Israel-Palestine Peace Project

 

 

Israel-Palestine Peace Project

 

 

25 July, 2014

Dear peoples from Israel and Palestine,

I sadly greet you because of the hundreds of murders that are taking place daily in Gaza. Either civil or military, every life which is murdered is a huge damage to all humanity.

Our spiritual movement called Maitriyana proposes an initiative not only to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip, but also to build a new country where peace, justice, education and harmony between Israelis and Palestinians can prosper. This involves ceasing greed, hatred and ignorance, to give rise to the Path of Love and Reconciliation.

The Maitriyana urgently proposed this cease to the conflict in order to initiate the opening of a new unity of both peoples. This proposal is produced in the framework of the diplomatic efforts of the Indian Buddhist Federation in order to get a cessation of hostilities and thus achieve the beginning of a new country. This means that this crisis is a genuine opportunity for change. Obtaining a truce will not produce the Cure for the ills of society, so that it is necessary to think about a real strategic plan of International Unity.

This dramatic intervention of Maitriyana is an invocation to stop the war in the Holy Land. Unfortunately, it is not sufficient to pray for peace, we must also deal with the tragic events through actions illuminated by the compassionate wisdom. Only the actions promoted by the Spiritual Love can build peace in the world. Thus the Maitriyana recalls that its initiative is not to bring together great figures in order to simply pray, but that it is proposing to reunite the two peoples (Israel and Palestine) within a New Nation. Although it may seem that such a meeting is a Utopia, the Maitriyana invokes the gift of world peace and listens to the call of the Cosmos in order to vanish the spiral of greed, hatred and ignorance through altruism, dialogue and reconciliation. The Maitriyana calls upon Israel and Palestine to create a new country politically responsible and internationally supervised by human rights bodies, by redirecting their budgets and efforts to achieve peace and welfare of all their citizens. When your people invokes God and asks for help, they also should be open to learn peace, allowing to be guided towards harmony. The Spirituality has the gift of open the eyes, minds and hearts of peoples, teaching them how to have courage to peacefully struggle against war, poverty, illiteracy and pollution. A humanity that is indifferent in the face of these four evils not only does not deserve to be the Chosen People but also does not deserve to survive.

The Maitriyana not appeal to Israel and Palestine to stop their offensive only because of the international pressure; the Maitriyana appeals that the people cease the conflict after understand that the lives of their neighbour are more important than any territory. If this escalation of violence is not stopped, this will start to infect everyone all over the world. The hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries are a proof that both sides have a predisposition to self-destruction. Therefore our spiritual movement asks you to please think about the children, because they are the future of humanity in the here and now. If there really is a Heaven, the look of a child and his/her pure smile is a glance of such Kingdom of Heavens. Do you not realize that Earth is Eden? Do you not understand that attacking the neighbour, even if it is in self-defence, is an offense against your own God? Recently the Premier Netanyahu said that there is no international pressure which can prevent that his country operates with all the force against a terrorist organization which calls to its destruction. If this is true, I wonder if the people of Israel and Palestine are willing to put a cease-fire if they receive the call of their own God, which is a form of Love and Reconciliation. Therefore, since the Maitriyana is essentially the main advocate of these spiritual values, it is offered as a mediator to seek peace through an international agreement.

Faced with the growing humanitarian emergency in the Gaza Strip, the Maitriyana immediately proposes to stop the bombings between the two armies, by redirecting their military budgets towards rebuilding hospitals and educational facilities that have been damaged or destroyed by bombs. It also requests the people of Israel that every person donates a plate of food daily to assist the thousands of refugees whose dwellings have been destroyed. At the same time, Maitriyana considers that urgently it should be provided psychological and spiritual treatment for the entire population. To this end, the UN should coordinate the implementation of such policies on both sides. But a government of reconciliation between Israel and Palestine is essential to avoid future confrontations, since even the creation of a Palestinian State will not bring peace to the region. The Maitriyana not only asks for a cessation of the conflict but also calls on the international community to assist in the creation of a new State of Unity called “Holy Land”, where Israelis and Palestinians will be able to live together as citizens of a same nation. It is more urgent than ever to find a new ground of unity to achieve a return to the peace and an agreement of reconciliation. The Maitriyana also reiterates its call for the two peoples show the maximum concordance with their own religions, which have a compassionate wisdom that can guide them back to the encounter of the divine.

It is a terrible fact that women and children pay the price of the conflict with their lives, so that the only concern of Maitriyana is the welfare of all peoples. It is a disgrace to the Prophets and spiritual Masters of history that the government of a country says that it has no intention of a ceasefire or that peace is not even on the agenda. This represents a betrayal of all spiritual teachings. Hopefully the world leaders return to the sacred books and listen to the voices of those who have self sacrificed their lives in pursuit of peace. It is not enough to try to reduce the tension; we must convey the message that without Reconciliation and Unity there is no possible future. I hope Israel understands that the Liberation of the Palestinian people is the best thing for Israel, and hopefully Palestine understands that the welfare of the Israeli people is best for Palestine. Both are brothers, fingers of one hand.

The Maitriyana, in its protective function of the world, is a mouthpiece of peace to help families who see the sunrise with the deaths of their children. Governments must understand that there is no military solution to any conflict. It is a contradiction, and the death of civilians is merely the verification of perverse actions. Terrorism is nothing more than an act of war and all the countries that have been at war have managed to negotiate for peace. Because Maitriyana is a libertarian pacifist movement, it has the ability to not stay sitting watching while the world is destroying itself, by being a prophetic voice of hope against the sirens of destruction that cause fear and panic in society. However, this does not imply that our movement of Reconciling Spirituality does not hold a critical voice against the ills of the world, so that we explicitly and harshly condemn both the Islamic Fundamentalism and Jewish Fundamentalism. The only valid Fundamentalism is that of compassion. The Maitriyana asks the presidents of Israel and Palestine that provide real protection to their peoples, which means lay down their weapons, because the true protection comes from wanting to restore peace and serenity both in the inner and the outer world of each person. Thus, our movement is against the brutal aggression commonly performed by pro-military governments. By carrying the flame of compassionate wisdom of the Prophets and spiritual Masters of the past, Maitriyana seeks to create a Unity State between Israel and Palestine, by signing a treaty of peace and reconciliation to unite the two peoples within the Holy Land. This involves stopping the barbaric aggressions that are causing a human catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.

Over the death of children, youth and women, the Maitriyana convokes Israel and Palestine to form a government of International Unity between the two peoples. Only in this way this crisis could be overcome and turned into an opportunity for change and spiritual evolution. The Free and Enlightened Beings teach that every conflict is a potential source to achieve a new order of peace and harmony. The appalling war crimes, such as the death of children, must be transformed into birth pangs of a new nation of brotherhood and camaraderie. This is the socially engaged mission of Maitriyana as an international Training Organisation for the Reconciliation and Liberation of peoples. The finality of the encounter between Israelis and Palestinians is preparing for a conscientious and eternal campaign in favour of Goodness in the world, getting ready to overcome all the conflicts that often occur in the everyday life of society. Only in this way the military branches can cease to exercise their predominance over the world governments, expanding the radius of Peace until it includes every point on Earth. In this sense, the project of a new International Authority of Holy Land aims to establish an immediate peace, yet also to intervene immediately on the dangerous escalation of violence and destruction that occur in other regions, such as Ukraine. As the peace process between Israel and Palestine seems to be paralyzed and dead, the Maitriyana organizes a Peace Project unprecedented in history, seeking to bring together the governments of both nations in the creation of a new State whose common Purpose is harmony and justice. The Maitriyana is a Way of Reconciliation that helps peoples to unite each other instead to be divided, by launching a calling that remembers that it is necessary having courage and bravery to do good instead of evil. This invocation for Peace is a radical critique of all forms of war.

The Maitriyana proposes the creation of a State called “Holy Land” in which the Jewish, Christian and Muslim peoples can live together. The Peace Project is truly historic, by possessing great wisdom and compassion, because it comes from the same action carried out by Siddharta Gautama 2600 years ago, when he taught that peace is a necessity for human survival, requiring a huge sacrifice and commitment.

Given that the creation of a sovereign and independent State for Palestine will not lead to peace and Liberty between the two peoples, the Maitriyana aims to build true peace by teaching that this comes from the welfare of our fellow men and women. Thus, the Maitriyana shows that Israel and Palestine have the need to stop perceived as enemies and begin to recognize each other as old brethren and peace partners. The Peace Project for the creation of the Israeli-Palestinian State of the Holy Land means to have found a space to recreate the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, living in a climate of confidence which exists only in the faith of the devotee towards his God. This positions the values of the Reconciling Spirituality as a major player in the peace process in the Middle East, by teaching that fraternity is a prerequisite for reaching a new stage in the history of humanity. This project between different cultures and religions responds to the burning desire of all those who dream and work for a world where everyone can live in peace and justice, as brothers and not as enemies. This compassionate wisdom is the guide which the Free and Enlightened Being offers to the world. The overcoming of the conflict and the arrival of peace are not impossible, just involves breaking down the walls of greed, hatred and delusion, making that the love, friendship and knowledge be successful. Therefore, the Maitriyana fervently asks Israel and Palestine not to abdicate their responsibility of achieving Reconciliation and becoming brothers. The creation of a new interreligious State is one of the essential projects of the Ecumenical Way of Maitriyana, invoking the contemplation as a way of overcoming every division. The New State of the Holy Land should be a showing of generosity of the Jewish people, Christians and Muslims towards the Creation, apologizing for the suffering caused and invoking the force of Peace as a way to reach Liberation. Every true spiritual master knows that the Only Pathway for the Salvation of the world is assuming pacifist values, by intervening effectively for the welfare of the people. Only then it will grow the olive tree planted in front of the Casina of Pius IV.

 

After the hell of the Holocaust, the constitution of the State of Israel started with a statement of the highly inspiring independence, expressing a commitment to develop the country for the benefit of all its people, based on the spiritual principles of Peace, Justice and Liberty. The State of Israel, in its founding document, agreed to be guided by the visions of the prophets, at the same time it granted the rights of social and political equality for all citizens without differentiating their sex, race or religion. The founders of the State of Israel were committed not only to ensure the religious and cultural freedom, but they announced the search for peace and harmony with all the neighbouring countries and peoples. This declaration of independence was concordant with the position of the Chosen People of God, but these promises were infringed, and the current warlike conflict is an evidence of this. The occupation and domination over the Palestinian people destroyed the utopian vision of the declaration of independence of the Israeli State, since the fundamental rights of a nation were avoided. Despite a history of suffering and merciless persecution against the Jewish people, the State of Israel remained indifferent to the rights and suffering of the Palestinian people, even by coming to think that there is a possibility of ideological or military end for this conflict. However, this is an illusion. The Maitriyana demonstrates that only a pragmatic and humanitarian end may conclude the fight between the two peoples, and the Peace Project for the Holy Land specifically is an idea based on peace, social justice, education and ecology, which are values able to cure the ills of world. The Reconciling Spirituality shows that the future of Israel within the international community must fulfil its Declaration of Independence, by following the promise of its founding fathers and reconciling with its brethren and neighbouring peoples. The Maitriyana teaches that there is no military solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, since the only ethical and strategic solution is Unity, which is unavoidable if human beings wish to survive and evolve, not dilapidating the planet Earth. Although this utopian vision is the future of human being, it certainly cannot be slowed down anymore, and it has to be created in the here and now since hundreds of children are dying because of this lack of evolutionary rapidity of the Middle East countries. Although the Maitriyana is Spirituality, undoubtedly it has a revolutionary political side, which is the art of social engagement, by transcending the boundaries of the contemporary civilization in order to make humanity achieves the Ascension to the most evolved standard of living as possible. Meditation is the art of the imagination of a better world, being free from the limitations imposed by the word, at the same time it self-realizes the spiritual nature of human being. Therefore, the Spirituality has the power to traverse all frontiers and divisions, by carrying the heart and mind of the Israeli and Palestinian people towards the sphere of a new and better world.

 

Although in politics the hierarchies of power often exist, the main voice is always that of the people, and they want peace. Therefore, governments should simply accompanying and stop opposing this Purpose. The Art of Spirituality is precisely not to tolerate the status quo, having the courage to choose the direction to a destination to which there is resistance by the Power. This goal is peace, which is not related with the traditional policy at all. In this sense, the Maitriyana is a way of doing metapolitics. The Great Free and Enlightened Beings have a strategic vision, knowing what human beings want and where they go, by having the courage to really do something for a better world.

The spiritual master teaches that violence only worsens conflict situations, because violence is not able to eliminate violence, which can only disappear through the practice of Love, as Gautama and Jesus taught. When listening profoundly the suffering from others, a friendly communication occurs that can help to eliminate the poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance, which are the basis of violence in the world. Only a pathological mind can think that war and oppression can decrease the level of hatred and violence in the peoples, because in fact they produce the opposite effect. Attempting to destroy the enemy never finishes the conflict correctly and completely, converting the self-defence into a new aggression. Therefore, it is time for Israel and Palestine leave the armed conflict and they bring true peace to the Holy Land. In fact, one of the possibilities to make real the dream of a new Israeli-Palestinian State called Holy Land is the conformation of a government converted into a real Peace Corps, which assumes responsibility for the welfare of both peoples and that it is under the supervision of the United Nations. There are many needs to get this right, so that countries should contribute positively to making a new Israeli-Palestinian State and that this works as a peace organization. For the Maitriyana, this State is the only way to solve the current conflict.

According to the Free and Enlightened Being, all humanity is fully interconnected, so that the welfare of one people should mean taking care of the welfare of all peoples of the Earth. The mind which does not become aware of this interexistence between all the human beings is separating the very fabric of the culture, this duality being the very basis of greed and hatred. From the libertarian perspective of the Maitriyana, all the peoples are organs of the same planetary body called Gaia, to which the civilization should honour it and constantly take care of it, instead of behaving in a carcinogenic way.

 

The Maitriyana believes that if the peoples of Israel and Palestine would know that they are brothers, the two hands of the Holy Land, they would leave violence and they would be directed towards peace. Therefore, spiritual masters help society be capable to perceive that selfishness, dualism and consumerism are at the base of suffering. Thus, Maitriyana teaches a Way of Reconciliation that transcends the evil of discrimination and produces the event of peak knowledge (Satori), by bringing welfare and the Awakening to all peoples. Surely there are many people in Israel and Palestine that are well aware that violence cannot solve any conflict, realizing that the Only Way (Ekayana) is peace. These people must unite in pursuit of pacifist interests, providing spiritual leadership to their nations so that the Holy Land can fix its current situation. Every citizen has the duty to transmit this pacifist understanding, because compassionate wisdom is the only resource that possesses sufficient strength and courage to achieve the Cure (Nirvana) from the disease of world war. The Maitriyana teaches that peace is not a fixed and specific destination, but a dynamic and living process, since peace and freedom is a Path in itself. Observing contemplatively life as it is, imperfect, impermanent and insubstantial; the human being acquires stability, satisfaction and tranquillity, not being dragged by the poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance, in order to achieve the Awakening.

 

The Peace Project for Israel-Palestine presented by the Maitriyana has an historical precedent, based on what Gautama Buddha did 2600 years ago when he avoided bloodshed between the neighbouring peoples of Sakya and Koliya. The conflict began with a dispute for water, as both peoples wanted to use the Rohini River to irrigate their rice fields without sharing the resource with their neighbours. As happens in the Middle East, the escalation of hatred came to a point where two armies willing to ruthlessly destroy themselves were deployed. Faced with this foolish conflict, Master Gautama was presented in the battlefield ready to stop the war; therefore he positioned in the middle of the river and asked if both peoples were willing to pay with their lives the price of the water running between their kingdoms. Facing this question full of common sense, both sides understood the mistake they were making and the armies withdrew permanently, by deciding to distribute the water and live in peace. Although it was the first time that he intervened in a conflict of impending war, the effort made by Gautama Buddha was a total success.

At the present time we are facing a similar situation of life or death, so that Maitriyana has no doubt to assume the risk to place itself in the middle of both sides and ask the People of Israel and Palestine: what is more important, the lives of your people or a piece of land?

Nothing stops the Maitriyana at the time of saving humanity or Spirituality, depending on the case. The only thing we humbly request is that the peoples of Israel and Palestine have mind and heart open to a neutral, wise and compassionate arbitration in order to resolve the conflict between the two factions, respecting and listening to a spiritual intervention in pursuit of a Peace plan. In this way the question asked by the Maitriyana (what is more important, the lives of your people or a piece of land?) it is clear and simple, being accessible to any person by combining reason with feeling. Israel and Palestine have arrived at a crossroads, forcing them to think about what is more important: the greed for territory and the destruction of human life, or the unity of both peoples and the creation of a new State.

If political and military leaders of Israel and Palestine would be able to listen to the Peace Project of Maitriyana I am sure that there will be peace and social justice, so that their names will remain in the glory of both peoples, as those who knew how to be reasonable and looked in the peaceful direction that the Reconciling Spirituality indicates. If the leaders of Israel and Palestine follow the historical example of the Sakya and Koliya peoples, then war will be vanished and will emerge a peaceful negotiation headed by the Purpose of world peace. Although the political leaders are not advised by the compassionate wisdom, this is what the Maitriyana offers, abandoning the influence of greed, hatred and delusion. The Peace Project for Israel-Palestine proposed by the Maitriyana provides the possibility of a true solution, by establishing some hope for world peace.

The Free and Enlightened Being undertakes to self-sacrifice his own life in pursuit of a better world, by engaging with the path of peace and Liberation. Over time, the creation of a new Israeli-Palestinian State will unleash the creation of a compassionate civilization, since the Unity between the two peoples is only the first step. The Cure (Nirvana) from the ills of world is also needed, so that the Project for the State of Union of the Holy Land puts the Israeli and Palestinian people in the right path to Salvation. Although Maitriyana might be destroyed, this movement will not give up on their quest for a better world, because one cannot live in peace while millions of people die from the ills of war, poverty, ignorance and pollution.

The Maitriyana offers an alternative leadership to that of the capitalist civilization, seeking to restore the communitarian values in all countries. Our movement is an international community that provides ethical leadership, in order that the political leaders are inspired by the example of the life of spiritual masters. The socialist libertarian philosophy of the Free and Enlightened Being shows that letting go attachment and greed for the property and territory eliminates the excuse of violence and war. Thus, the Maitriyana introduces a new kind of leadership in society, by outlining the path to a new civilization, a Pure Land or Kingdom of Heavens on Earth. This implies not being in favour of any particular country, by offering constructive criticism warning about hazards that can destroy the world. But the teaching of the spiritual master is not merely rhetoric or a speech, but a practice in the here and now, by teaching to build a spiritually rich commune. This alternative of a social leadership serves to prevent wars, liberate the poor, to teach the oppressed and to care for the animals. The Maitriyana is a Practical Spirituality which convokes those who have good will, those who aspire to a better world and who have the courage to take steps crucially important. A Peace Project is to generate the appropriate conditions in order for a better world can grow by itself. Therefore, the Maitriyana ensures the purity of the spiritual movement to develop a free and enlightened society, putting into action the teachings of the Awakened Beings and Saviours. If Peace in the Middle East can be achieved, this will affect all countries in the world, and undoubtedly it will be the beginning of a Golden Age. In this way the Maitriyana is only a means and never an end in itself, functioning as a raft to go against the current of materialism and produce a peaceful revolution. The other shore of the Peace is not far away, it is found in the pure eyes and the spontaneous smile of every child on Earth. Thus the spiritual master teaches a social alternative which can cure the suffering of humanity. This Reconciling Way believes in the practice of Compassionate Love and in the power of Truth, by being able to overcome evil and sow a Pure Land open to all the poor of the world. This is the libertarian socialist manifesto of the Maitriyana.

 

Consequently, the Maitriyana formally presents a Peace Project for the Holy Land of the Future. The general principle of this Peace Project is the spirit of Reconciliation (Maitri) which is intended to evanesce the armament attacks between Israel and Palestine, by considering both as sister nations. Below, they are listed a series of guidelines that the Maitriyana proposes:

1. In the Holy Land of the Future there will be peace, social justice and harmony among the peoples of Israel and Palestine, so it will be necessary to create a new Declaration of Independence that respects all citizens regardless of their economic cultural level or type of religion. The wording of the declaration must be consistent with the essential spiritual values of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, following the example of the construction of the first church-mosque-synagogue (the House of One) in Berlin. It can also be requested support from other spiritual traditions such as Buddhism, which arrived in the Holy Land more than two thousand years ago.
2. In the Holy Land of the Future it should be democratically elected a government composed of three Jews and three Muslims. In case of a tied vote when making government decisions, the vote of Secretary General of the UN will be decisive.
3. In the Holy Land of the Future those Palestinian individuals who have been accused or suspected of terrorism, they shall be released. Otherwise, the Israeli leaders should be processed due to State Terrorism.
4. In the Holy Land of the Future there should be supervision of international human rights bodies and of the Vatican in order to examine whether discrimination continues to exist among the people.
5. In the Holy Land of the Future there should be the signing of a peace treaty with the neighbouring peoples of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Iran, by agreeing with them to settle their differences in tribunals of international justice, thus prohibiting the use of military force.

Maybe, for some fundamentalist groups this Project Peace for the Holy Land is surely heretical, but in reality the only heresy is war, which is a direct aggression against Creation.

 

Always with a Spirit of Reconciliation (Maitri),

Master Maitreya