The Peace Abbey II (photo essay)

The Peace Abbey:  this is the main building where there is a guesthouse and multi-faith chapel.  It is jammed  in every corner and on every square foot of the walls with shrines and symbols, newspaper clipping, icons, sculptures and prayers which originate from the twelve major world faiths.

Entering the front door to my right there is a sitting and reading room and you can see it leads to the chapel.

Here are a few photographs from inside the chapel (and believe me, it has been hard to choose which ones to put up!)

Inside of the chapel, each of the pews is set up to hold books, books, books!-- written on issues of spirituality and peace and teachings;  this is a book collection I myself can only dream of, but which I have started a nice collection of since a very long time ago.

A tiny shrine...

Beyond the chapel is a room within the chapel dedicated to  St. Francis of Assissi.  There is a reason for this!  The Peace Abbey was created after Lewis Randa attended the Day of Prayer for World Peace in Assisi, Italy, for the UN International Year of Peace in 1986. This was the first time in history leaders of all twelve religions of the world had gathered with intent for world peace.  Lewis Randa  oversees The Peace Abbey.

I lit a candle and kneeled and said The Prayer Of Saint Francis Of Assissi...

The Peace Abbey also runs a school for older students which is Chapter 766 approved, called The Life Experience School.

Once outside again, you can visit The Pacifist Living History Museum, again with relics, manuscripts, documents and books, books, books!--left behind by peacemakers and friends and visitors who have come to The Peace Abbey.  Many of these are glass encased and likely protected by temperature control, they are so very sacred.  Where I am standing is the room of The Peacemakers Table;  let's see who has sat at this table...um....Mother Teresa, Maya Angelou, Daniel Berrigan....I was staring directly at a beautiful sculpture of Gandhi wearing a dried lei of flowers which he once donned....WOW!

If you ever wish to visit The Peace Abbey...

You can read more about The Peace Abbey and what it is all about at their website <a href=http://www.peaceabbey.org/>HERE</A>

Here is where I first came to know about The Peace Pilgrim.  I was amazed by what I discovered about this woman.  You can see videos and learn more about her mission <a href=http://www.peacepilgrim.com/index.htm>HERE</A>.

JAINIST PRAYER FOR WORLD PEACE

Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel preached by all the Enlightened Ones.  The Lord has preached that equanimity is the Dharma.  Forgive do I creatures all, and let all creatures forgive me.  Unto all have I amity, and unto none enmity.  Know that violence is the root cause of all miseries in the world.  Violence, in fact, is the knot of bondage.  "Do not injure any living being."  This is the eternal, perennial, and unalterable way of spiritual life.  A weapon howsoever powerful it may be, can always be superseded by a superior one;  but no weapon can, however, be superior to nonviolence and love.

MUSLIM PRAYER FOR PEACE

In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful.  Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created us and made us into tribes and nations, that we may know each other, not that we may despise each other.  If the enemy inclines towards peace, do thou also incline towards peace, and trust in God, for the Lord is the one that hearesth and knoweth all things.  And the servants of God, Most Gracious are those who walk on the Earth in humility, and when we address them, we say, "PEACE."

O.K., ONE MORE!

SIKH PRAYER FOR PEACE

God adjudges us according to our deeds, not the coat that we wear:  that Truth is above everything, but the higher still is truthful living.  "Know that we attaineth God when we loveth, and only that victory endures in consequence of which no one is defeated."