Declaration for All Life
From:
http://www.worldpeace.org.
The World Peace Prayer Society
Article located at:
http://www.worldpeace.org/declaration.html
PREAMBLE
The earth
is an evolving living entity. Every form of life on earth is an important part
of this living entity. Accordingly, we, as individual human beings, must
cultivate the awareness that we are all members of a global community of life
and that we share a common mission and responsibility for the future of our
planet.
Every one
of us has a role to play in the evolution of our planet, and to achieve world
peace each of us must live up to our responsibilities and obligations. Up to
the present time, few people on earth have been fully satisfied with life. We
have faced conflicts all over the world in competition for limited resources
and land. This has had a devastating effect on the global environment.
As we enter
the new millennium, more than anything else, the realization of world peace
depends on an awakening of consciousness on the part of each individual member
of the human race. Today, it is imperative that every human being bear the
responsibility of building peace and harmony in his or her heart. We all have
this common mission that we must fulfill. World peace will be achieved when
every member of humanity becomes aware of this common mission-when we all join
together for our common purpose.
Until now,
in terms of power, wealth, fame, knowledge, technology and education, humanity
has been divided between individuals, nations and organizations that have
possession and those that do not. There have also been distinctions between
the givers and the receivers, the helpers and the helped.
We hereby
declare our commitment to transcend all these dualities and distinctions with
a totally new concept, which will serve as our foundation as we set out to
build a peaceful world.
GENERAL
PRINCIPLES
In the new
era, humanity shall advance toward a world of harmony, that is, a world in
which every individual and every nation can freely express their individual
qualities, while living in harmony with one another and with all life on
earth. To realize this vision, we set forth the following guiding principles:
1.
Reverence for life
We shall
create a world based on love and harmony in which all forms of life are
respected.
2.
Respect for all differences
We shall
create a world in which all different races, ethnic groups, religions,
cultures, traditions and customs are respected. The world must be a place free
from discrimination or confrontation, socially, physically and spiritually-a
place where diversity is appreciated and enjoyed.
3.
Gratitude for and coexistence with all of nature.
We shall
create a world in which each person is aware that we are enabled to live
through the blessings of nature, and lives in harmony with nature, showing
gratitude for all animal, plant and other forms of life.
4.
Harmony between the spiritual and material.
We shall
create a world based on the harmonious balance of material and spiritual
civilization. We must break away from our overemphasis on the material to
allow a healthy spirituality to blossom among humanity. We must build a world
where not only material abundance but also spiritual riches are valued.
PRACTICE
We shall
put these principles into practice guided by the following:
As
individuals:
We must
move beyond an era in which authority and responsibility rest in nation
states, ethnic groups and religions to one in which the individual is
paramount. We envision an "Age of the Individual"-not in the sense of egoism,
but an age in which every individual is ready to accept responsibility and to
carry out his or her mission as an independent member of the human race. Each
of us shall carry out our greatest mission to bring love, harmony and
gratitude into our own heart, and in so doing, bring harmony to the world at
large.
In our
specialized fields:
We shall
build a system of cooperation in which wisdom is gathered together to derive
the most from technical knowledge, skills and ability in various fields, such
as education, science, culture and the arts, as well as religion, philosophy,
politics and economics.
As the
young generation:
In the 20th
century, parents, teachers and society were the educators of children, and the
children were always in the position of being taught. In the 21st century,
adults shall learn from the wonderful qualities of children, such as their
purity, innocence, radiance, wisdom and intuition, to inspire and uplift one
another. The young generation shall play a leading role in the creation of
peace for a bright future.
May Peace Prevail On Earth
