Why Has the World Never Truly Been at Peace? A Buddhist Perspective

**Summary:** This article explores the profound causes of war from a Buddhist viewpoint: the karma of killing and the heart of hatred. It also presents lessons on practicing peace from the small things in daily life.

Recently, on Christmas Day in Indonesia, churches holding Christmas services were bombed, resulting in many deaths. The press called it a 'not-so-peaceful Christmas season.' This pain is not anyone's alone. Although we are children of the Buddha, Buddhism is not limited to a single religion; it is a love that extends to all beings. The suffering and division of others, even those of different faiths, are of concern to a Buddhist heart.

**Peace is Precious, Yet Easily Forgotten**

No one understands the pain of war more deeply than we Vietnamese. The generations growing up before 1975 witnessed countless losses and devastation. Our country passed through endless wars. When we live in peace, it can often seem ordinary. But only when we shoulder a backpack and leave home do we realize that the simple days under the temple roof, beside our parents, were truly happy. Therefore, peace is not a given. It is a great gift that we must cherish.

**The Profound Cause in Buddhism: The Karma of Killing**

In a verse, the Buddha taught: "If all beings had no karma of killing, where in the ten directions would weapons still clatter? If every family equally practiced goodness, why would the world still fear a lack of peace?" This is why Buddhism sees the karma of killing animals, even small ones, as creating the karma of war. When creatures are killed, they harbor resentment. Reborn as humans in future lives, they seek revenge. This is why the world's population grows, yet wars never cease.

**A Unified World Would Still Not End War**

Some have dreamed that if the whole world were just one nation, wars would end. But it is not that simple. Venerable Thich Chan Quang teaches that as long as humans still eat meat and fish, still hunt animals, war will still occur in many forms: ethnic, religious, organized crime, even natural disasters or extraterrestrial invasion. The root lies in the karma of killing and the heart of hatred harbored within every being.

**The Human Heart is the Root**

The most immediate cause of war is the human heart. Consider the conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian people, which has lasted for centuries. Even when their leaders traveled to America or Europe for peace talks, the people themselves did not want peace. They only wanted to fight. If their leaders desired peace, they would be assassinated. Because their tradition is to triumph, to fight others to secure their own survival. Without guns, they throw stones; with nuclear bombs, they would use them. The human heart is the true source.

**Love Extinguishes Hatred: An Eternal Law**

In the Dhammapada, the Buddha taught: "Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is an eternal law." You cannot use fire to extinguish fire; it only makes it blaze higher. You cannot use hatred to erase hatred. Only love and forbearance can calm resentment. There is a story of two wives of one husband who harmed each other across many lifetimes. When they met the Buddha, He advised them to stop, to accept their karmic retribution, and to yield. When they stopped, the enmity ended. Conversely, aggression may make others fear you, but within their hearts, they bury hatred, waiting for the day of revenge.

**Peace Begins with Small Things**

In daily life, we often forget this lesson. There is a house where three or four families live together, sharing utilities. One family, though not wealthy, quietly pays the water and electricity bills for everyone. They think that a little extra cost is not about fairness; it is about love and yielding. Therefore, that house is very happy. Conversely, if everyone counts every penny, the atmosphere will turn into dislike and anger.

Thus, starting today, each of us can contribute to peace through small actions: - Eat more vegetarian food to reduce the karma of killing. - Practice forbearance with family, friends, and neighbors. - Show compassion to all beings, learning from the Buddha's words. - Keep a peaceful mind, not allowing small conflicts to develop into hatred.

World peace does not lie in treaties, but in the soul of every person. When each soul becomes gentler, and the karma of killing decreases, then this Earth will truly be at peace. This is the responsibility and also the joy of a child of the Buddha.