Last month I had the good fortune to visit a wonderful place, Key West, Florida. It’s a great walking town with all sorts of interesting architecture, shops, scenic views, ice blue water, and characters.
My stroll through town took me into a health food store and vegan restaurant. During the week I was in Key West. I suspended my customary 75/25 Vegetarian / Animal fat dietary ratio while in town and had a few steak dinners and a variety of other high cholesterol delights. All very self-indulgent and delicious. But knowing my body’s limits, I started the end -of -the -party detox process with some fresh vegetable juice.
While I was waiting for vegetarian antidote of carrot celery juice, I browsed through a bunch of circulars in the waiting area and happened to notice a pile of blue pamphlets on a table. I picked one up and stuffed it into my pocket, not knowing if there would be anything of merit in the booklet.
The next morning I sat in the Key West Airport departure lounge on my way back to Austin and decided to see if the little pamphlet contained any pearls of wisdom.
To my surprise, the booklet, “Steps Toward Inner Peace” by Peace Pilgrim (yes, her real name) is a great read and a remarkable story and lesson on the meaning of life. It’s a spiritual journey taken by a woman whose only goal in life was to be the change that she wanted to see in the world and in people.
Her journey was a 25,000 mile walk with nothing but the shoes on her feet and the clothing on her back. She was penniless, relying on the kindness of others for her food and shelter.
“I can truly tell you that without ever asking for anything, I have been supplied with everything needed for my journey which shows you how good people really are.”
The 32 page booklet is chocked full of inspiring lessons from a practicing aesthetic.
Here are some of my edited high lights from the little pamphlet:
“My primary subject is peace within ourselves is a step toward peace in our world.”
“Be willing to face life squarely and get down beneath the surface of life where the verities and realities can be found.”
“Realize that no problem ever comes to you that does not have a purpose in your life, that cannot contribute to your inner growth.”
“Collective problems must be solved by us collectively, and no one finds inner peace who avoids doing his or her share in the solving of collective problems like world disarmament and world peace.”
“It is important to remain in harmony with the laws that govern the universe. These laws are well known. We are happy when we obey these laws and get into trouble when we don’t.”
“Some of the best work on the planet is the work that doesn’t pay anything.”
“Happiness and peace do not have a dollar value.”
“Simplify your life. Anything beyond the necessities tends to be burdensome.”
“Hate injures the hater, not the hated.”
“Your motive, if you are going to find inner peace, must be an outer motive-it must be service. It must be giving and not getting.”
“We are all cells in the body of humanity. We are not separate from our fellow human beings. The whole thing is a totality.”
“All people can be peace workers. Whenever you bring harmony into any unpeaceful situation, you contribute to the total peace picture, insofar as you have peace in your life; you reflect it into your surroundings and into the world.”
Peace Pilgrim is no longer with us, but her words of wisdom live on.
Now, if I can only live by these principles every day…….working on it…..
AHO
Richard
PS- For more information: Friends of Peace Pilgrim PO Box 2207, Shelton, CT 06484 (203) 926-1581
PS PS- The “Jack in the Blog” is back.
For those who would like to know more about Peace Pilgrim, please visit http://www.PeacePilgrim.org where you will find the Steps booklet mentioned in this blog, an expanded life story in a book compiled by several people who knew Peace and much more.
Materials are available in various languages.