The Four Paths of Peace by Jane Ely, Phd
"Peace begins within" is a vibrational current we all relate to. But even more, it is a calling of the soul to self-responsible practices and truths that exist in the very marrow of our ancestral bones-the home of our integrity, authenticity and self-empowerment.

"Peace begins within" is a commitment to activism and life-giving creativity. As each person decides to walk the path of peace-making and peace-building, a change is created in our world. We are a culture inundated by outer-world media and inner-world chaos, leaving us in various states of overwhelm, over-extended credit, emotional angst and physical exhaustion. In short we are stressed out and stressed-in.

When does your spirit get rest? Where is there a place for true relaxation without the "doing mind?" Now is the time my grandfather and elders spoke about - the time of "the Wobble effect." The world is in chaos, but the mind thinks it is in control. Institutions and systems are dissolving, lurching to grinding, dysfunctional halts as a result of decades of misuse and suffering. This time is known to our elders as the death of the fourth world giving way to the fifth world.

As individuals we can make a difference by looking at the internal chaos we create in ourselves, to the mind over-thinking us to a standstill É but most importantly, to what we practice in our daily lives.

I would like to share some of the tools and skills given to me by my elders for coming back into balance. These skills are American Indian spiritual and cultural practices, but they are universal in nature, and we all can benefit from them.

The foundation for these teachings is the Medicine Wheel - a circle of life representing all creation.

The four aspects represented are the physical world - Mother Earth and our own bodies; the emotional world of fluidity and flexibility; the mental world of clear mind and wisdom; and the spiritual world of inter-relatedness with all life forms, seen and especially unseen. At the intersection of these aspects is stillness, spaciousness, the Creator (or as some would say The Great Mystery That Moves Through All Things) - in essence, the heartbeat of wholeness and unity.

In the southern direction, with the physical Mother Earth and our selves, is the principle of community. Only by being balanced ourselves can we come into balance with others, which then leads to the acknowledgement that we are interconnected with all life.

Community balance needs mutual respect and appreciation of differences of others, both culturally and spiritually. The Cherokee word for balance is u-ti-yv-hi. This is a concept of wholeness.

The second aspect of The Medicine Wheel represents cooperation, the emotional world of flexibility, the ability to change and remain fluid - "moving with" rather than moving "against." This is also the home of moving through life changes such as illness and walking into the time of transformation. The Cherokee word for co-operative energy is a-li-go-sv.

In practice we find common ground with one another to work together. We consider ourselves equal partners in finding creative solutions for problems. Cooperatively we build bridges of understanding. We learn patience in this aspect and we learn to truly listen to one another.

The northern aspect of the Medicine Wheel is the home of our mental well-being. We develop clear minds, using the wisdom of our elders and teachers to guide and support us, and we learn the practice of open-mindedness.

In the practice of non-violence we respect all life and promise to do no harm. We keep open minds and hearts to develop empathy and compassion. We use the mind in dialogue, as a creative problem solver. We humbly share our life experiences with integrity as our teachers have done before us. The Cherokee word is harmony - nv-wa-to-hi-ya-dv. It embodies the concept of to-hi, the word for peace.

The fourth aspect of the Medicine Wheel is the most significant. It is the practice of spirituality on a day to day basis. In this aspect we learn to pray deeply and sincerely. We learn to witness one another in a non-judgmental way and to honor all ways of authentic spirituality. There is a natural living presence that arises with inclusiveness. In Cherokee the word is a-tlo-ya-s-to-di.

Each path of peace leads to the center of the Medicine Wheel of Life. When we are able to hold all these aspects in our consciousness and practice them in our daily lives we are present to and for whatever happens around us. Standing in the center of the wheel requires a powerful practice and great skill. It is a state of being that naturally and generously generates faith, trust, truth and discernment.

"Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."
Author unknown.

Jane Ely, Ph.D., D. Min. is the author of The Ancestral Soul: Soul Loss and Recovery, and is the founder of The Peacemaker School of Spiritual Healing, dedicated to fostering peacemakers in the world. Please visit www.peacemakerschool.com.

She has a private practice in Lihue, HI. at 808-245-4246 and in Delaware at 570-807-4989. The Peacemaker School of Spiritual Healing will establish its Kaua'i program this year with an introduction to the Principles of Peacemaking. For more information contact Dr. Ely via email: deerclan2@verizon.net.
[© copyright, Jane Ely, 2004]

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