Ethical Foundation for Peacemaking
The neophyte peacemaker is careful to reflect on where they are in their journey. There are perils for the neophyte who impatiently departs from their journey without taking all of the steps toward actualizing authentic self being. These perils are illustrated in a story borrowed from the Judeo tradition in which three rabbis embark into the world after journeying toward an invitation to enlightenment.
The first rabbi comes upon a ladder and climbs up to appear before the flame of enlightenment. The rabbi's eyes, mind and heart are closed, and thus the flame of enlightenment reveals nothing to the rabbi. The rabbi climbs back down and heads off into the world no better or worse off than prior to the ascent. A second rabbi comes upon the ladder and climbs up and faces the flame of enlightenment. This time the rabbi's eyes and mind are wide open, but the rabbi's heart is closed. The rabbi climbs down and sets off into the world with new found knowledge and seeks to proselytize this knowledge to the world as revealed by the flame of enlightenment. The rabbi wanders aimlessly, is ignored and ridiculed, and goes insane in the process. A third rabbi comes across the ladder and climbs up to face the flame of enlightenment. This time the rabbi's eyes, mind and heart are wide open. The rabbi climbs back down. Fully illuminated in the heart, the rabbi sees a pathway upon which the rabbi's name is inscribed. The rabbi follows the pathway and lives a beautiful life. Along the way the rabbi passes others in the darkness alongside the pathway. Without direction from the rabbi, some are inspired by their wonder over the rabbi's source of illumination. For some, this inspiration begins to awaken their consciousness and a calling within to journey toward their own invitation to enlightenment.
While each of the three rabbis found their way to the source of enlightenment, the story illustrates that actualization of authentic self being requires preparation and readiness through life experiences to be open to receiving insight on the direction to take in fulfilling one’s authentic self being, and therein become a transformative being in peace so as to effect peace into the world. The first rabbi represents the neophyte who has yet to experience life in a manner so as to realize contrition and forgiveness, and thus, is not yet open to beginning the steps toward the actualization of authentic self being. This is not to say that this form of neophyte might not return to the ladder of enlightenment, but that they have more life to encounter to prepare them for their return. The second rabbi represents the neophyte who departs without consensus in heart to enable the actualization of authentic self being. The second rabbi is still driven by ego projections influenced by unreconciled past and future conformity expectations, which are presented in the rabbi’s need to conform those they encounter to their understanding of peace. The third rabbi presents as have having actualized authentic self being, and in doing so their ability to effect peace beyond themselves is not driven by the need to seek conformity in others to their ego projected expectations of peace, rather the rabbi respects the being of others by allowing them to fulfill their own journeys toward self authentic being as they might be prepared and ready to do so.
You might ask, “how can the third rabbi represent a peacemaker if they appear not to be actively engaged in aiding others to realize peace?” The answer to this question might be understood through examining the Taoism understanding of Wu Wei, which is translated as non-action or non-doing, in which being a cause of peace is the natural way of behaving for one who is enlightened. This approach to peacemaking might be described as the peacemaker effecting peace beyond themselves by being in a natural way of behaving, in which one’s being in peace in the midst of conflict is the source that illuminates the aspirations of those in conflict to seek their own path out of the darkness of conflict and into the light of peace. This understanding, in reflection of the journeys of the second and third rabbi, brings to our attention the ethical boundaries of peacemakers, in which a clear contrast is drawn between approaches to peacemaking; seeking to fulfill ego driven outcome attachments versus fulfilling neutrality based value commitments.
