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by Ranga Jayasuriya

Half a million people will assemble in the Anuradhapura sacred city today to participate in a peace meditation program. The chief organiser of the program Sarvodaya Leader Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne in an interview with the Daily News said a transformation of the human conscience is the only means through which we could create a peaceful society in this country and the meditation program is intended to do just that.

"We believe the war started in the minds of the people, so unless they are calmed down, and cured, it (the war) can be repeated."

The Magsaysay Award winning Sri Lankan underlined the importance of the participation of civil society in the peace negotiations.

"Peace is what all of us badly need today. But no peace can be achieved as long as killings are going on. Now with both parties observing a ceasefire, at least killings have been stopped and people have the feeling that the war and other atrocities will finally come to an end. Though the Government and the Tigers are involved in a somewhat positive endeavour- the ceasefire, the ultimate ending of the war and the creation of a peaceful society depended on the people. So the participation of civil society in the peace process is of paramount importance.

We believe the transformation of the conscience of the people is the only way for peace. That transformation can be brought about only through the technology of meditation. Normally we turn senses outward, we hardly turn senses inward. The program will take place from 1 pm to 6pm in absolute silence without posters of slogan shouting. We all will sit down in meditation posture and try gradually to grow the understanding within ourselves that we are only a part of the universal ocean of energy.

Only the mind energy properly directed can influence the other forms of energies in the universe. It (this mental state) will create positive energies and loving kindness and direct them collectively to all directions.

One may ask how this type of exercise can help stop the war?. We believe that the war started in the minds of people. Unless the minds are calmed down, war can restart. The meditation is an accepted way which can cure the minds of the human kind. This kind of transmission of positive energy from one mind to the other has a very much higher level of impact than a written word or a sound.

My intention is that if one percent of the people participating in the exercise can be brought to the level of "Samadhi", or unconditional state of mind, it is powerful enough to influence the whole country. Along with the program, we will be joined by the people in Europe, Middle East and Asia. Some are here physically and others mentally.

The energy which the humans can create in their mind is unique. The human mind is supreme. When the permanent cease fire is going on the people feel at ease and think that there are no further murders, people feel that there may be an end to the war. In to that positive kind of mind, this kind of exercise adds energy and it will negate the certain negative forms of energy created by certain factions of people, who are politically against the peace process.

We want to influence the minds of those who are in power and those who have taken up arms in both sides; we want lead their consciousness to see that this is not the way.

We want to tell them : "find another way, you have to find a way of non violence to solve our problems." There are energies full of hatred, violence and ignorance, similarly there are energies full of love, compassion, generosity which are more intent than hatred or ignorance and have potential to negate these negative forces and make people think positively. Of course, this is not like carrying a flag, or a Minister visiting the rebel held areas or shaking hand with a Tiger leader. Our exercise is spiritual.

As far as the Sarvodaya is concerned there are three major aspects in the human life: consciousness, power and politics. Though all these three areas of the human life are important, in this particular exercise, we focused only on the consciousness of the human being. The very fact that a several hundred thousands of Sinhalese along with Tamils and Muslims from all corners of the country come and sit together physically and interact in a friendly way create a great impact.

There is also a general perception among the communities that the places like Ruwanveli Maha Seya and the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi are only the Buddhist places of worship and Nallur and Munneshwaram are only places of Hindus worship. We want to counter this attitude. We want people of all faiths to feel Anuradhapura or Nallur is ours.

Though there are many international examples of massive protests or street demonstrations, March 15 event at Anuradhapura will be the largest peace meditation ever held in the world.

Society is so much politicized and commercialised. There are Two forces which are operational in our society i.e. forces who go after power and forces go after money.

These are the minority sections that rule our society. All of us, the ordinary masses may not have the economic or political power like these people.But we have the capacity to think, think rationally.This is the only resources we ordinary people have. There people who use war to earn money, to acquire power. And there are people who earn money out of peace in these days. So we should be careful in selecting true supporters of peace, and at the same time we should not our commitment for peace to lose its true spirit.

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