"For an average man, the world is weird because
if he's not bored with it, he's at odds with it."
-Carlos Castaneda
War and Peace are perhaps two of the most dramatic extremes of
duality which we can experience in the physical realm. And yet,
regardless of whether we are experiencing Peace or War, we always
seem to require a Common Enemy upon whom we can vent our
personal frustrations.
War, a masculine aggressive energy, is the far most extreme of the
negative side of Passion. It is born from the Seed of a prolonged
Cycle of Peace. And, just like any other intense passion, War only
ends when all parties become physically, mentally and emotionally
exhausted with the barbaric tragedy they have brought upon
themselves and finally say, "Stop! We have had enough! Give
us Peace".
Peace, a feminine passive energy, is the extreme opposite of War.
After War has exhausted us we breathe a sigh of relief and are
thankful for our new found Peace. However, over time, Peace, just
like War, begins to rear the ugly head of its negative extreme; this
is the time when the ego over-rules common sense.
After an extended period of Peace, nations and cultures find
themselves basking in the by-products of their extended Peace.
These by-products are laziness, complacency, apathy, self-denial,
and boredom.
It is at this extreme that nations and cultures are most vulnerable.
This is the time when the entire bureaucracy, and nearly all of the
population, refuses to acknowledge even the slightest possibility
that change is imminent until some "unexpected" event blasts
them out of their complacency. Once this "unexpected" event
occurs, the bureaucratic "experts" proclaim that they "never saw
it coming", and the shocked populace cries out, "We want blood!".
And so it goes, on and on, the continuing Cycle of War...Peace...
War.
The Common Enemy is the "faceless them" on which mankind
takes out its frustrations in both times of Peace and times of War.
In times of War, mankind expresses its inflamed passion against
another nation or culture. In times of Peace nations and cultures
vent the frustrations of their restless boredom against their fellow
countrymen.
Swayed and agitated by political, religious and social factions, which
have nothing else to do, mankind is coerced into believing that its
once common friend is now its common enemy.
However, these imagined foes are nothing more than external
projections of the personal frustrations, inner emptiness, lack of
direction, and the mental boredom that are the side effect of an
extended Peace.
History has shown us that mankind can neither tolerate the Passion
of War nor the Boredom of Peace.Therefore the endless Cycle of
War and Peace continues to repeat itself.
However, this does not mean that we, as individuals, are required
to partake in the folly of the masses. Those of us who are Seekers,
Initiates, Wanderers, or Lone Wolfs have the ability, and
responsibility, to Choose what is best for us during our Current
Incarnation.
During all Cycles of War, Peace, and times in-between, there are
always rare individuals who achieve and excel regardless of any
external conditions.
They excel because they concentrate on only the positive aspects
of Passion and Inactivity. Positive Passions are the burning
desires and the childlike curiosities which accompanied us into
our Current Incarnation. Positive Inactivities are the dreams and
imaginings we long to incorporate into our lives.
When we are able to combine Positive Passion with Positive
Inactivity we no longer need to seek outside ourselves that which
already exists, in its entirety, within us.
And while the masses may be torturing themselves with their own
self-created mayhems and frustrations, we, as Lone Seekers,
have the ever-present option of walking an entirely different Path;
a Path which leads us to Contentment, Harmony, and many
unique Adventures.
Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
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Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.
© copyright Joseph Panek 2010
