Peace. Everybody wants it. But not a lot of people are willing to work to get it or make it happen. Whether you are listening to songs about peace, marching for it, wishing for it or making it as cliché as a speech in a beauty pageant – the thing that people don’t realize is that peace begins with each of us.

One of our favorite songs here at Zen Evolution TV is “Let There Be Peace On Earth and Let It Begin With Me.” And the reason we love this song is because it’s true.

If you want there to be world peace, but you live a life damning others and cannot accept every person you meet despite your differences, you’re a hypocrite for wanting peace that can’t happen, because you’re part of the problem.

Here at ZETV we are multi-cultural. We employ every color on the planet. Every person who works here has a different religious, ethnic and social class background. We have straights and Gays and Transgender. We have people of all ages, married, single, divorced – from high school to elderly. All shapes, all colors, all sizes. We accept each other’s differences. We have people here who are carnivores and vegans working side-by-side. We have people who differ on their political viewpoints. The only thing that matters is that we have love and peace in our hearts, souls and beings. We are all-loving and all-accepting and we are peaceful, because we don’t discriminate. We embrace differences.
And we are human and no one is perfect, but we accept that, also.

The point is, we cannot have Zen and share it with you, if we are not Zen ourselves. We cannot promote peace if we are not, ourselves peaceful beings.
Acceptance and love are the answer. Tolerance and understanding are tools. Communication and celebration of each person’s uniqueness is part of what makes us whole, what makes us different and what makes each person special, not superior to the next.

If we can move forward in life, not sweating the small stuff and not over-dramatizing what we cannot control and instead work with a pro-active mind and heart in showing up each day as the best loving beings we can be – wouldn’t the world be a beautiful place to be?

What if today were your last day? Would you want it to be spent, agonizing over someone taking your parking spot, or having a fight with a loved one, or showing up as your worst possible self – and that being the very last thing people remember about you?

We know that not everyday can be perfect. And none of us are perfect. But if we were to embrace each day as is and enjoy it and spread joy and love to all those around us, even in the most challenging of times, being helpful and supportive and positive, wouldn’t that be how we would want to show up?

Life is short. We must remember what matters most. And if peace is the answer, then can’t we propose the question of what would you do to have peace in your heart each day? And shouldn’t that be the action you take on everyday?

Namaste. Peace to all.

Stacey Kumagai- Zen Goddess 9, Integrity & Wisdom and all your friends at Zen Evolution TV

Before I go on with this blog, I will post this image to begin.

NAMASTE:
“I honor the place in you, in which the entire Universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is love, of truth, of light and of peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, WE ARE ONE.”


I’ve been asked by many Zen Evolution TV viewers what Namaste means. This is what prompted this image above to be posted on our Zen Evolution TV Myspace so that it would be present for those who would question its meaning.

However today, I felt it was time to talk about NAMASTE on a deeper level.
Let’s start with the basics. Namaste is Sanskrit. It comes from the two words Namah and Te. “I bow to you.”

Now while the origins of Namaste travel back to India or Nepal, ‘bowing’ isn’t something that is foreign in any culture, even if the word Namaste is. A performer on stage will bow to the audience in conclusion of the performance as a ‘thank you … thank you for your time, for receiving my talent, my gift of expression, my art.’
While most associated with the Japanese culture – the constant bowing action can be given and received simultaneously as a greeting of hello/goodbye physically. It is used in arriving and departing, similar to how the Hawaiian word ‘Aloha’ means both hello and goodbye. In Medieval times peasants often bowed in the presence of kings.
I don’t necessarily view “Namaste” as a means of bowing as much as the meaning behind what the bow represents – and to me, it is synonymous with RESPECT.

To me, RESPECT is everything. In order to get respect, you have to give respect. And even if you don’t receive respect, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it, just because you didn’t get it. Respect is a full-circle thing, like life. It is what makes the world go around.

Without respect, there cannot be acceptance. Without acceptance, there cannot really be love. And without love.... well, what’s the point?

Isn’t the point of life to live and to love? Thus, shouldn’t we honor a life of love with respect?

Let’s look at Namaste from another point of view. There is a life lesson to be learned.

Re-read the meaning of Namaste.

“I honor the place in you, in which the entire Universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is love, of truth, of light and of peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, WE ARE ONE.”

Now couldn’t the same be said of hate, prejudice, judgment and anger? When we dishonor the place in someone where their Universe dwells and we dishonor the place which has love, truth, light and peace. And instead aggravate it, push buttons, and get that person angry, don’t we then trigger them to be angry at us and in turn, we get angry?

There was a PSA (public service announcement) back in the 1970s which spoke of eliminating hate as an emotion. It’s a negative emotion, one which destroys humanity.

So with this knowledge, doesn't it make sense to become the positivity which NAMASTE stands for?

Can you imagine a world, where we exercised utilizing NAMASTE as our base, as our foundation, as the place where we all come from? Wouldn’t that be a beautiful and wonderful world?

Imagine if we took the time to look within to respect and honor someone’s spirit and soul….

Perhaps then, we would have a world filled with love, truth, light and yes, even peace.

We don’t need to wait for the rest of the world to catch up. We can have peace each day, everyday, within our being, within our own spirit and within our own hearts and minds. If we take the time to practice the action of NAMASTE each day with all those we come in contact with – from our family and friends, our co-workers and colleagues, our neighbors and strangers we encounter while living our lives and pay NAMASTE forward…WE CAN CREATE OUR OWN UNIVERSE OF love, truth, light and peace. And if this perhaps inspires someone, at some moment to share this and become this and live like this, maybe we can’t create world peace today or tomorrow for the world, but in time we can, one person at a time, and it begins with ourselves.

Namaste.

Stacey Kumagai – Zen Goddess 9, Integrity & Wisdom and all your friends at Zen Evolution TV