War and Peace...

As I wrote the previous opinions about Love,Defense,Freedom, and Reality,

I started to remember when guns were as common as noses..

I was an Advisor in Vietnam during the 'Tet offensive' of 1968..

The first two weeks, I was living in a large tent and the nightly flight of rockets from the Viet Cong would dance around my tent..

The first two weeks, I lived in fear of the death that was immenent..

I became tired of the pain of fear and decided that I would rather die than endure any more of the mental pain of fear..

From this point on, I carried no weapon..

I walked through the streets of Saigon and bullets would sometimes come near my body but never enter..

Was I protected?..

The people of Saigon would stare at me as though I was insane to be walking alone without a weapon, but, fear had left my mind and peace had entered..

Peace has no fear, only stillness..

But, this Peace comes with the willingness to die ..

This reminded me of also the Peace that comes when the ego dies..


namaste, thomas