Wesak Speech 2002

Ananda Tara Shan (Rev. Jeanne Dara de Murashkin)

The world is in a stressful situation. In many countries we now see demonstrations for the Palestinian cause against Israel's right to be, we see some demonstrations for Israel against the Palestinians, just as over the years we have seen many demonstrations against the Americans. Demonstrations occur because of deep-rooted emotional problems in humanity with regard to human rights, territories, seeming injustice and so forth.

In this year's speech I would liked to point out that The Theosophical Fellowship stands on the side of the Hierarchy, and though the Hierarchy can rarely be understood, suffice it to say that the Hierarchy works according to the law of karma for the survival of the planet and for right human relations to take the place of inhuman and evil deeds between fellow beings. Goodwill in people's hearts and will to do good in the actions of higher disciples will accomplish this.

I would like to say some words to further explain the Hierarchy's viewpoint and my own, being a member of the Hierarchy, on the Middle East conflict. It is now not a matter of what is right or wrong, what matters is peace. Neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis have any right to any land, neither has any nation right to any land which they call their land, for all land belongs to God. We human beings are caretakers of God's land, and we have to learn to live in peace with each other.

It is not a matter of who is wrong or who is right in the Middle East. What matters is that Israelis and their Arabian neighbours understand that they should share land and live like true brothers on that land. I therefore call on the United Nations to move into Israel and the Palestinian areas, take charge, and teach them how to live together.

How many years it may take does not matter. People who are concerned about so-called right and wrong with regard to wars and human struggle focus their attention on the form, whereas we focus our attention on soul and spirit, and in the physical world we focus our attention on true democracy, the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to act as you see fit according to your realisation of matters.

The situation in the Middle East has gone beyond history books and discussions on whether Israel should have become a state or not. The fact is that Israel is a state that was given support by other countries which did not want to admit the Jews into their countries if they could avoid it. Only Australia offered the Kimberleys, but as we know, the Jews felt more at home in the Middle East for reasons we all know well. And you cannot throw a whole state of people into the ocean and pretend they never were there. The solution is as I have mentioned it in my letter of the 10th of April, to which I have further added the need for the United Nations, a body that was established to help stabilise people who are in constant disagreement with each other.* I therefore call upon Kofi Annan to take immediate action, for otherwise we may see waves that lead to war in many parts of the world.

Eventually the Jewish race will be assimilated into one human race; eventually we shall see all religions becoming one religion and all nations becoming one nation in the Heart of Maitreya. But that is in the distant future, and to avoid the incidents you see in the Middle East now spreading all throughout the Earth, I ask that you forget your little self, your preconceived notions of what is right and wrong, and look at things from a higher perspective and activate your soul who will tell you what is important at the moment. And it is here where the Joan of Arc Order comes in, to act for justice, higher justice not human justice. Let your emotional bodies calm down in the trust of a higher government who have the bigger picture and will lead those who act on their behalf into the glory of true rightness.

* For those who have not read this letter, I will summarise the key ideas here:
The Palestinians and Israelis must learn to live in peace with each other, or risk destroying each other. The UN should move into the Middle East to teach both parties how to live in peace with each other. An end must come to the constant propaganda and the raging hatred. The world community must recognise its responsibility in the Middle-East crisis and assist the peace process with actions instead of empty words.

To create peace, Jerusalem must be made a neutral city, not owned or administered by any government, but by a council of people who have goodwill towards all. Israelis and Palestinians must learn to respect each other's varied backgrounds. Children must be educated with understanding and not brainwashed with hatred.

Borders should disappear between Israel and its neighbouring countries. Israel and Palestine should be one state, with a government that is shared by both Israeli and Palestinians. The two must fuse. The change will take a whole generation, but should start now.

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