MOTIVATION MONDAYS: The Seeds to Create Our World

"If we bring love into our homes and communities, our children will grow knowing love,
acceptance and peace. Those seeds of love and peace we plant in our children will grow later into trees of love and peace which will shower fruit upon the entire world.

If, on the other hand, we sow seeds of violence, intolerance and distrust in the home – whether through word or through example – our children will learn that the world is not a safe, nurturing place and that they need to remain constantly vigilant and defensive. This hyper-vigilance and defensiveness in adulthood frequently leads to aggression, depression and violence.

I have seen so many people who perform seva or donate large funds for peace-building organizations, including local temples, women’s shelters, orphanages, environmental groups and more, yet who can’t even bring two peace-filled children into the world. Despite the hours or dollars they dedicate to peace, their words and actions with their own loved ones sow seeds of anger and violence.

It is so important to ensure that at least those you meet, those with whom you interact, those with whom you are in a relationship become filled with peace and love through your presence. Although we all pray for peace in the world, we cannot have peace in the world until we first learn to have peace within ourselves and peace within our families. Any peace brought to our world that is not preceded and accompanied by inner peace will be shallow, fleeting and unsustainable.

In order to bring deep and lasting peace to our world, we have no choice but to begin from the inside and move outwards."

-H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji