The leaders of three religions A, B and C decided to convene a meeting to bring about peace. God was so pleased with their efforts that He sent an angel to them during the meeting. The angel asked the leaders what they wished. The leader of religion A said, Religion B is responsible for all the problems. So please wipe them off the face of the Earth! The leader of religion B said, Religion A is the cause of all our troubles. You have to reduce them to ashes! By now the angel was disappointed. The angel turned expectantly to the leader of religion C. With an expression of grave humility, C’s leader said, I wish nothing for myself. It will be enough if you merely grant the prayers of my two colleagues! Children, we must first plant the seeds of love, peace and patience within ourselves. The key to world peace is within every individual residing on this planet. Peace is not just the absence of war and conflict; it goes well beyond that. Simply transferring the world’s nuclear weapons to a museum will not in itself bring about world peace. The nuclear weapons of the mind must first be eliminated.
Mata Amritanandamayi Ma, India’s Kerala-based hugging saint
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