What's The Conflict All About?
It seems that not a day goes by, actually more like an hour these days, that we see conflict within human society. It’s on the news, in the movies, music, social media and in our daily work and relationship situations. Really it has always been there its just that the violent disagreements have become even more nuance and complex.
We see it in politics, business, national and international affairs, religion, work and family life about a number of wide ranging issues like finances, civil rights, gender equality, gender identity, sexuality, race and much more including even spirituality. So we want to get rid of this conflict right?
Or could this conflict actually be something that can be used to serve us in some ways?
Well really the key questions we need to ask are; good for ‘who’ and ‘what’?
So today I’m going to be explaining what conflict really is, how it comes about and how we can be free from it as well as use it to benefit everyone.
Misconceptions About Conflict
It’s likely that when most people think of conflict they think of fighting and war, but of course there are other aspects to conflict like arguments ect, and being spiritually-minded you’re likely anti-war, right?
You see, if we are anti anything then aren’t we already at war?
We are then at war with war. At conflict with conflict. See the issue?
We may say surely everything in this life can be resolved peacefully?
Well it’s not been the case up to now and what makes us think it’s going to be any different in future?
Maybe that’s because war and conflict on some level is inevitable in the universe at certain stages of development, and maybe even necessary at times. And dare I even say it, even can be beneficial on SOME levels. Now that’s likely sacrilege to say, but hear me out on this one.
Let’s say you have two tribes who disagree with each other about the best way to use a piece of land. They come together in a peaceful way and try to compromise, but no compromise can be found. Then what?
Well now they will try to impose their will upon each other to see whose idea will prevail (if only they could know the commonalities they share, like land then maybe that wouldn’t happen…). It’s an age old story we’ve all heard before. It is littered throughout history and is likely prevalent throughout the universe too amongst other species.
This is where my experience as a combat martial artist comes in handy (no pun intended!). From when I was a solo fighter I know how much you have to prepare your skills, body, mind and energies to succeed against opposition, and because of this I can say it allows you to grow as a human being on many different levels. Including being a potential catalyst for spiritual awakening and Self-realization. So out of a conflict situation can arise a betterment an evolution on the level of the individual and society in terms of skills, body, mind, energies and the development of a society. It’s like the saying goes; iron sharpens iron.
Without conflict or challenges things can tend to stagnate. Without conflict and challenge society would not have evolved to where it is today. Of course, as we all know, there is a long long way to go for society to improve, including doing away with the manipulation of the current control system (but would it not only be replaced by another, I wonder…).
Many would say that most of the wars have been manufactured by the control system, and on one level this is certainly true, but we also have to take into account the power of the collective mind to influence events.
So what would happen if humanity did actually achieve world peace?
Would all growth stop?
Well growth can happen on many different levels and will continue at those levels. Even if war ends, debate in other areas will continue. What is conflict after all if not a violent disagreement between two parties? But many times disagreements if non violent can lead to wonderful things being created. The downside is that these disagreements often become violent and destructive and so leads to world unrest. World peace then becomes impossible. Many of us, especially in the spiritual community, may think that world peace will lead to the end of all conflict, and maybe that will mostly be true on earth, at least from a waring perspective. But what about as humanity extends into the wider universe?
Let’s imagine a species on a far away planet that has achieved world peace. Now just because they have world peace on their planet doesn’t mean they won’t eventually encounter conflict in their galaxy, right? In fact it seems to me that any species, including humanity, inevitably will run up against other hostile species as they explore the rest of their galaxy.
So what to do if a hostile species attacks you even though you’re peaceful?
Die or fight back would be the option. But what if it’s possible to be in a conflict without being in conflict within yourself? What if this is the only TRUE end to all conflict that can be achieved?
Humanity is so focused on creating world peace that a deeper peace often gets forgotten.
Why The Universe Allows Conflict?
There’s a saying; if you want to make an omelet then you have to break a few eggs. In other words, for evolution to happen something has to give way.
Life moves through creation, preservation and death. Something must be born, sustained and then destroyed. Without these three modes nothing would ever come into being. It may look like a universe in conflict to the human mind, but if even one of these modes are removed the whole physical universe would collapse. So the universe is not in conflict at all, minds are in conflict. It’s one opinion violently being imposed upon another.
In human beings there is a split. Body from mind and mind from Source. There is something that constantly wants more and more and fights with the different aspects of itself. It’s a compulsion and confusion that is coming from a wrongly identified and conditioned mind. This creates violence. Violence arises out of inner conflict not from the challenges the universe naturally presents, and also not from the challenges that have been unnaturally created too.
This we should know the difference between. If we cannot separate these two we end up in conflict and will suffer, as well as add to the conflict going on around us. There is no real conflict in ‘what is’. Life ‘just the way it is’ has no conflict in it, that’s a mental phenomena. It seems there is conflict between animals, one eating the other, but actually its needed for the universe to be in harmony. If certain animals couldn’t eat other animals then it would have a domino effect and lead to imbalances in other animal species. This happens in other parts of the universe too. The human mind may say its brutal, but yet it’s needed for everything else to play out it’s role and for the universe to play out in diversity. Without diversity experiences would be limited.
The problem happens only when a being get’s associated with that role as ‘who’ they are. Then conflict arises. Inner conflict then becomes outer conflict through the need to attack and defend itself.
Examples
Examples;
- How not to; Jake is brought up in an environment where there is constant conflict. The environment tries to violently imposed upon Jake to be a certain way. He cannot be who he really is and so he fragments himself and an inner split is created.
Because of this split he battles with his self and so is in a state of inner conflict. He now creates conflict in his environment for two main reasons; 1. because he is in a state of inner conflict and so can’t help but project that, and 2. because he has learnt from his environment that you have to fight to get what you want. Needless to say that because of this Jake lives in a state of inner suffering.
– How to approach conflict; Now take a parallel version of Jake. He is brought up in the same environment of conflict but recognizes that it brings a lot off inner and outer suffering to those around him. Because of this he wants to know how to stop the suffering.
So he sees that if he tries to impose his will on others it only leads to more conflict, and so he realizes he must begin with himself.
So he focuses on relieving his own inner suffering and conflict so that he is no longer part of the outer conflict, thus improving the overall situation. He then see’s how he can further create benefit in his environment by engaging in discussion with others to change the way things are being done in the environment. For example things related to food, health, mental health, nature, communities ect
Experiencing Conflict Without Being In Conflict
So it’s not that we should create conflict, nor that we should try to avoid it, but instead that we can learn to live with the inevitability of conflict and not be at conflict within ourselves. All whilst simultaneously seeing if we can use it to sharpen other areas of ourselves. The conflict we see around us can be used to derive benefit from it if we first don’t get identified with a certain position, and if we then look to allow it to develop areas of our body, mind and energies as well as society as a whole.
The key word here I want you to remember is – collaboration. Inner and outer collaboration. When the cells of our body no longer work together we call this disease. When that happens between humanity we call that war. War is not necessary but disagreement is. The question is can disagreement then lead to collaboration. If so then most benefits. If it leads to war then most don’t benefit.
For instance, disagreeing about what foods are best is something that helps us to refine our understanding about food and how to prepare food. As long as you’re not in a state of conflict there is no real outer conflict just simply a disagreement. That’s different.
Exercise
So here is a simple exercise you can try.
Ask yourself; in what situations am I in conflict with?
Ask; what do I believing about said situation that creates conflict within me?
Ask; how can I reposition my identity as to see the situation differently and have no conflict within me?
Ask; how can I reframe my thoughts in order to see the situation differently and have no conflict within?
Conclusion
So conflict is inevitable as long as people are in a state of inner conflict within themselves. If this is the case then you may as well use the outer conflict to practice being in conflictless within, whilst also deriving the benefit by sharpening other areas of yourself, namely body, mind and energies. Disagreement can be good on certain levels to enrich a society, as long as it doesn’t become violent.
If you’re in conflict with the conflict around you then for you and potentially those around you it becomes destructive. But if you can take the conflict around you just as it is, staying in touch with existence just the way it actually is, then you will never experience inner conflict, and may even benefit on other levels of your being from what’s happening.