“Brother.” “Sister.” These are terms that really strike a profound chord in me and I sincerely hope that one day, we, as human beings, can all regard each other as such.

Recently, I read a passage from the book, The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. There was one particular paragraph that stood out to me. The author, Howard Cutler, was asking the Dalai Lama how people could feel more united with each other in their daily lives because everyone seemed to be living in the mindset of “Us” versus “Them.” I found the response very interesting and I quickly copied it down in my journal. The passage read:

(Pg. 7). His Holiness: “Now if we could get beings from Mars to come down to the earth, and pose some kind of threat, then I think you would see all the people on Earth unite very quickly! They would join together, and say, ‘We, the people of the earth!’ He continued laughing.”

Although that scenario may seem simple to some people, it really provoked a lot of thought within me. I was surprised at the answer and how it could be so powerful in assisting my thoughts. The Dalai Lama went on to illustrate another example.

“I was just thinking- maybe you could imagine a situation where someone was stranded on an uninhibited barren island for a long time, and if you happen to come across another human being, even if that person was very different from you and a complete stranger, you would immediately feel a sense of affinity to that person. Then our common bond as human beings would become very apparent.” (Pg. 28).

His Holiness points out another idea, and I find that his second example really helps me to see fellow human beings as my “Brothers” and “Sisters.” It is my great wish that everyone sharing planet earth can one day view each other as a united people, a population connected by the common world they live in. We share the same beautiful globe and breathe the same air under the same sky. May there be “peace under one nation and justice for all.”

That is my simple but heartfelt wish. I am glad that there are people speaking about this issue, such as the Dalai Lama, and those involved in the Association of World Citizens. I feel honored to be a part of such an honorable movement; the promotion of human rights for every citizen. I pray that we achieve this goal together.