Nurture peace in the face of conflict

We are all acutely aware of the tumultuous times we are living in. Even though the unique challenges of the pandemic seem to be easing, we continue to face critical environmental issues, and war and conflict persist in many parts of the world. What can a dharma practitioner, even a new meditator, do, when at times we may feel powerless?

Rigpa Senior Teacher Philippe Cornu shares his advice for these times.

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In the face of war and conflict what can we do as dharma practitioners to avert the negativity and instead, generate peace, calm and compassion.

Check our own emotions and let compassion arise

First and foremost, we can look within ourselves and make a clear decision not to engage in the disturbing emotions that may be rising—like hatred, anger, or prejudice. We can watch our minds, catch ourselves when negative feelings come, and instead, through meditation and practice, bring calm to our own being.

We are seeing in vivid detail on our screens the suffering that the current conflict is causing for all involved. As it says in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying:

“These sights could open the eyes of your heart to the vast suffering of the world. Don’t waste the love and grief it arouses… use that quick bright, uprush of compassion, focus on it, go deep into your heart and meditate upon it… Let your heart go out in spontaneous and immeasurable compassion and direct that compassion, along with the blessing of all the buddhas, to the alleviation of suffering everywhere.”

Calling on Padmasambhava, Guru Rinpoche

For followers of Tibetan Buddhism, Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, is the ultimate buddha for these degenerate times: he promised to send us his blessings and help in times of conflict and disturbances of all kinds. As Guru Rinpoche said ”Whoever thinks of me, I am in front of them”. It is therefore to him that we can all turn for help.

Depending on the practices we are most familiar with, there are many ways we can invoke and call on Guru Rinpoche. Most simply, anyone can chant the Vajra Guru Mantra: OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUNG. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying describes how this mantra, ”... the mantra of Padmasambhava, the mantra of all the buddhas, masters and realised beings is so uniquely powerful for peace, healing, transformation and for protection in this violent, chaotic age.”

For those who practice the Ngöndro, Vajrayana or Dzogchen, they can invoke Guru Rinpoche by reciting single-pointedly the 7-Line Prayer, accumulate it together with the Vajra Guru Mantra and then recite prayers requesting Guru Rinpoche's blessings and to remove obstacles (Dü Sum Sangyé, Sampa Nyurdrupma, Sampa Lhundrupma, Barché Lamsel, and others.) in their short or long form depending on the time one can devote to them. Download these prayers here

The power of unity

Now is a crucial time for us to unite all our efforts, direct our practice for peace and stability in the world and to protect humanity from conflict—wherever we are in the world, at any moment of the day when we bring it to mind, whether we are gathered to practice together or when we practice individually. We can direct our prayers without delay to all those who are suffering from the current tragic events, and for all the leaders of the world so that they may find the necessary wisdom to bring clear, lasting solutions for peace.

Alone we may feel powerless, but together we have great spiritual strength, as Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Sogyal Rinpoche and many masters have said many times. Without a doubt we can trust that through our practice we can influence the course of current events. May this Tibetan new year bring the promise of renewed peace.

Praying is truly the most important activity we can do for the benefit of all beings at this time!

Philippe Cornu, on behalf of the Rigpa Vision Board

Philippe Cornu is a Senior Teacher in Rigpa and member of Rigpa’s Vision Board. He is Tibetan translator and academic lecturer at the Oriental Civilisation and Language Institute (INALCO) in Belgium.