adamgilliland

It's always very interesting to read and hear all the pieces written and spoken about 'peace'. The vast majority seem to speak either of peace in opposition to war or violence (and therefore still caught in the dualistic way of thought), or as having to be 'imposed' by whatever means possible on violence (which is an act of violence itself!).

Is peace perhaps beyond all of this, beyond opposites, beyond imposition, indeed beyond any word or description? Might it be the ground, or source, in which everything is allowed to be, just as it is, without any thinking required? Reality always seems 'peaceful' enough in itself, but then becomes violent when our thinking about it starts to run riot and separates us from reality. Belief in our thoughts as reality, rather than recognizing them as a tiny part of it, remains unexamined, like a crime which nobody has approached to solve. With deep investigation of these beliefs, entrenched in humanity for millennia, the truth is revealed and reality is allowed to be, and Life flows without interruption, in peace! Then there is no imposition of any sort: things (including people) are allowed to be, yet action flows clearly from this peace, when there is recognition of the wholeness of Life, without division, without the separation of 'what is' and 'what should be'. Without the wish/need to impose anything on anybody/anything, where is the need for violence? Violence may still happen, but action can take place fearlessly and effortlessly to bring it to a peaceful end. How can peace be brought about by the violence of imposition, which is as much dictatorship as any we have previously chosen to call by that name? When Life is allowed to live itself totally and unconditionally, then there may be the arising of and living in a peace beyond all concepts, beyond all thoughts.   Read more...

I feel very fortunate to live where I do. Although it is London, which many consider cold and lonely and lacking 'community' despite the enormous numbers, I live in a beautiful Victorian block of flats/apartment block with some amazing people. This blog is about one of my neighbours, although it could be about many of them....

I went to deliver a card from an elderly neighbour to another neighbour in my block who also knows and helps her a great deal. When I got to this neighbour's door, there on the doormat was a bowl of sweets, a bowl of crisps/chips, a bowl of nuts and a glass of wine!   Read more...

I was delighted to be introduced recently, through a book on Awareness, to a school operating in the UK on a completely different basis to the vast majority of educational establishments in the world.

The school is called Summerhill School, and was established by A.S Neill in 1921 to provide 'progessive, democratic education' to its children. In essence, the children have an equal say to the 'teachers' in the life of the school, and they are able to choose which lessons to attend, if any. There may not be a great deal of surprise to hear that the school has frequently come under very close scrutiny, to say the least, from Ofsted, the UK government schools inspection agency!   Read more...

A recent event in ‘my life’ has been another of those treasures that are witnessed all too rarely in society as it is at the moment. It feels natural to share it with people who would probably see what is being said here clearly for the positive in it.

I have recently been helping to look after an elderly person who has become unwell, managing things like preparing meals, helping with medication, etc. Confidentiality is maintained here, as no person that I know reads Ode unfortunately – well, not yet anyway – and I have not said whether the person is male or female. And the person concerned has also agreed to have their recent story written in this way and to appear on the website.) There had been a recent rapid deterioration in mental faculties, leading to weakness in the body and confusion in those areas of Life taken somewhat for granted, e.g. recognition of the day of the week, time of the day, remembering most recent events.   Read more...