One day as I was answering my mail a woman said to me, "What can people do for peace?" I replied, "Let's see what these letters say." The first one said, "I'm a farm housewife. Since talking with you, I've realized I   should be doing something for peace--especially since I'm raising four sons.  Now I am writing one letter every day to someone in our government or in the United Nations who has done something for peace, commending them to give them moral support." The next one said, "World peace seemed a bit too big for me,  but since talking with you, I have joined the Human Relations Council in my town, and I'm working on peace among groups." The third one said, "Since talking with you I have resolved an unpeaceful situation between myself and my sister-in-law." The last one said, "Since talking with you, I have cut out smoking." When you do something for world peace, peace among groups, peace among individuals, or your own inner peace, you improve the total peace picture. Whenever you bring harmony into any unpeaceful situation, you contribute to the cause of peace. 

THE MOST VALUABLE THINGS:

After a wonderful sojourn in the wilderness, I walk  again the streets of a city which was my home awhile. It is 1:00 p.m. Hundreds of neatly-dressed human beings with pale or painted faces are hurrying in rather orderly lines to and from their places of employment. I, in my faded shirt and well-worn slacks, walk among them. The rubber soles of my soft canvas shoes move noiselessly along beside the clatter of trim, tight shoes with high heels. In the poorer section I am tolerated. In the wealthier sections some glances seem a bit startled, and some are disdainful. On both sides of us as we walk are displayed the things which we can buy if we are   willing to stay in the orderly lines, day after day, year after year. Some of the things are more or less useful, many are utter trash--some have a claim to beauty, many are garishly ugly. Thousands of things are displayed--and yet the most valuable things are missing. Freedom is not displayed, nor health, nor   happiness, nor peace of mind. To obtain these, my friends, you too may need to escape from the orderly lines and risk being looked upon disdainfully. 

NEGATIVE vs. POSITIVE:

I have chosen the positive approach--instead of stressing the bad things which I am against, I stress the good things which I am for. Those who choose the negative approach dwell on what is wrong, resorting to judgment and criticism, and sometimes even to name-calling.  Naturally, the negative approach has a detrimental effect on the person who uses it, while the positive approach has a good effect. When evil is attacked,  it mobilizes, although it may have been weak and unorganized before, and  therefore the attack gives it validity and strength. When there is no attack but instead good influences are brought to bear upon the situation, not only   does the evil tend to fade away, but the evil-doer tends to be transformed.   The positive approach inspires--the negative approach makes angry. When you  make people angry they act in accordance with their baser instincts, often violently and irrationally. When you inspire people they act in accordance with their higher instincts, sensibly and rationally. Anger is transient,  whereas inspiration sometimes has a lifelong effect. 

WORKING FOR PEACE:

A few really dedicated people can offset the ill effects of  masses of out-of-harmony people, so we who work for peace must not falter. We  must continue to pray for peace and to act for peace in whatever way we can.   We must continue to speak for peace and to live the way of peace; to inspire others, we must continue to think of peace and to know it is possible. What we dwell upon we help to bring into manifestation. One little person, giving all of her time to peace, makes news. Many people, giving some of their time, can make history.

YOU CAN KNOW GOD:

There is a power greater than ourselves which manifests  itself within us as well as everywhere else in the universe. This I call God.  Do you know what it is to know God--to have God's constant guidance--a constant awareness of God's presence? To know God is to reflect love toward all people and all creations. To know God is to feel peace within--a calmness, a serenity, and an unshakeableness which enables you to face any situation. To know God is to be so filled with joy that it bubbles over and goes forth to bless the world. I have only one desire now--to do God's will for me--there is no conflict. When God guides me to walk a pilgrimage I do it gladly. When God guides me to do other things I do them just as gladly. If what I do brings criticism upon me I take it with head unbowed. If what I do brings me praise, I pass it immediately along to God, for I am only the little instrument through which God does the work. When God guides me to do something I am given  strength, I am given supply, I am shown the way, I am given the words to speak. Whether the path is easy or hard I walk in the light of God's love and peace and joy, and I turn to God with psalms of thanksgiving and praise. This is to know God. And knowing God is not reserved for the great ones. It is for little folks like you and me. God is always seeking you--every one of you. You can find God if you will only seek--by obeying divine laws, by loving people, by relinquishing self-will, attachments, negative thoughts and feelings. And when you find God it will be in the stillness. You will find God within. 

ON FEAR:

There's no greater block to world peace or inner peace than fear.  What we fear we tend to develop and unreasoning hatred for, so we come to hate and fear. This not only injures us psychologically and aggravates world tension, but through such negative concentration we tend to attract the things we fear. If we fear nothing and radiate love, we can expect good things to come. How much this world needs the message and example of love and faith! 

THE FREEDOM OF SIMPLICITY:

Some seem to think that my life dedicated to simplicity and service is austere and joyless, but these do not know the freedom of simplicity. I know enough about food to nourish my body properly,  and I have excellent health. I enjoy food, but I eat to live. I do not live to eat, and I know when to stop eating. I am not enslaved by food. My clothes are most comfortable as well as most practical. My shoes, for instance, have soft fabric tops and soft rubberlike soles--I feel free as if I were walking barefoot. I am not enslaved by fashion. I am not a slave to comfort and convenience--for instance, I sleep equally well in a soft bed or on the grass beside the road. I am not burdened by unnecessary possessions or meaningless activities. My life is full and good, but not overcrowded, and I do my work easily and joyously. I feel beauty all around me and I see beauty in everyone  I meet--for I see God in everything. I recognize the laws which govern this universe, and I find harmony through gladly and joyously obeying them. I recognize my part in the Life Pattern, and I find harmony through gladly and  joyously living it. I recognize my oneness with all mankind and my oneness with God. My happiness overflows in loving and giving toward everyone and everything. 

ON PEOPLE IN OUR TIMES:

In order to help usher in the golden age, we must see the good in people--we must know that it is there, no matter how deeply it may be buried. Yes, apathy is there and selfishness is there--but good is there also. It is not through judgment that the good is can be reached, but through love and faith. Love can save the world from nuclear destruction. Love God--turn to God with receptiveness and responsiveness. Love your fellow human   beings--turn to them with friendliness and givingness. Make yourself fit to be called a child of God by living the Way of Love! 

SPIRITUAL GROWTH:

This is a process the same as physical growth or mental growth.  Five year old children do not expect to be as tall as their parents at their next birthday; the first grader does not expect to graduate into college at the end of the term; the truth student should not expect to attain inner peace overnight.

MAGIC FORMULAS:

There is a magic formula for resolving conflicts. It is this:  Have as your objective the resolving of the conflict, not the gaining of advantage. There is a magic formula for avoiding conflicts. It is this: Be concerned that you do not offend, not that you are not offended. 

ON IMMATURITY:

What people really suffer from is immaturity. Among mature people war would not be a problem--it would be impossible. In their immaturity people want, at the same time, peace and the things which make war. However, people can mature just as children grow up. Yes, our institutions and our leaders reflect our immaturity, but as we mature we will elect better leaders and set up better institutions. It always come back to the thing so many of us wish to avoid--working to improve ourselves! 

MY MESSAGE:

My friends, the world situation is grave. Humanity with fearful faltering steps, walks a knife-edge between complete chaos and a golden age, while strong forces push toward chaos. Unless we, the people of the world, 
awake from our lethargy and push firmly and quickly away from the chaos, all  that we cherish will be destroyed in the holocaust which will descend. This is the way of peace: Overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth, and hatred with love.  The Golden Rule would do as well. Please don't say lightly that these are just religious concepts and not practical. These are laws governing human conduct,  which apply as rigidly as the law of gravity. When we disregard these laws in any walk of life, chaos results. Through obedience to these laws this 
frightened, war-weary world of ours could enter into a period of peace and richness of life beyond our fondest dreams.

GRASS-ROOTS PEACE ACTIVITY:

You can start a Community Peace Fellowship with a peace prayer group for seeking the way of peace. In some places my literature has been used since it deals with peace from a spiritual standpoint. Read a  paragraph, dwell upon it in receptive silence, then talk about it. Anyone who can understand and feel the spiritual truths contained therein is spiritually ready to work for peace. Then would come a Peace Study Group. We need to get a clear picture of what  the present world situation is like and what will be needed to convert it into a peaceful world situation. Certainly all present wars must cease. Obviously, we need to find a way to lay down our arms together. We need to set up mechanisms to avoid physical violence in a world where psychological violence still exists. All nations need to give up one right to the United Nations--the right to make war.  We people of the world need to learn to put the welfare of the whole human family above the welfare of any group. Starvation and suffering need to be alleviated, as do fear and hatred. There are some national problems in connection with peace. Work needs to be done on peace among groups. Our number one national problem is the adjustment of our economy to a peacetime situation. We need a Peace Department in our national government to do extensive research on peaceful way of resolving conflicts. Then we can ask   other countries to create similar departments.  After world problems and steps toward their solutions become pretty clear to you, you are ready to become a Peace Action group. You can become a Peace Action group gradually--acting upon any problem that you have learned to understand. Peace action should always take the form of living the way of peace. It can also take the form of letter-writing--to commend those who have done something good for peace, to members of Congress about peace legislation, to editors on peace subjects, speakers on peace subjects, distributing peace literature, talking to people about peace, a Peace Week, a Peace Fair, a Peace Walk, or a Peace Float. It can take the form of voting for those who are committed to the way of peace.  Grass-roots peace work is vitally important. In this crisis period, there should be a Community Peace Fellowship in every town. 

Such a group can begin  with a handful of concerned people.

It can begin with you! 
 

Steps Toward Inner Peace is not copyrighted.  Anyone working for peace, spiritual development,  and the growth of human awareness throughout  the world has our willing permission to reprint it  in whole or part. (www.peacepilgrim.org)

If you have been inspired by this little spiritual classic you may want to read:

PEACE PILGRIM HER LIFE AND WORK IN HER OWN WORDS

This 224-page book was compiled by five of Peace's friends after her death in 1981. It tells her experiences as she walked more than 25,000 miles across America as a penniless pilgrim, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food. She spoke to thousands of individuals and groups, sharing  with them her message that the way to peace is to overcome evil with good,  falsehood with truth, and hatred with love.  In this book she gives examples of dealing lovingly and fearlessly with  violent and confused persons and tells some of her unique solutions to problems. Her thoughts on peace, prayer, simplicity, and the way of love portray the life of a joyous person. Peace Pilgrim offered her message without any charge, and in the same  spirit we will send a printed copy of Steps Toward Inner Peace (in booklet form) and the Peace Pilgrim Book free to any who ask. Unpaid volunteer workers and many small donations make this possible. We also publish Peace Pilgrim's book and Steps Toward Inner Peace in Spanish and Russian.

For printed copies write to:

Friends of Peace Pilgrim
43480 Cedar Avenue
Hemet, California 92544
(909) 927-7678

URL: http://www.peacepilgrim.org