear |
| longer but can be resolved with repeated inquiry. | | | | of death is the strongest protection mechanism that |
| Conflict is created when reality and beliefs about | | | | the ego has to insure its survival. Fear of death is so |
| reality are not in harmony. If you accept the reality you | | | | sensitive that it reaches into all areas of life. Even small |
| see in yourself and others, then peace is the natural | | | | disagreements can touch the fear of death in the ego. |
| result. When you accept that everyone is doing the | | | | All fears eventually connect to the primordial fear of |
| best they can with their own beliefs, then you grow | | | | death. Fear is the opposite of acceptance. What fear |
| awareness. Each person has to come to the | | | | cannot be erased by the acceptance of the |
| acceptance of reality for them; no one can do it for | | | | experience? Do you have a fear of heights? Most |
| them. As awareness grows in you, collective peace | | | | likely because you fear falling and hurting yourself. Do |
| and harmony grows in society. Every moment is an | | | | you have a fear of meeting new people? It is the fear |
| opportunity to grow awareness. When you are able to | | | | of losing your identity. Most any fear can be examined |
| resolve conflict in your mind, you resolve conflict in the | | | | and resolved with questioning the underlying belief |
| world. Your image of the world is a reflection of your | | | | behind it. You can have preference and opinions; just |
| beliefs about the world. If you see conflict, then some | | | | don't let them turn into fear and conflicts with stressful |
| part of your consciousness still believes in conflict. | | | | beliefs. |
| When you can accept that whatever you see is the | | | | Look closely and see why you defend your beliefs. |
| natural expression of those involved, you can find | | | | Why are you passionate about being right and |
| peace within yourself. If you still see conflict, the first | | | | believing other people beliefs to be wrong? Can you |
| step is to forgive yourself for believing an untrue | | | | accept another person's opinion for what it is, just an |
| thought, and then look at your beliefs as to why you | | | | opinion and nothing more? The beliefs that other |
| can't accept this experience as perfect for all those | | | | people have only matter to them. If you have strong |
| involved. Eventually thoughts of conflict will recede as | | | | beliefs, look at them closely. Do they serve you and |
| awareness of harmony takes its place. | | | | increase your awareness? Do they create conflict and |
| Negative judgments are the start of any conflict. This | | | | stress in your life? Individual beliefs are the foundation |
| is true for individuals and for collective society as a | | | | of collective beliefs. Society beliefs can be changed by |
| whole. A negative judgment is a belief that your opinion | | | | a wave of consciousness generated by one individual. |
| should be true for everyone else. Judgments are a | | | | Many times in our collective history, one person's |
| conflict when you feel that your beliefs are somehow | | | | passion for change has sparked collective change. |
| better than another person's belief. You can certainly | | | | Real change in awareness can only come from within |
| express your opinion and have a preference of one | | | | you. Your thoughts about your beliefs are your guide. |
| thing over another but making it a "me against you" | | | | Look closely at your beliefs and see if you have to |
| event cause's conflict. For example, you can have an | | | | defend them. If you have to defend your beliefs, |
| opinion that Buddhism is the best religious tradition to | | | | realize that they are causing conflict. If they serve your |
| follow for spiritual growth. That belief is internal and you | | | | growth of awareness, they will serve for everyone |
| can express your preference by following the Buddhist | | | | else as well. |
| teachings. However if you start making judgments that | | | | |