Meditation for a divided nation

While meditation may appear to be irrelevant in times of political and social unrest, there are some who believe that this ancient practice could contribute towards transforming violent conflicts, such as the one that has been burdening the people of Sri Lanka for decades. By changing the individual consciousness, those who participate in meditative exercises are able to look at a situation in a different light, from multiple perspectives and with increased empathy and tolerance, and it is believed that the collective consciousness of an entire community or nation can also be transformed in this way.

Meditation has long been practiced in Sri Lanka by those in pursuit of physical, mental and spiritual health and has always been central to Buddhist teachings as a means of developing mindfulness, tranquility and inner peace. In the Christian tradition, it is considered a form of prayer or a contemplation of the divine mysteries. In Hinduism the practice of yoga, which incorporates aspects of meditation, is a means of physiological and spiritual mastery. In Islam meditation was developed during the time of the Prophet and is described in the Quran as a reflection upon our environment and the universe as a whole. So in effect, meditation is not only a worldwide phenomenon, it is also something which has transcended across multiple religions, and it is perhaps this ‘shared-ness’ that lends itself so well to some of the theories within the realms of conflict transformation.

Conflict transformation addresses the social, economic, political, cultural and mental structures that are linked to the root causes of a conflict, as well as the attitudes, behavior and relationships of all stakeholders involved. Negotiations should, amongst other things, move away from the usual bargaining from adversarial positions and move towards identifying common interests and achieving mutual gains. Another key aspect of conflict transformation are the three issue areas of dialogue promotion, capacity building and providing multiple perspectives, which represent the key needs that have to be addressed in order to achieve peace on a sustainable  basis.
Sri Lanka is by no means alone in its struggle to find a way out of endless warfare, claiming thousands of lives year after year. We live in a world that is torn apart by violence and strife with dozens of military conflicts taking place at any one time. According to spiritual analysts, humans respond with war because it is a common reaction to anger and fear. If people were to challenge the habitual practice of war and violence and replace it instead with respect and empathy across different communities, it could serve as a catalyst for change and conflicts could be successfully transformed. Such thinking is based on the belief that peace is, in the end, an inner decision and that the creation of a spiritually aware ‘critical mass’, or community, can tip the balance between war and peace.

Meditation enthusiasts in Sri Lanka recently had a rare opportunity to learn from the experience and teachings of Kambiz Naficy, an expert in meditation and a published poet, who gave up a successful career in finance and business to teach the art of joyful, stress free living through meditation. Kambiz Naficy is an example of someone who believes that they can contribute towards conflict transformation by encouraging the practice of meditation as part of everyone’s daily routine, and making an impact on the consciousness of individuals in order to achieve peaceful coexistence.