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Manifesto 2000
The Manifesto 2000, dedicated to a culture of peace and non-violence, outlines six pledges for daily life: respect all life, reject violence, share with others, listen to understand, preserve the planet, and rediscover solidarity. The fourth point, listen to understand, corresponds to the Fourth Mindfulness Training of deep listening and loving speech. Despite sophisticated technology, communication between individuals, families, and political groups has become difficult due to internal pain, fear, and anger. Restoring communication is a fundamental practice for peace, requiring training to hold one’s own suffering in order to listen with compassion. This practice extends to listening to one’s own body and consciousness, allowing them to rest and self-heal rather than ignoring their distress signals. Peace is not merely negotiation but the capacity to listen to suffering to restore harmony within, preventing the escalation of violence.
The fifth point, preserve the planet, aligns with the Fifth Mindfulness Training on mindful consumption. Preserving the planet is synonymous with preserving one’s own body and consciousness, as the two reflect one another. Responsible consumer behavior involves mindfulness regarding the four kinds of nutriments:
- Edible food: Eating and drinking in a way that preserves the body—a legacy of ancestors and future generations—and respects the lives of all species. Consuming excessive meat and alcohol wastes resources needed to solve world hunger, akin to eating the flesh of one’s own children.
- Sense impressions: Guarding against toxic sights, sounds, and ideas found in media, conversations, and the internet that water seeds of craving, violence, and despair.
- Volition: Examining one’s deepest desire to ensure it is motivated by the wish to relieve suffering rather than the pursuit of fame, profit, or power.
- Consciousness: Feeding the mind with wisdom and compassion rather than confusion and ignorance to foster a life of well-being.
