Peaceful Year?

Wow, while I was writing my NYE post about Peace and pondering my ability to present the Peace Treatise this year, I inadvertently caused a mini riot in our Virtual Sangha on FB. I didn't even know this until many hours later (today, New Year's Day.) What a lesson!

One of the group members (former member now) always encourages the group to participate in other year-long projects. Last year it was Stephen Levine's "Year to Live" and this time she was proposing we all follow a Thich Nhat Hanh course. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have loved "Thay" (name of endearment for TNH) for years. But this group is called "Pema Practitioners." So I reminded her that perhaps we should stick to our group topic. TNH is Zen and the previous Levine project wasn't particularly Buddhist-oriented at all. I posted my response, logged off and finished my mini Vajrayana retreat. When I logged in this AM I was surprised at the virtual tongue-lashing I received from her. She UN-joined the sangha and DE-friended me. I posted the following apology:

You are right... I must have been "fussy" last night Forgive me. After all this year is all about PEACE, I hope! Namaste and post away! Happy 2013!

I was saying she was right that we had never formally restricted the postings or ideas to only Pema-related or even Buddhist-related. That's true and I said she was right. Too late, she's gone.

Not the way I wanted to begin my Year of Peace, but an important lesson and reminder. We must be constantly vigilant of how we sound or come across to others. We never know what is going on with the other party and how our words are received. I still feel I was considering the greater interest of the group (which I moderate) but in retrospect I should have posed a question and let others decide. A year of lessons - and hopefully Peace, too -- is in store!