Energetic Peaces

Energetic peaces are holistic. They perceive all existence as a fabric interrelating nature, society and divinities (cosmos). The individual is never separate, but always part and parcel of the larger relationality that, in turn, ultimately is a temporary manifestation of the primal energetic Oneness of all being.

In energetic approaches, peace is understood as a unification of opposites. With our human senses, we perceive different polarities and thus the question of peace is how to balance them. It is then assumed that such balance, in an energetic manner, can only be thought as a dynamic equilibrium. Therefore, there is no final state or situation that can be permanent, but it is an ongoing challenge to balance both the intra- and the inter-personal layers of being. Consequently, peace arises from harmony, as is perceived by the experiencing subject within this relationality.

Energetic representations of peace are abundant and so we find them in manifold shapes in classical interpretations of culture, religion and philosophy, for instance in Advaita Hinduism, Taoism, Tantric Buddhism, among others. As well, we find expressions of energetic peaces frequently represented in notions of fertility and harmony, which concern such a multitude of events and relations as the growth of crops, the fertility of the soil, the reproduction of animals and the good health of human beings.

Based on the above, the thematic tendencies of energetic peaces revolve around issues of harmony and, while there is a wide range of terms invariably connected to these energetic interpretations, we can observe how they consistently aim at a dynamic balance between society, nature and cosmos. This harmony is reached in different ways, depending on temporal and spatial circumstances. For instance, the term Kindoki is used in the Congo basin and the region of the Great Lakes. Likewise, Javanese ethics is also based on the assumption that the highest value that humans should respect in all their relationships is harmony. This is true of relationships to nature, to other people, and to super-nature. The cosmos, in all its dimensions, represents an ordered whole. Harmony reigns when every element is in its proper place, which is termed damai in Bahasa Indonesia. “Look for your place and act accordingly”is a Javanese wisdom that sums up the central tenet of this worldview.

Utziläj k’aslen is the word used by the Maya-Kakchikel for expressing ‘peace out of harmony’. It refers to mental and material well-being and circumscribes the one-ness of society, nature, and the universe. Maintaining this unity requires the respect of each human towards each other, towards the community and the environment.