LEVERETT — The Village of Light Ashram will host a second Walk for Peace on Sunday, Oct. 6, to stand with those suffering from war and violence worldwide, and seek an end to the suffering.
“Most deeply, its purpose is to open people’s hearts to the need for peace and the suffering of all those who are casualties of war, not just the dead, but the living who suffer immense loss and trauma,” explained GurujiMa, a spiritual teacher at the Village of Light Ashram. “We need, as peace-makers and peace-advocates, to stand with those who are suffering, no matter what side of a conflict they are on, even as we wait for the world to no longer embrace war and violence as a means to an end.”
The walk comes a day before the first anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel and the start of that war, one of several violent conflicts that the walk will recognize.
“The toll that war is taking is everpresent. In Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and now Lebanon, the devastation that is occurring daily is something that we must respond to,” said GurujiMa. “We cannot be indifferent. We have a kinship with all beings and must seek to expand the compassion of our hearts so that we can respond to others and to their suffering most fully.”
The walk will begin and end with prayers for peace, with chanting for peace continuing throughout the walk. After the walk, attendees will listen to remarks by GurujiMa and Sister Clare Carter of the New England Peace Pagoda, as well as Music for Peace by Onatah and Friends.
“The song created by Onatah Love called ‘End All Wars’ will be featured by the group during the Music for Peace concert. This song, in its beauty and in its power, helped to create the motivation for this second Walk for Peace,” noted GurujiMa. “Sister Clare Carter will also be offering reflections on peace from her vast experience and deep dedication to the cause of peace. We are very grateful to have her presence with us.”
The walk for peace is part of a larger culture of seeking both inner and outer peace the GurujiMa and the Village of Light Ashram work to help people find.
“Most people do not yet know that outer peace in the world and inner peace in oneself are one. We create peace by becoming peace,” explained GurujiMa. The teacher added that this can be done through attunement to the deeper, innately peaceful self within each person. Meditation, learning to breathe with a sense of the gift of life, practicing kindness and releasing judgment are all ways toward peace.
“There is great beauty and goodness within the human heart that comes from the divine within,” said GurujiMa. “We need to believe in this and to trust this as real if we are to create a world of peace.”
The 1.6-mile walk begins at Leverett Elementary School at 11 a.m. and will end at the Village of Light Ashram, expected to take about 45 minutes. Participants are asked to arrive at 10:45 a.m. and those who may not be able to complete the walk may ride in one of the cars that will be making the journey. The Village of Light Ashram is a non-denominational spiritual center established in 1990 based on the teachings of GurujiMa.
