To The People Of Earth!

SEND THIS APPEAL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES

There are times where the sky is burning; -- there are times where the earth is torn apart, oceans flood the country and thousands lose their lives; there are times, where mothers are forever separated from their children, times, where lovers see each other for the last time, friends say definitely good-bye and the dearest die in a blazing inferno. There are times, where the hope for a safe future is robbed by the greed for power. Times, where a fanatic philosophy of life strangles the desire for love, hate abandons the endeavour for living harmoniously together and the will to kill is stronger than the will to respect and to protect the splendor of the gift of life.

In spite of these times of darkness and madness, never forget to smile if you have the possibility; never forget to be amazed when the sun rises behind the horizon and a new day is dawning. Never forget to love yourself and the ground whereupon you stand. Never forget your own name and who you are. Don’t forget that you are a human being born into this world to live a unique life, never to be experienced a second time like this. Every day there are green sprouts breaking through the burned earth to announce a new beginning -- don’t forget to be grateful for this.

There are many cultures on this earth, many peoples and ethnic groups. All are different from each other. All have another understanding of this world and all have their own philosophy. Some of these philosophies drastically differ in their content whereas others differ only a little. Some of them correspond, others contradict one another. Many people and many doctrines. An ardent disciple will follow his doctrine eagerly. A fanatical disciple will follow his doctrine fanatically. But what does ‘fanatical’ mean? It means that two human beings can’t talk in friendship anymore about their opinions. It means that they don’t shake hands if they meet in the desert but that they try to strangle each other, and it means that they would rather die than ask for help from the other.

Fanaticism is an epidemic that spreads quickly. The one who becomes infected will soon communicate it to others. It is a blazing fire that spreads among people, that consumes reason and eliminates their view for variety allowing themselves to be intolerant of opposing beliefs. Fanaticism is like an arrow that races through the air towards its destination. Never would it stop voluntarily. Never would it deviate from its path and never would it let go of its sharp point. Finally it bores deep into its target and nobody can ever pull it out again.

Lots of those people live on our planet. Blindly they fight for their ideas, caught up in an ideal for which they can’t let go of. Neither do they respect the life of their fellow creatures nor do they respect their own life. Stringently they follow the path on which they once decided to go on. On the paths that they walk you’ll find great harm. On the streets where their armies march you’ll find emptiness.

Who has seen them will ask himself how one can be so ruthless, so mad and so devilish. Upon their deeds you’ll become infuriated but at the same time there will be deep mourning. It is the mourning of the victims. A mourning of those who have lost their families and their friends; the mourning that people on earth can’t exist next to each other in peace, that it is impossible to solve a conflict without using force. Everybody will look inside themselves and understand that nothing is built for eternity, nothing lasts forever, that there is no safety and no protection against the fatal ideas of the obsessed revolutionaries and world-changers. You’ll understand how fragile the dream of an undamaged world is, and how quickly the most wonderful palaces and buildings can lie in ashes. The wonders of the forests, lakes and the landscapes -- these unique great creations -- can be bombed and burned down within a few seconds. And the mourning will move everybody and tears will fill the oceans.

But this mourning has a seed inside that starts growing profusely from the tears that water it, and the plant gets bigger and more powerful. It is here hate finds good soil. Like mist it surrounds the thoughts, it stuns like the smoke of opium, and in the giddiness of hate the desire for retribution gets stronger and the will to take revenge substitutes reason. The victims aren’t victims anymore but avengers and they become so engrossed in their plan to hunt down the originator of their suffering that their senses are clouded and their sympathy is numbed but their mad ideas are powerful and drives them unstoppably, relentlessly -- they turn fanatical.

The circle is closed.

The sky will burn and the earth will shake. Armies will fight against each other without knowing what they are fighting for, without knowing what they are dying for, without knowing why they live. Stop this war! Don’t let madness determine your action! Decide wisely and just!

Defend yourselves if you are attacked, but don’t kill without reason. Be consistent with your resolutions but only go so far as it is necessary. Fight for your rights and your freedom but don’t do this at the cost of innocent lives. Live your life as you think it is good but don’t forget that there are lots of people with many lives. Be free in the things you do, but still allowing everybody to breath in their own personal space. Believe what you need to believe, but don’t put your belief above that of others. Be patriots in your own country but also think about being a citizen of earth. Say your opinion but don’t say it so loud that you are unable to hear others. And whatever you do don’t forget that no crime stays unpunished; that’s why you shouldn’t act like criminals but like brothers and sisters sitting in a small boat and sailing towards an unknown country. There are lots of dangers out there, but you are your own biggest danger. Don’t let the boat capsize. Row gently down the stream of life ...

Atlant Bieri

Switzerland

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Saalome gam naan ben uurda, gan njjber asaala hesporoona!

Peace be on Earth, and among all beings!

Precise instructions for participating in FIGU's Peace Meditation

Imagine ...

"Imagine" is a utopian song performed by John Lennon, which appears on his 1971 album, Imagine. Although originally credited solely to Lennon, in recent years Yoko Ono's contribution to the song has become more widely acknowledged. The song was produced by Phil Spector.

"Imagine" is widely considered as one of the greatest songs of all time. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine voted "Imagine" the third greatest song of all time. Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter said, "In many countries around the world — my wife and I have visited about 125 countries — you hear John Lennon's song 'Imagine' used almost equally with national anthems."

In the book Lennon in America, written by Geoffrey Giuliano, Lennon commented that the song was "an anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic song, but because it's sugar-coated, it's accepted."

The lyrics were thought to be inspired by Lennon's hopes for a more peaceful world, though their origins are not known for certain. In 1963 Lennon penned the lyrics to "I'll Get You" with an opening verse of, "Imagine I'm in love with you, it's easy cause I know." The first verse of "Imagine" would seem to be a reworking of this. But the song's refrain may have been partly inspired by Yoko Ono's poetry, in reaction to her childhood in Japan during World War II. According to The Guardian, primordial versions of the song's refrain can be found in her 1965 book Grapefruit, where she penned lines such as, "imagine a raindrop" and "imagine the clouds dripping."

The following is a quote by John Lennon on the message of "Imagine", interviewed by David Sheff for Playboy magazine in 1980:

Sheff: On a new album, you close with "Hard Times Are Over (For a While)". Why?
Lennon: It's not a new message: "Give Peace a Chance" — we're not being unreasonable, just saying, "Give it a chance." With "Imagine," we're saying, "Can you imagine a world without countries or religions?" It's the same message over and over. And it's positive.

Yoko Ono said that the lyrical content of "Imagine" was " just what John believed — that we are all one country, one world, one people. He wanted to get that idea out."

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Thank you John & Yoko and thank you to Maynard of "A Perfect Circle" who revived this great song for our modern age, and the genius-inspired video you produced to showcase it's true meaning. I think if John were alive today, he would truly approve of the message portrayed in Maynard's video of his song. (View the interview with Maynard about the making of the "Imagine" video)

Desiderata - by Billy Meier

Desiderata

Dear reader,

In today's times, which are rife with emotion and yet emotionally cold, we offer you these unique passages (Desiderata = desirable and vital items) of beautiful and poignant words by "Billy" Eduard Albert Meier, and wish you all that is expressed herein.

Included with our sincere wishes is a request that you photocopy these words of Billy as often as possible and as you deem appropriate. Please mail the text to your family members, relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances – simply to everyone whose address you may have.

If you are fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese or any other language, and are interested in translating the Desiderata passages from the German original (!) please send for a free copy from FIGU. Only when this letter and its precious content circulate throughout the world will we consider our efforts a success, as these words kindle some peace within the thoughts and feelings of people everywhere.

With our friendly greetings and sincerest best wishes for the remainder of your life,

FIGU
Semjase-Silver-Star-Center Hinterschmidrüti
CH-8495 Schmidrüti
Fax 0041 (0)52 385 42 89

Desiderata by Billy Pay heed to freedom, for it is the privilege and prerogative of every human being and all other life forms. Pay heed to love, for it is the essence of Creation, of human beings and of life. Pay heed to peace, for it is the assurance of all positive development and unrestricted evolution. Pay heed to harmony, for therein lies the equilibrium of every thought, feeling, deed and everything else. Do not allow yourself to be rushed by the din, burdens or bustle of daily living, but remain always composed under every circumstance life presents. Seek tranquility, peace, love and freedom - each is a valuable element of harmony. Allot some time every day to finding tranquility, for it affords you respite and time to contemplate. Practice getting along well with everyone but do not lose yourself in the process and always remain within the limits of your ability. Always respect your fellowmen as fellow human beings, although they may have dispositions that differ from yours; indeed, even the worst among them is a creation of Creation, hence, everyone is just like you - a human being. State your truths freely, clearly, calmly and candidly, for only in this manner is an authentic picture created which defines the true nature of everything. Allow other people to freely express their opinions, for they are allotted the same rights as you. Listen to others, to the bright and intellectual individuals, and also to the obtuse, the foolish and those who lack learning, for they, too, have opinions and statements to offer. But distance yourself from aggressive, boisterous and obstinate individuals so as not to become embroiled in their pointless disputes, for such people insult one's consciousness, humaneness and refinement; and yet, at the same time, forget not that they too are beings of Creation, whom you, as a fellow human being, must show appropriate respect, even though you may find their thoughts, feelings, deeds and actions unacceptable. Should you draw comparisons between yourself and others, you will inevitably realize that others are either stronger or weaker than you in certain matters; this, however, is no justification for you to feel superior or inferior to them. Therefore, neither vain nor arrogant become, neither bitter nor ashamed, for there will always be someone who is more eminent or less advanced than you in learning, morality, character and the like. Refrain not from enjoying achievements you have gained through your own honest efforts. Delight in these accomplishments as much as you do in setting positive objectives and bringing them to successful completions. Always be mindful of continuing your development in every possible matter, including both your personal and consciousness-related evolutions. Therefore be perpetually and humbly attentive to your personal progress, but only in a righteous manner, because integrity is the only, truly positive possession you have as a human being in these changing times. Approach your work and your business with forethought and circumspection, for good work is worthy of proper compensation; circumspection, forethought and honesty offer sound long-term rewards in business, even in a world of guile. When you achieve positive, remarkable successes keep from becoming blinded and deafened by them and proceed toward those things of virtuous substance. Be attentive also to the means and ways of the people with whom you deal; though many strive for lofty ideals, few reach their goals. Life appears filled with heroism wherever you gaze, but when you glance behind the scenes you find only fear enveloped in a haze and someone's craving for pretending to be greater than he or she really is. Hence, heed not these matters to the degree where you wish to imitate them; instead, recognize your true self. Positively realize yourself within your own Self. And allow these traits to permeate your entire nature. Do not feign affection for someone if, in reality, you fail to hold such feelings for the person. Make no pretense to your fellowmen that bears no truth, for honesty is a directive which, together with knowledge, is undeniably the path to wisdom. Never be cynical about sincere love, for love provides you with the certainty of coexisting within everything there is, in both the spiritual and the physical realms. And love is the true essence of Creation; it will endure for ur-eternity and all Great Times beyond every conceivable hardship and disappointment. Love is the actual cornerstone and the true incentive of life where the aspirations form to reach higher, indeed, to the very highest levels possible. Love will never die, it will survive eternally as it pulsates in the everlasting rhythm of Creational harmony. Forfeit every negative trait in your life with dignity and, through self-knowledge, leave yourself open to counsel for self-realization. Cheerfully accept what your positive knowledge and balanced wisdom counsel you to do, and gain control over your thoughts, feelings, indeed, your entire consciousness, for in so doing you strengthen yourself for unavoidable predicaments, and you will never lose heart even when faced with unexpected misfortune. Always practice loyalty and integrity, and never make yourself unhappy over unrighteous things or those you merely imagine. Free yourself from alarm and fear, which oftentimes originate from loneliness, mental exhaustion and idleness. Loneliness, mental exhaustion and idleness are enemies of progress. Seek, therefore, the company of those who are knowledgeable and wise, for they will teach you how to stimulate and utilize your thoughts, and how to actively evolve. Always practice healthy self-discipline while being kind to yourself at all times, for you are an individual, an independent person, who requires not only the pleasant kindness of others but also the consideration you provide yourself. You are a creation of Creation, the universe, and in no way are you any less than your fellowman, the trees, plants, all animal species or the celestial bodies in the infinite vastness of universal space. You have the right to be alive and to exist on this Earth, regardless of who and what you may be, and it matters not if you comprehend the unfolding of the universe in the way Creation, the Universal Consciousness, intends it. Nothing unfolds without Creation's love, and it will not do so unless it is within the framework of the Creation-given laws and directives. Accept, then, that you only exist because this is how it was intended to be and because it is predetermined for you through the ur-eternally everlasting, Creational plan. Live, therefore, in freedom, love, peace and harmony among similar-minded individuals and with all of Creation's creatures. Live also in peace, love, freedom and harmony with Creation, regardless of what you may perceive Creation to be. Live also in peace, love, freedom, and harmony with yourself, your psyche and your personality - regardless of your deeds, thoughts, feelings, contemplations and aspirations throughout the rigors of daily life. Never lose sight of this, regardless of all the hurriedness, drudgery, disappointments, broken dreams, negations and tears. In spite of the turmoil surrounding you, the world is indeed beautiful and life is worth living. Billy

Although this document bears the same name as the well-known DESIDERATA by Max Ehrmann (1872-1945), Billy's DESIDERATA contains a completely new and expanded text, which is not identical with the old work. [Desiderata = desirable and vital items] - FIGU