For our world to truly experience peace, each of us must come to that place of inner peace within, we must learn to embrace our differences, celebrate our uniqueness, open our hearts to express love and respect all beings that share our world.

In the search for my own truth I have traveled the world exploring all faiths, religions and cultures. I have had rare moments to see the heart of mankind in all races and I have discovered without any doubt that the core of all religions and all faiths is the same as has been taught by the Masters over countless years of time. In every country I have walked, someone wanting to share with the world the truth of his or her faith has met me.

A Buddhist nun in Cambodia touched me in early 2000 and truly changed my life forever. Being guided to climb to the top altar where the High Priest had done ceremony, I found myself slipping over the guardrail as I watched the guards magically disappear before my very eyes. I was completely alone at the top of Angkor Wat as I prepared an offering. I knew that this place was very sacred to the Buddhist and as I began my prayers I truly felt that I stood in a place where heaven and earth came together. It was as though a special vortex existed here that was between worlds. I prayed that the wisdom and the teachings of the Buddha be revealed to me and guide me on my journey and earthwalk. As I climbed back over the guardrail when I had completed my ceremony, the guards reappeared and stepped back into their positions. I quickly made my descent down the staircase completely unnoticed.

From the mists now surrounding Angkor Wat as the sun was setting, a mysterious woman began to move towards me. It was as though she was searching for me, as she never turned her glance away from me. As she came closer I noticed that she had no feet and was walking on her anklebones. Even closer I saw that she had no hands. As she stood directly before me she reached out and touched me with the stubs of her arms. As I looked into her eyes I felt my heart open and fill with deep emotion and light. Her eyes were clear and bright and I could see only unconditional love, compassion and a great capacity too forgive. For this woman, a walking expression of Buddha’s teaching, I would later learn had been a victim of the Khmer Rouge during the late 70’s when 3 million Cambodians had been murdered. She had no feet or hands as they had either been blown away by a land mine or severed while being tortured. I knew this woman had experienced incredible pain and seen horrendous acts that I would never see, and yet all that was within her was a spirit of love and compassion. She still received her guidance from the same God that had spoken to me. Regardless of how she called to this God it was the same. It was then that I understood we must find a way to coexist in this world if we are ever to know peace.

I have stood in a wonderful circle of spiritual pilgrims from five different nations in the sacred city of Petra in Jordan. I stood holding the hand of a Palestian military man, loyal to the Islamic faith, which stood in a circle with Catholics, Buddhists, Jews, and Christians. No one knew whose hand they held and it didn’t matter. We prayed for peace and when the ceremony was over he looked at me with tears in his eyes, knowing I was American and said, “We want the same thing, will you return and teach our children”

I have stood on top of Machu Picchu at midnight with an Inca Shaman and prayed for peace. I have gathered in a medicine wheel with an Indian Elder and prayed for peace. I have stood in a Muslim Mosque in Turkey and prayed for peace. I have climbed 1800+ stairs to reach one of the most sacred temples in Bali to pray and I have walked in a procession of 250 Aztec and Mayan descendants to heal the land and pray for peace. I have walked the streets of Jerusalem and stood amongst people of all faiths to place a prayer for peace in the Wall of Prayers. I have climbed the sacred mountain of Moses in the wee hours of the morning when all that was visible, was a thousand lights being carried by people from all nations who spoke all different languages and represented many different faiths. In the darkness you could only see their light and it was the same. These gifts that I have been given by God in search of my truth, have shown me that we all pray to the same God and in our hearts we all want the same thing. We want peace. Peace in our daily lives and peace for our planet. We are all unique expressions of the same God and as long as one person holds that faith I believe the world can still change. From the darkness, light always prevails.

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