Captain Shunsui Kyōraku (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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fandomhigh2020-01-27 05:57 am
sake_shinigami) wrote in fandomhigh2020-01-27 05:57 am
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The Art of Pacifism; Monday, Second Period [01/27].
Hot chocolate and comfy pillows to sit on in the middle of the room with a teacher beaming peacefully at his students? Must be another Monday in the classroom designated for the Art of Pacifism, and another one where the teacher was ready to do a lot of rambling talking to promote deep and peaceful thoughts and/or deep and peaceful spacing out.
"Hello, little ducklings ♥," Shunsui greeted the students. "Now, I promise you that not every class will be quite like the ones we've had so far, all discussion and drinking, but I figured we might have ourselves at least one more lengthy discussion, about the very fundamentals of what we are talking about here in this class ♥. We've discussed examples of when perhaps pacifism might not be the best route thanks to our own personal experience here on this very island, and we've discussed an example of taking pacifism to its extreme with Jainism, but what is the main goal in all of this ♥? Pacifism itself is an opposition to war or violence, neh &hearts? Which would stand to reason, then, that the crux of pacifism is indeed the opposite of war and violence, which is peace. But what, exactly, is peace? What does it mean to be peace-ful? Let's explore, shall we ♥?"
"Peace can mean a great many things to a great many people, but, ultimately, it is viewed as a society or relationship operating in harmony without any violent conflict ♥. This could mean actual physical violence, or one could argue that it extends to emotional and psychological violence as well. Some view peace as the absence of hostility; others believe it includes the healing of a previously violent or difficult relationship. And, obviously, internationally speaking, peacetime is a time without any warlike conflicts ♥. That's the easy one, the big one. But what about peace within ourselves?
"Just as everyone is different, everyone is going to have their own personal thoughts on what they expect to be truly peaceful ♥. The word itself is Anglo-Saxon in origin, meaning 'free from civil disorder.' It has been used as a greeting, especially as renderings of the Hebrew word Shalom ♥, similar to the Arabic salaam ♥, which have multiple meanings: safety, welfare, prosperity, security, fortune, friendliness Hearts;. Many people have considered it to encompass respect, justice, and goodwill, too ♥. Quiet also enters the picture, recalling meditation and serenity, in the search for tranquility, an absence of disturbance or agitation ♥.
"Clearly, many religions have their tenants of peace, as well. Buddhists believe that peace is achieved when all suffering ends, following the Four Noble Truths: the Noble Truth of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering, and the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Path that leads to the Cessation of Suffering ♥. Suffering comes from craving the things that make life, both good and bad, and only when one can escape these cravings can they start the path on the cessation of suffering.
"The Jewish and Christian faiths believe ultimate peace comes from a personal relationship with God ♥. Jesus Christ, the son of God, imparted to his Christian followers, 'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.' It is through that connection with a higher being that they find the center...and source...of peace ♥. And when we look at Islam, one of the translations of the Arabic word is peace; it also means submission to Allah. This submission is based on humility and an attitude of humility within one's own self cannot be accomplished without total rejection of violence and attitude of alliance towards peace ♥.
"These are, of course, deals ♥. There are great histories of violence committed in the act of religion, which would seem to go directly against the tenants mentioned in their ideals of peace ♥. If your idea of peace is linked to a connection with your god, and your connection with your god does not allow for other beliefs, is a break in the peace acceptable? Must one create war to then achieve peace, or is it all too counter-intuitive?
"Let us keep in mind that most times of peace come only after a war, where one party has completely vanquished or conquered another. As Georges Clemenceau, the prime minister of the country of France during this world's World War I, said, 'I don't know whether war is an interlude during peace, or peace an interlude during war.' Is a post-war peacetime true peace? Does the achievement of peace justify the warlike actions that brought it? A very, very big question, that men have been asking themselves for ages ♥. My own realm just finished with another war, just before the start of this semester, and while we are at peace now, is it merely a breath between wars, a moment's pause before the next one? Is war inevitable? What does that say of peace?
"And what of inner peace ♥? Often, peace on the wider scale can seem overwhelming for a person, especially if they themselves are not at peace ♥. Inner peace is described as being strong in the face of trouble or stress, and is often achieved through meditation or other activities ♥. Inner peace, one could assume, is highly individual; each person should have a different way to achieve it. But are some better than others? Is, say, one who reaches inner peace through meditation and closing out the world around them achieving a better form of inner peace, than, say, oh, I don't know, someone who may find it at the bottom of a bottle of sake, hmmm ♥? What of those who find their inner peace in violence? I'm sure it wouldn't take us long at all to find someone who resembles that remark, and we may not even have to go beyond this very classroom for it ♥.
"But enough from me ♥. There are many far with far more wisdom than I who have had a few things to say about the matter. For example:
"'If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.' from Nelson Mandela ♥
"'Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.' from Baruch Spinoza ♥
"'One cannot subdue a man by holding back his hands. Lasting peace comes not from force.' from David Borenstein ♥
"'It is easier to lead men to combat, stirring up their passion, than to restrain them and direct them toward the patient labors of peace.' from Andre Gidd ♥.
"'One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train.' from Morihei Ueshiba ♥.
"'You cannot find peace by avoiding life.' from Virginia Woolf ♥.
"And last, but not least, and incredibly relevent to our classroom, 'It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it.' from the lovely Eleanor Roosevelt ♥.
"In general, these are very large topics, but it is important to consider them and look at them if we are to embrace the Art of Pacifism and achieve peace, be it in our personal worlds or in the wider world around us ♥. This has also been an extremely quick overview, which has left out much by necessity, or else we'd be here all day ♥! But that is where you all come in ♥. What are you own personal philosophies on peace ♥? Your societies'? Do you agree with the tenants in which you were brought up, or not? What defines peace to you and how do you best achieve it, within yourself or within the world around you ♥? What obstacles present itself in obtaining your ideal of true peace ♥? No wrong answers, of course ♥! Just a discussion to help understand and maybe open our minds and eyes to perspectives that may not be our own ♥. Who would like to start ♥?"
"Hello, little ducklings ♥," Shunsui greeted the students. "Now, I promise you that not every class will be quite like the ones we've had so far, all discussion and drinking, but I figured we might have ourselves at least one more lengthy discussion, about the very fundamentals of what we are talking about here in this class ♥. We've discussed examples of when perhaps pacifism might not be the best route thanks to our own personal experience here on this very island, and we've discussed an example of taking pacifism to its extreme with Jainism, but what is the main goal in all of this ♥? Pacifism itself is an opposition to war or violence, neh &hearts? Which would stand to reason, then, that the crux of pacifism is indeed the opposite of war and violence, which is peace. But what, exactly, is peace? What does it mean to be peace-ful? Let's explore, shall we ♥?"
"Peace can mean a great many things to a great many people, but, ultimately, it is viewed as a society or relationship operating in harmony without any violent conflict ♥. This could mean actual physical violence, or one could argue that it extends to emotional and psychological violence as well. Some view peace as the absence of hostility; others believe it includes the healing of a previously violent or difficult relationship. And, obviously, internationally speaking, peacetime is a time without any warlike conflicts ♥. That's the easy one, the big one. But what about peace within ourselves?
"Just as everyone is different, everyone is going to have their own personal thoughts on what they expect to be truly peaceful ♥. The word itself is Anglo-Saxon in origin, meaning 'free from civil disorder.' It has been used as a greeting, especially as renderings of the Hebrew word Shalom ♥, similar to the Arabic salaam ♥, which have multiple meanings: safety, welfare, prosperity, security, fortune, friendliness Hearts;. Many people have considered it to encompass respect, justice, and goodwill, too ♥. Quiet also enters the picture, recalling meditation and serenity, in the search for tranquility, an absence of disturbance or agitation ♥.
"Clearly, many religions have their tenants of peace, as well. Buddhists believe that peace is achieved when all suffering ends, following the Four Noble Truths: the Noble Truth of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering, and the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Path that leads to the Cessation of Suffering ♥. Suffering comes from craving the things that make life, both good and bad, and only when one can escape these cravings can they start the path on the cessation of suffering.
"The Jewish and Christian faiths believe ultimate peace comes from a personal relationship with God ♥. Jesus Christ, the son of God, imparted to his Christian followers, 'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.' It is through that connection with a higher being that they find the center...and source...of peace ♥. And when we look at Islam, one of the translations of the Arabic word is peace; it also means submission to Allah. This submission is based on humility and an attitude of humility within one's own self cannot be accomplished without total rejection of violence and attitude of alliance towards peace ♥.
"These are, of course, deals ♥. There are great histories of violence committed in the act of religion, which would seem to go directly against the tenants mentioned in their ideals of peace ♥. If your idea of peace is linked to a connection with your god, and your connection with your god does not allow for other beliefs, is a break in the peace acceptable? Must one create war to then achieve peace, or is it all too counter-intuitive?
"Let us keep in mind that most times of peace come only after a war, where one party has completely vanquished or conquered another. As Georges Clemenceau, the prime minister of the country of France during this world's World War I, said, 'I don't know whether war is an interlude during peace, or peace an interlude during war.' Is a post-war peacetime true peace? Does the achievement of peace justify the warlike actions that brought it? A very, very big question, that men have been asking themselves for ages ♥. My own realm just finished with another war, just before the start of this semester, and while we are at peace now, is it merely a breath between wars, a moment's pause before the next one? Is war inevitable? What does that say of peace?
"And what of inner peace ♥? Often, peace on the wider scale can seem overwhelming for a person, especially if they themselves are not at peace ♥. Inner peace is described as being strong in the face of trouble or stress, and is often achieved through meditation or other activities ♥. Inner peace, one could assume, is highly individual; each person should have a different way to achieve it. But are some better than others? Is, say, one who reaches inner peace through meditation and closing out the world around them achieving a better form of inner peace, than, say, oh, I don't know, someone who may find it at the bottom of a bottle of sake, hmmm ♥? What of those who find their inner peace in violence? I'm sure it wouldn't take us long at all to find someone who resembles that remark, and we may not even have to go beyond this very classroom for it ♥.
"But enough from me ♥. There are many far with far more wisdom than I who have had a few things to say about the matter. For example:
"'If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.' from Nelson Mandela ♥
"'Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.' from Baruch Spinoza ♥
"'One cannot subdue a man by holding back his hands. Lasting peace comes not from force.' from David Borenstein ♥
"'It is easier to lead men to combat, stirring up their passion, than to restrain them and direct them toward the patient labors of peace.' from Andre Gidd ♥.
"'One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train.' from Morihei Ueshiba ♥.
"'You cannot find peace by avoiding life.' from Virginia Woolf ♥.
"And last, but not least, and incredibly relevent to our classroom, 'It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it.' from the lovely Eleanor Roosevelt ♥.
"In general, these are very large topics, but it is important to consider them and look at them if we are to embrace the Art of Pacifism and achieve peace, be it in our personal worlds or in the wider world around us ♥. This has also been an extremely quick overview, which has left out much by necessity, or else we'd be here all day ♥! But that is where you all come in ♥. What are you own personal philosophies on peace ♥? Your societies'? Do you agree with the tenants in which you were brought up, or not? What defines peace to you and how do you best achieve it, within yourself or within the world around you ♥? What obstacles present itself in obtaining your ideal of true peace ♥? No wrong answers, of course ♥! Just a discussion to help understand and maybe open our minds and eyes to perspectives that may not be our own ♥. Who would like to start ♥?"