Veterans are the light at the tip of the candle

 

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Veterans are the light at the tip of the candle, illuminating the way for the whole nation.

If Veterans can achieve awareness, transformation, understanding and peace, they can share with the rest of society the realities of war.

And they can teach us how to make peace with ourselves and each other, so we never have to use violence to resolve conflicts again.

When you touch fire and your hand gets burned, it is not the responsibility of the hand alone.

It is the responsibility of the whole person.

The hand did not touch fire by itself.

It was commanded to do so by the brain, and the whole body got hurt at the same time.

If the body blames the hand, that is not just.

The hand acted because the body ordered it to do so.

When there is good communication between the hand and the rest of the body, both the hand and the body feel better.

If the body says, “You must bear the burden of your actions by yourself; I cannot forgive what you have done,”

That is lack of understanding.

Thich Nhat Hanh from: “True Love”