Resolution or Refusal to resolve?
I have been on a long journey of understanding peace since 2017. It all began just after I completed my Plant Spirit Healing Apprenticeship in 2017 and I was called to Vermont, USA to a Plant Spirit Initiation with the Eastern White Pine Tree - also known as the Tree of Peace. When I say called, I mean the Tree of Peace sent me a message through the ether and made it clear I was to attend. The call was undeniable so I went. During the Plant Spirit Initiation I began to pray for peace for myself and my family. And now writing this nine years later I find myself reflecting on the journey I have walked with the Tree of Peace.
The truth is, the last nine months I have been deepening my relationship with the White Pine Tree, and have been spending time reflecting on the North American First Nations teachings of how the Eastern White Pine Tree even became the Tree of Peace. This tree was chosen by The Peacemaker, an enlightened being who was born on earth to bring peace between warring nations. The Peacemaker traveled across the territories in a white stone canoe, carrying a message from the Creator known as the The Great Law of Peace. He spoke to the Chiefs of the five nations and was eventually able to bring peace to the land. To solidify this new union, the Peacemaker uprooted a majestic Eastern White Pine Tree, instructing the warriors of all five nations to cast their weapons of war into the deep cavern beneath its roots. He replanted the Tree of Peace over the buried hatchets, its white roots extending in the four directions to invite all people who sought peace to follow them to the source.
This is a short version of the story of the Peacemaker, I chose to share this part as this has been my understanding of the Eastern White Pine Tree as a beacon of peace - this is the message White Pine gave me during that ceremony.
“Hear our call, Hear our prayer, Peace be With You. Standing tall for us all, Peace brings Harmony.”
So how do we achieve Peace? The first step that has been guided to me is that Peace needs to take root inside ourselves regardless of our circumstances. It reminds me of the Ten Guru’s of Sikhism (and countless Sikhs) who faced persecution for the spiritual beliefs and practices and remained within their own Peace.
Here we can refer back to the Peacemaker taught that for a society to be truly stable, it must master these three principles the first of which is not just the absence of war, but a state of mind. It is the active practice of "The Good Mind," where individuals align their thoughts with the welfare of the community and the natural world.
So how do we keep a Good Mind to ensure we act from a place of considered response rather than unbalanced reaction? To ensure we are fair in our words and actions?
For me the qualities of The Good Mind are rooted in:
courageous honesty
kind communication
open listening
With these three qualities our hearts and minds align to move from avoidance of our true pain, covering hurt with anger, and actions born out of our inability to process our feelings.
It is easy to walk away and refuse to resolve, to throw in the grenade, or burn the bridge.
It takes commitment and strength to live up to these qualities of The Good Mind, so that not only can you bring resolution within yourself, but the journey can lead you to a greater feeling of Peace.
For more information about the Peacemaker & The Tree of Peace visit the Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s website.