An Enemy and A Brother..

They say life is a never – ending struggle for survival. Everyone lives to fight for another day despite one’s own fears and hatred. But isn’t it ironic that man still calls for justice and peace in spite of such belief?

For the longest time, man tried to find the true meaning of peace. Unfortunately, peace is neither an original paradisiacal state nor a form of co – existence by mutual consent. It is something that we can only sense and search for. True peace is more difficult and unusual than any other achievement even for two persons who live together and need each other.

To gain peace, man must learn to adjust to his environment, just like how a newly hired employee makes sure that he blends well with his co – workers. Thus, most of the time for the sake of the so called “peace”, man tends to forgive (but not forget) the trespasses of the others even without sincerity of truthfulness.

Moreover, man tends to compromise, giving up one’s own principle and faith just to live in tranquility and gain the approval of the majority. It is for the reason that many have been convinced to join fraternities and sororities despite the danger that accompany it.

Truly, man sets the height of all ironies. For thousand of years, it has known the mighty and fundamental maxim: “Thou shall not kill”. Yet, it created a science and technology that encourages the manufacture of explosives and poisonous gases. It even continues to promote the time – honored belief of “eye for an eye” and “tooth for a tooth”.

Undoubtedly, it is a pity that man tends to destroy one’s life just to have peace. More so if peace will have to come only after a sorrowful experience such as death. But reality bites.

Previously, many believed that the last war set in motion such as a gigantic mechanism of horror that future generations will be frightened of even the thought of war. Unfortunately, the opinion is absolutely mistaken.

Fear teaches men nothing. If man enjoys killing, no memory of war can deter him. Nor will the knowledge of the material damage wrought by war.

That is why I believe that the world peace cannot be brought about by preaching, organization, and propaganda, just as a philosopher’s stone cannot be invented by a congress of chemist.

What then can give rise to a true spirit of peace on earth? Definitely, it is neither commandments nor practical experience. Like all human progress, the love of peace must come from knowledge that may be seen and formulated in a thousand different ways. But it must always embody one truth: the knowledge of the living substance in each of us, of the secret magic, the secret godliness that each of us bears within. Where the supreme knowledge is present (as in Jesus, Buddha, Plato, or Lao-Tzu), a threshold is crossed beyond which miracles begin. Only then will war and enmity cease. Where an enemy becomes a brother; death becomes birth; disgrace, honor, and calamity, good fortune.

We must remember that the search for the true meaning of peace will never be an easy task. Along the way, we may see ourselves in the middle of chaos and consequently feel disappointed, hurt, or confused. But we have to accept that taking a journey in this road called life, in search for a brother, may actually result to an endless encounter of an enemy along the road.



Virliza Santos
Sturdy but sensitive; coward for failures; and weak at heart.