Buddhism and Peace: Peace in the World

“Let us strive for the achievement of both, " is the likely answer most followers of Buddhism would give to the above question. There can hardly be any doubt that the Buddhist message is one of peace. In the first place, its proclaimed ultimate goal is the timeless peace of nirvāṇa which is a supramundane accomplishment. In order to achieve it by striving on the spiritual path, avoiding strife is a necessary precondition. This is not easy, because life in society at large and sometimes even within smaller units, such as families, is full of strife. Therefore individuals firmly committed to finding the final peace of liberation from the vicissitudes of saṁsāric life often became hermits or homeless wanderers. However, striving completely alone, without the guidance of an advanced teacher and the support of like-minded companions, is difficult. The Buddha, who had himself been through several years of solitary struggle for the solution to human suffering, therefore offered, on reaching liberation and enlightenment by his ow