How I met Peace Revolution

I’ve always asked myself how each of us can bring peace to the world we live in today. A few years ago I began to contemplate the best way to start making a small, positive contribution. It seemed to me that my studies and my work in the international field weren’t enough, and I was actively looking for other ideas. During this search, I heard for the first time in 2013 about Peace Revolution, and I fell in love with the “Peace In, Peace Out” concept. A few weeks after registering on the movement’s website to glimpse what meditation was all about, I got an invitation to participate in a PIPO session in Buenos Aires, where I met Monk John. That day I went back home reflecting on the idea that if I wanted to live in a peaceful world, I had to start changing myself first, and that included integrating meditation into my busy life. After learning a little bit more about meditation, it was in 2015 that I decided to challenge myself to complete the 42-day Self-Development Program and become a Peace Rebel with all the letters. It was time to put an end to my old lifestyle and be the change I wanted to see.

During this process, it was interesting to observe the magic of how, by changing myself, everything else was changing as well. It was empowering to me to be aware that by cultivating inner peace through meditation, I could spread it out and potentially become an agent of change in my family, home, work, community, or wherever I was. After that experiment, I kept practicing loving-kindness meditation on a daily basis, and a few months later I started feeling that I needed some extra guidance to get to the next level. When I heard about the First Partners Fellowship in Uruguay, I knew that it was the opportunity I was looking for in order to take the next step.

Partners Retreat in Uruguay

My participation in the First Partners Fellowship was a unique and enriching opportunity in my continuing path to peace, from which I have learned much more than just meditation. This 5-day retreat included in the agenda yoga, group activities, and workshops alongside four meditation sessions a day guided by Monk John and Monk Pasura. Among other lessons that I will keep close as I move forward, I learned the importance of being mindful and developing good habits and self-discipline in order to be successful both in my personal and professional life in general and in meditation in particular. Now I can see more clearly what I have to change in myself to enhance my meditation practice and cultivate inner peace.

On the other hand, it was also inspiring to listen to the stories of other leaders and peace builders who are making a difference throughout Latin America and the Caribbean and to share this beautiful experience with them. This was an immense opportunity not only to build a collaborative, international network with which to discover and discuss new ideas to support great projects for a culture of peace in the workplace and beyond, but also to make new friends in a peaceful and joyful learning environment. It was encouraging to see that we were not alone in the journey of “Peace in, Peace out” and to brainstorm down-to-earth ideas to put into action together.

PIPO Argentina 2015

Just after the Partners Retreat in Uruguay finished, volunteers organized a series of PIPO events in many Latin American countries with the special visit of either Monk Pasura or Monk John. Luckily, Argentina was on the list. About 70 people attended the PIPO event organized in Buenos Aires. On the following day, the weekly open meditation session (40 plus attendees) also took place with a special appearance by Monk Pasura.

My participation as a volunteer in this event was a completely different experience than that of my involvement with previous events. This time it was about supporting and taking part in an opportunity to share with others what Peace Revolution is all about. During this event, the monk explained how the mind works, the basics of meditation, and meditation’s benefits. He also gave tips on how to be more successful in this practice by being mindful and centring our mind throughout the day. After his presentation, we meditated for an hour using the visualization and mantra techniques, and before closing the event he answered questions from the audience.

That day, I went with three friends, two of who had never meditated before. After the PIPO session, we shared our experiences and discussed how to better integrate meditation into our daily lives, what habits we needed to change, and so on. It was a great exercise!

Furthermore, while partaking in this opportunity I felt connected with the audience, as I could recognize in them myself from two years ago at my first PIPO session in Buenos Aires. I just wished they didn’t wait too long—as I did—to experience how the habit of meditation could change their lives. I’m grateful I found Peace Revolution in my journey. Meditation has helped me reconnect with my authentic self, see the real beauty of my life, and make better decisions that could have an impact in others’ lives. I hope everybody else can do the same in the near future. But this is just the beginning, and there is much more to be done. I look forward to the next PIPO session, wherever that may be.

Thanks!

Andrea Kobylnik