The Conflict of Authority

The question has been posed, how is it possible that all authority is corrupt? Don't we need authority to function as a civilized society? This is a very important question, one that should be considered carefully. One should examine it with as much attention to the inner process as well as to the obvious external realities. If a person is at all serious about an inquiry that is unbiased and without preconception, then there needs to be a realization about the self. That realization should be that which enables one to look without distortion at the fact of the moment.If the absolute truth is in the moment then one must be capable of being in that moment without the interference of the past as the memory of what was. We cannot realize the truth without negating the past which is our conditioned thought our prejudiced opinions and conclusions.

If one looks at the politics of organization and its accompanying rhetoric, it becomes apparent that there is but one goal, power and influence. To be able to exert ones agenda on others and draw them into a conformity that promotes a sense of belonging. Essentially an organization creates laws or rules of conduct that are favorable to the the continued efforts of the authority within that organization. Authority does not become corrupt. It is corrupt because "it is" authority. When ever you set yourself up as an authority, singularly or as a collective, you have been corrupted and are corrupting. Why is this so? Because one is attached to an ideal, that ideal becomes the justification for power over another which creates violence. That violence maybe physical or psychological, but it is all the same, to confine ones thoughts and actions to the tenants of an organization. In life one is continually being corrupted by authority, so one in turn is corrupt and is also corrupting. It is ones own authority as the self that is seeking power and influence. That influence can be political, spiritual or of the corporate variety. The intermingling of this power and influence peddling is the creation of a morass of self serving power brokers that seek only to cage the individual and give one the narcotic of conformity. This conformity results in the narrow mindedness of a collective that seeks its continued agenda at whatever cost. Can one see the division and conflict that positional ideals create. Such a mind is closed to the freedom and understanding of the moment. To be free of authority is to find the truth of the moment. It is to see into the nature of the self that is the one who chooses and who is chosen. When there is no choice there is no conformity. In choiceless awareness there is the possibility of understanding that transcends the ideological limitations of thought. One sees into the origin of thoughts fear. Then there is the possibility of the timeless, that which is the illumination of the unconditioned.

Authority is the antithesis of freedom. The two cannot exist in the same room together. To realize the truth one needs to continually be overthrowing the authority of the moment. The authority of the self which is the authority of the other. If one sees the corruption of the self as the authority of the moment, then that authority will dissipate. The realization of the true self is the overthrow of all authority, both the internal and the external. One who is totally free cannot be corrupted. There is a lack of conformity to any system or organization, therefore one is not seeking power and influence in the demeaning of another. It is the end of conflict and the beginning of intelligence.

How can a society be totally free? It has to start with the individual. If one has realized total freedom then that freedom is the reality of the moment. People seek security in conformity, but that conformity is their prison. Your freedom becomes their freedom because they see that you are unattached and that you have understanding. You accept what is and in that acceptance is the essence of freedom that is not a result. Real change is not a result it is the outcome of freedom that is without a purpose. The fact is you are already free, you just have not had full realization of it. It is blocked by your own inner authority which is the authority you give to the other. You do not have to be controlled and made to conform, but in order to be truly free one has to start with the inner self. The self is the origin of all authority and until one has fully realized the duality of thought as the one who concludes and judges true freedom will not be realized. One will only exchange one type of conformity for another.

The Moment of Change

The early morning hours can free the mind. Before the day has started the mind is in a state of rest. If one is aware of thoughts movement from the subconscious level to the conscious level there can exist a moment of meditation that is the realization of total peace. In the space between minds projection of what has been and what will be is a timeless state of acceptance and joy. It is the vulnerability of the true self, that which has no agenda. The mind is still, it is not reaching for answers or seeking any kind of truth. This is the moment of change, of transformation. The change may be small or it can be life altering it depends on the individual. One must realize that change is not the result of a goal or the application of something learned. It is the realization of freedom from all forms of attachment and identification. Most importantly this freedom must not become a defined idiom of the self such as an "ether" or the "ethereal". Do not associate it with spiritualistic mumbo jumbo. Otherwise one is just seeking self gratification in the illusion of knowing what others of less accomplishment do not. You are only fooling yourself into believing you have some sort of superior consciousness. What you have is an enormous self created fantasy of other worldliness. You are obsessed with you own image as one who knows. Rather one maintains a simplicity of mind that creates space for understanding that is absent the self absorbed.

If one were to realize fully, the moment and the reality of the unknown, then one would see that life takes care of its self. Ones "doing" only destroys. What one does is centered around the promulgation of the self at the expense of others. This is why one maintains a consciousness that realizes the unconditioned, that which is without opinion or conclusion. Then action is out of love and compassion for all of existence. It is quite an amazing level of intelligence. One views the moment to moment existence of life without contempt or judgement. It is the acceptance of what is. That acceptance is the impetus for change that is not a result of the scheming and exploiting self. It is important that one realizes that the image of self is constantly trying to create conformity to self belief. One does not accept diversity because one is insecure. Group conformity is the bastard of evil intent.

If in the moment one sees that there is an alternative direction, one that is the outcome of a state of awareness that transcends the self, then perhaps one will change. That change in direction will of its self create a change in others that is the outcome of acceptance and understanding. It is the actuality of the moment in which ones consciousness realizes the truth of the self and of the whole of existence. Then ones presence is a comfort and light to all.

Intuitive Insight

How can a mind that is conditioned ever come upon that which is unconditioned? Thought knows only its own conditioning as the self that is its response mechanism. Its response is always the result of its accumulated self image. Self image is the fabric of the known, the content of experiential consciousness. When one has been exposed to an element of the unconditioned then one may experience an intuitive realization that reveals an understanding that was previously blocked by the self that is seeking. It starts as a small conscious effort to see the self in the absolute moment. Self realization has been bandied about by all sorts of guru's for years, but it has been misrepresented by most as an end in itself. If you tout that you are "self realized" then you are still grounded in the illusion of the self. You have only modified your illusion to fit your latest beliefs. To see the self in the reality of the moment is to come upon the origin of the movement of thought. This realization does not initially result in peace of mind it is quite the contrary. Initially the mind is disturbed and wants to escape. Mind does not want to realize the truth. To actually see in the moment that the mind is violent, confused, and totally without love is a shock to the psyche that has been living under the illusion of a self image. It is to realize that ones image is a farce, a justification for all sorts of hate and prejudice. When one looks in the moment without the self that is concluding, and sees the unadulterated truth then a catalyst is created that sends one into a state of utter chaos. Because the mind is still divided between the illusion and the reality, one grapples with the self which is ones identity. It is difficult to let go, the self does not go quietly in the night. To realize freedom that is the dissipation of the self as the known is to come into the light of understanding and love. The outcome of this freedom is full realization of the conditioned. It creates space for an intelligence that transcends the known.


All that a person can do is be aware choicelessly. Which means that one is aware of the self that is ones projected opinion and conclusion. The self dissipates and there is a state of timelessness that is the flowering of a consciousness that is unconditioned. As long as there is a movement of thought as time/space there is illusion. Illumination is in the absolute moment when there is a stillness of thought. It only takes an instant for one to fully realize, but the mind is confused and preoccupied with its self created illusion. One is continually falling back into the trap of self gratification and self promotion. Gradually one becomes more and more aware from moment to moment. Awareness takes on a life of its own which sees into the nature and origin of all conflict. Insight that is gained through awareness paves the way for a consciousness that is not of the self. It is the illumination of the unconditioned. When one has total realization of freedom in the moment, then ones life is transformed. Ones prioritized lifestyle falls away. There is a dissipation of identity as the self that is attached to the known and knowing. As the self gives way to awareness that is the timelessness of the unknown one realizes an intelligence that is far beyond that which is word, the conceptually defined. There is a depth that cannot be quantified or measured. It is an instantaneous intuitive insight into the origin and nature of every encounter. It is the reflection of the true self.

Living at Deaths Door

This is for I.R. Why do we fear death so much? It is an inescapable fact and when it will happen cannot be known for a certainty, only that someday it will happen. Despite the reality of it, we avoid it, in conversation and in our activities. Yet it is always there, just a moment away. If we were to actually realize how many times we have avoided death by a millisecond over our lifetimes it would probably surprise us. Why does something so natural and part of the existence of all things give us such turmoil. Perhaps we have not realized something that is buried in the psyche of the human thought process. If one really wants to find out the truth about death, shouldn't one look directly at death and not try to cover it up with religious or spiritual escapism or philosophical dialogue.

How is it possible to look at death directly? What does it mean to "look" directly? Whenever we attempt to examine intellectually, we have to contend with our own mind which is filled with opinion and conclusion. These opinions and conclusions are the result of our religious and political affiliations. It is part of our system of belief. So we are not able to look directly. We look though our prejudiced and opinionated mind that is heavily influenced by our experiences. Our experiences are laced with cultural, racial, and ethnic bias. Death does not discriminate, it knows no restraint, it comes regardless of your affiliations. If it is possible for one to realize that the self is trying to escape the reality of death, of the unknown, then one may have a realization that transcends the fear that the mind associates with death. To live in the moment is to live the reality of death and in so doing find peace and freedom in life. Life and death are one in the same, they are the reality of the unknown. One cannot know the future, the future is the unknown. It is the only reality there is, all else is the projection of thought. Thought is the conditioned consciousness, the self that is seeking its continuity in what is. If one can go beyond ones conditioning to a consciousness that is unconditioned, then one will realize the truth of life and death. Its duality which is the duality of the self will dissipate. Death as an ending is the illusion of the self absorbed. There is no ending there is only the unknown.

We all live at deaths door, it is the reality of each and every moment. If we realized it fully we might live life differently. We might love a little more, forgive a little more, and be less inclined to exploit and judge others. The mind is very selfish, it wants what it wants for whatever reason. But if one were to realize the truth of death in each and every moment, then perhaps one would not induldge in so much unchecked self promotion. One might realize the futility, conflict and yes violence of self gratification at the expense of others. If one has the realization, one can die to each moment, and realize the beauty of death as the flower of life.

The Search for Something

If one takes a moment to look at life, really look at it without preconceived notions that are wrapped around our own insecurities, then perhaps we will discover the truth. It seems we are on this eternal quest to find some missing element that will somehow make life mean something.We can of course lose ourselves in some sort of self defining activity or an intellectual or spiritual pursuit. But these things only hypnotize us, they provide an escape, an avenue of release. Preoccupation with a physical or mental activity only delays and masks our feelings of emptiness and insecurity. All of us are engaged in the external as the projection of internal conflict and confusion. What we do and how we do it, our attitudes and our relationships are all a product of internal issues that are the result of self image.

There is always present the desire for definition, to be an identified somebody. We are constantly in search of something that will add to the definition of who we think we are. Our physical appearance becomes an outlet for the image that we seek. We may do all sorts of things to our physical appearance to support the illusion of the internal. Outwardly we become a cartoon of our internal insecurity. We may convince ourselves that we have improved and have acquired a new outlook on life. This we do through the brainwashing activities of the self that is seeking. One has not really found anything new, one has only modified ones old patterns and put a new face on it.

The fact that we search at all is the problem. The self created problem of internal conflict. Thought as the movement of self is the origin. It is very subtle, the mind creates a duality in the psyche that is the self that is searching or seeking. What it seeks is that which provides definition and identity. The self as the defined is the image of the continuity of ones individuality. It is a necessary element of individual and communal existence. But it is also the the origin of all conflict and violence. Because the self is insecure it seeks security in the external activities of a given community. The support of a community becomes very important, we become attached psychologically to what it provides. We are willing to sacrifice a lot in order to preserve the illusion of security.

What if a person sees through the illusion of the search for security? To live a life of freedom is to live a life in the reality of insecurity, to live the truth of the moment. When one accepts insecurity as true reality, then something happens to the psyche. One lets go of all the conceptual illusions of the self. It is the dissipation of self as the center of an entity that identifies and concludes. One is totally free. Ones actions are in the moment and free of the duality of the self that is scheming and exploiting.

If one is totally free, then there is no search and nothing to search for. There is only the joy of living in the moment, free of the seeking of the self absorbed.

The Imprinted Repetition of Thought

In order to function in a world that is primarily concerned with the self, one must utilize the conditioned mind as a tool that allows one to communicate. That communication is based on ones need to make a living and exist in the world of the deluded. The difference is that one is aware in the moment of the movement of thought as the image of self. One is totally aware of ones duality as the division of the observer and the observed. As such ones mind transcends the bondage of self projection. The outcome is understanding that is beyond the mind that is caught in the illusion of self. One has direct perception into the origin of all conflict and fear that is manifested in the speech and activities of the self absorbed. Because one is totally aware in the moment one sees into the source of every conflict. One has realization because one is aware of that conflict in ones self. It is the reflection of the self that is seen in the other. There is no conclusion or opinion, there is only understanding. Understanding does not judge or conclude it only points to the truth of what is. One communicates that truth when asked and in a manner that is absent the self that is seeking resolution. One may point out the truth of the moment, which is without conclusion or opinion. Others will conclude and judge, because they are caught in the illusion of the conditioned mind. The absolute moment exist not as time but as the eternal consciousness of that which is unconditioned. Only the conditioned exist as a movement, it is the repetition of thought as the image of self. Because one is caught in space/time as the movement of thought, that movement is imprinted on the mind as the memory of the experiential. It is the illusion of the knowing and the known. The mind through the duality of self projects the image of memory as the experience of knowing. The known becomes the image of self, the illusion of definition and identification. The self views existence through definition and identification, the result of which is conclusion and judgement. It is the continuous projected repetition of the known. The self imposed limitation of ones accumulated experience.

Is there thought that is not of the known? One transcends the known when thought has realized its origin in the absolute moment. It is the cessation of the movement of thought as the identified, as that which is defined as a named entity that is the result of the experiential. It is the realization and seeing in the moment that observer and observed are one in the same. It is the dissipation of the dual nature of the self that is seeking. The outcome is understanding that transcends all knowledge. It does not emanate from the self, it is an unconditioned and unsolicited illumination that has no origin and no direction. It is the light of the absolute moment and the simultaneous life and death of a reality that is not a movement, that which cannot be defined or retained. Within the timelessness of the unknown is an intelligence that is not born of the self. It is when all else is not, the realization and understanding of the essence of existence.

Walking in the Light

When you speak from the heart, directly to there illusion, people see that you are different. Mostly they do not understand, they grapple with what is said using their own experience to explain away the obvious reality of what is. You walk and talk in their world using their language and you feel their pain and conflict. But there it ends because one sees through the illusion of the self. One wants to say something that will bring you into the light but it is not always possible. Unless you are aware of your own conditioned consciousness, it is not possible to understand what is said because you do not exist in the same reality nor do you speak the same language. People live in the darkness of the accumulated, they are preoccupied with the acquisitive nature of the self that is seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. One sees the conflict and violence of their world, the division and duality of lost souls that cling to beliefs and divinities. One wants to wipe away the delusion but one cannot. Only the individual can find the truth. A person has to make the journey alone, the truth must be found within. It cannot be taught as a system or a practice that promotes some kind of accomplishment. One must experience in the moment the truth of the self, to see the reality of the absolute moment. One awakens to desolation, the end of the illusion of the self absorbed. It is the simultaneous death and birth of the true self from moment to moment. The outcome is a mind that is totally free, unfettered by the illusion of a self that is seeking definition and identification in what is.

So one moves among people living in the light, giving freely what can be given. Because one lives totally in the moment there is no fear. There is only the truth of the absolute moment which reflects the true self. There is no message to be given, no truth to be preached , there is only the peace of total freedom. One has nothing to accomplish, there is nothing to become. One walks in the light working only to live in simplicity. One leaves the illusion of wealth and the acquisitive mind behind and in so doing creates peace and freedom for others. One is totally aware of the movement of the inner and the outer. One sees the refection of self in all that is. There is recognition of the self in all people so there is no judgement or conclusion, only the realization of the truth of what is in the absolute moment. In the moment there is a stillness of mind, a quiet state of clarity in which ones understanding transcends the conditioned mind. One enters a state of consciousness that is unconditioned. It is without purpose or direction so it cannot be corrupted. It is a simple awareness of the moment that is without choice or conclusion. It is the dissipation of the self, the duality of thought. In that moment is the peace and freedom of oneness, the realization of Amitabha Buddha the timeless inner light.

Is There Divine Intervention?

There has always been debate about whether or not belief in an entity brings about some sort of divine presence. Since the mind is constantly engaged in the activity of creating a reality based on ones experience and beliefs, it stands to reason that the mind is also able to create a divinity that represents that belief. The key word is belief. Belief is an extension of desire. Desire represents the mind that is seeking to find or locate that which is born of the formulated. The mind creates an idea and then proceeds to create its image. What is found or "discovered" is the projection of that image as what is. It is the self created. Divinity is created out that which is the content of the conditioned consciousness.

Many espouse "divine revelation" as a message from a higher "source intelligence". But that so called revelation is always a conformity to existing beliefs. It is generally only revealed to a select few, the ones who are in authority or view themselves as an authority. So one has to question the validity of a revelation. Conversely if one has a realization, that realization is about ones self and ones relationship to existence. It does not address a belief, it is not a conformity. Rather realization is the outcome of an awareness of the movement of the self. One is not seeking to justify or to conclude but only to just look at the truth of the moment.

The need to create a religion or point of view is a strong element of the minds need to escape fear and find security in conformity. To band together as a group of "believers" is to create division and conflict. Those who "know" and those who "don't know". "Gods chosen" and the "Others". Revelation provides a platform on which tenants can be dictated as having divine influence. Within the group one dare not question revelation, otherwise one will risk censorship or excommunication. Revelation is always a product of those in authority. Authority is corruptible and corrupting. One only needs to look at religious and political leaders of the past and present. The nature of authority is corruption. Are all who are in authority corrupt? Only you can answer that question. Look at yourself, the one who stands in opposition to ? (something). Are you aware of the self that is concluding and judging? Are you aware of your own authority. Is it corruptible and corrupting? One must look dispassionately, without prejudiced. Can you look without the accumulated self, ones conditioned consciousness? If it is possible to just "look" then you may have a realization about the self. One may see ones own corruption in the moment. If it happens that one sees for the first time, then there may be clarity that brings about an insight into the conditioned mind. What has that realization is a consciousness that is unconditioned, it is the true self. That which is free of the duality of the divisive self.

There is no divine intervention, there is only the mind that is seeking through the self and what it seeks is conformity to the image of the self created. Revelation is the product of authority. Realization is the truth of the moment sans the conclusive and judgemental self. Revelation creates division and conflict, realization creates understanding.

Simplicity is Intelligence

Some have asked, is it possible to have and own excess property and money and still have a illuminating realization about ones self? The acquisitive mind is consciously and subconsciously seeking security. Because the mind exist in a fear based psychological state, a person is seeking ways in which one may secure a future. Accumulation of both the material and psychological gives one a positive feeling and a perceptive image of a defined self that is a continuity of what has been. That continuity is the illusion of projected thought. In actuality every day is totally new, but because we desire the illusion of security we project yesterday into the moment and into the future. So we don't live in the moment, we live in the projected image of what was as what should be. Accumulation is our attempt at securing the future and projecting our illusion of a secure self. But the reality is that the future is the unknown, and therefore it is always insecure. It is made very complex psychologically, by our inability to accept insecurity as a fact. It is a base fear and we are consumed with trying to escape from it. If one can realize the origin of this fear, which may culminate in an understanding that transcends the self that is seeking security, then one will realize the truth of the moment. One will be able to realize an intelligence that is simplicity. This is not "new age" guru talk, it is simply the best way to put it. You may look at your life as it actually is and realize that you have a lot of useless "feel good" stuff, most of which is just image junk. A persons consciousness needs space so that there is capacity for understanding that transcends the definition of the accumulated. When you simplify your life you get rid of distractions that contribute to the ignorance of the past. One throws off all the deadwood that has kept one from seeing the truth of what is in the absolute moment. It is dying to the past so that the moment can be fully realized and understood. It is the realization of total freedom in the moment.


Can it be seen and realized this moment that all your accumulated material and money is a distraction from the truth. The material and the known interfere with the truth of reality in the moment. Because one is identified with ones possessions, small obsessions are created by the mind that is trying to find meaning and substance outside the self. Material possessions give the illusion of definition to ones life.

Simplicity has to start deep inside ones self. A realization has to occur that is seeing into the nature of a mind that is clouded with images of accomplishment, of self defined success and failure. When one has rid the mind of these illusions and psychological barriers to understanding then ones life will simplify naturally. One will realize the stupidity and utter disregard for others that is the activity of the accumulation of wealth and the material. One will accept only what is necessary to live life simply and anonymously. It is the life of the fully illumined, a life lived not for the self or for any spiritual concept, but simply the joy of living life completely aware from moment to moment.

Wealth is Exploitation

Material wealth and accumulated knowledge are closely related. They both are the result of the desire to be secure. There is only so much money and material wealth to go around. Not everyone can be wealthy or even moderately well off. So how is it that some people become wealthy? Are they clever? Very hard workers? Just lucky? Maybe a combination? Whatever the perceived reason, one thing is certain. You cannot become wealthy without exploiting others. When one has accumulated much wealth, that wealth has to come from other people. One can dress it up and appear to be concerned with those less fortunate, by meaningless give aways, that are more often than not just publicity stunts. If you are wealthy, you are self absorbed and conceited. Your conceit is manifested in your desire to excuse your status by efforts at humanitarian gestures. But they stand in opposition to your desire for even more wealth. Exploitation of others, either of the material or the psychological, is a destructive and violent activity. It fosters only resentment and conflict.

One can argue that if one has labored and earned wealth then it should not be resented. But what is the actual truth of it? Can you look in the moment and see your own greed at work. Can you realize in this very moment how that your mind is obsessed with accumulation. Not only of the material, but also the psychological. Do not look at it with a ready conclusion or judgement, otherwise you will never see the truth of it. One must look dispassionately, but with full attention. One must not conclude, just look at your greed as it is. Realize that you are the greed and that it is not something separate from you. See that your every movement is an attempt to exploit either consciously or subconsciously. Do not say that it is good or bad, it is neither good nor bad it just is what it is. When one has realized the true self, that which is unconditioned, then it is possible to see into the nature of greed and the desire for security. When that happens one no longer needs wealth or fame or any of the other trappings of a mind that is deluded.

One may realize the futility and shallowness of a mind that is caught in the pursuit of wealth. The acquisitive mind is shoddy and consumed only with the advancement of the self. If you are wealthy you cannot truly love, because your consciousness is consumed with the self perpetuated idea of your image. You must protect what you have, so you have lost all vulnerability. You cannot truly love unless you are vulnerable.

You cannot "become" illuminated by simply giving everything you have away. If you do you have missed the point. You have to be choicelessly aware of your thoughts and actions. One has to find out why the mind clings to accumulations. Why the mind is in such fear. It is a journey that one must make alone. There are no guides or paths. One must blaze an individual trail to the truth. It must be your truth and not something someone has taught you or that you read in a book. First and foremost one has to realize freedom. Not the idea of freedom from something, but freedom that is the realization of the true self. That freedom is when the self is not.

"You are the Change"

What is the point? Do we accomplish anything that makes a difference? One of the problems with thinking outside the box is that it takes a special kind of passion. One has to see through all the illusions of a mind that is caught in its own self absorbed importance. One needs to realize the subtlety of ones thoughts and how that the conditioned and prejudiced mind so utterly controls our perception of reality. When we look at the state of the world, with all the conflict and violence that is apparently our lot, we want change to occur. But we are overcome with a sense of helplessness at the sheer enormity of it all. So change is sought through the collective, through the political and economic processes of an impersonal authority. One must realize that authority is the problem, that real change occurs only through the individual. Each individual is the collective, the authority. There needs to be a realization of each individual as the origin of the problem. When one actually sees in the moment that one is the problem, then perhaps one will take action. To see the truth of the absolute moment is the dissipation of all authority. In the moment there is the realization of the accumulated self that is the origin of all conflict and violence. When one realizes this fact, not as a concept but as actual experiencing in the moment, then one will bring about change in ones life and that change will cause others to change. This does not mean that one will write books, lecture, and become a spiritual guide, it means that the life you live will be a light to others. When one is devoid of the authority of the self there is nothing to teach and nothing to learn, there is only the simplicity of the moment which reveals the true self. The true self has understanding that transcends time/space, which is ones conditioned consciousness. There is no magic about it. One simply realizes a consciousness that goes beyond ones patterned thought process.

J.K. wrote a book many years ago "You Are the World" and in that book he provided the key to change. Each individual has to become the change that is freedom. Because "You are the World" it follows that "You are the Change". All authority must fall if one is to realize peace and freedom. It has to start with each individual and the realization of the true self. If one is aware of thought as the origin of all authority, the conditioned consciousness, then one will be able to transcend its influence and effects. One will stop short of its projected conflict and move in an entirely new direction. It begins with the one.

One stops following others and being influenced by the crowd. In the crowd there is no responsibility, there is only the projected authority of a few that lead. It is possible for a person to step back and look at the whole dynamic, to be aware of the conflict and violence as it unfolds. How that the origin of conflict starts in each individual and grows into a collective consciousness. So it must be realized at the individual level, it must be seen for what it actually is. If in the moment one is totally aware of the movement of ones own authority and how that mind justifies its beliefs and actions, then it may dissipate and one will move in a entirely new direction. It is a process of illumination and insight into the psychology of the self that is seeking perceived security. Awareness that is not choosing or concluding is the key to a realization that transcends the conditioned consciousness. Be aware of your greediness, your self serving and conflicted thoughts, your anger and hate...just look at it do not escape from it through distraction or justification, stay in the moment and realize the authority of the self. Just live the simplicity of the moment be vulnerable to life, do not say that it is good or bad, happy or sad...see and live the truth of the moment that is the dissipation of the self absorbed.