But almost as soon as it was founded, the Cold War began. Although the Cold War is now over, racial and religious conflicts have flared up in many areas of the planet, and environmental degeneration presents a major threat to human survival. Despite the resolution of some of the world s conflicts, genuine world peace and security are still far from being realized. Conflict and war appear to be the norm and peace simply a temporary respite. However, this is not the inevitable state of affairs.
Conflict arises in the mind, and it is there that it can be resolved.
In reality, we are our minds. When we allow our desire for material gains to grow unchecked, our fellow beings become adversaries and nature becomes an object to be explotied. We have become consumers, devoted to a life-style of competition for consumption. But competition leads us into a state of permanent cold war with our neighbours, and a life of consumption puts us at odds with the environment. Lacking happiness within, we try to find it outside in sense pleasures.